For millions of his devotees across the world, the Dalai Lama is the embodiment of humanity and compassion. The Dalai Lama, whose real name is Tenzin Gyatso, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, and is known for his decades-long struggle for Tibet's autonomy.
The spiritual leader believes that his middle-way approach is the best way to peacefully resolve the Tibetan issue and promote co-existence between the Tibetan and Chinese people. The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 and has been since living in exile in Dharamsala, a city in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.
In an DW interview, the 80-year-old spiritual leader talks about his role as the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan issue, and the rise of violence globally.
DW: How do you view the terror attacks on Paris?
The Dalai Lama: The twentieth century was a violent one, and more than 200 million people died due to wars and other conflicts. We now see a spillover of the previous century's bloodshed in this century. If we emphasize more on non-violence and harmony, we can herald a new beginning. Unless we make serious attempts to achieve peace, we will continue to see a replay of the mayhem humanity experienced in the 20th century.
People want to lead a peaceful lives. The terrorists are short-sighted, and this is one of the causes of rampant suicide bombings. We cannot solve this problem only through prayers. I am a Buddhist and I believe in praying. But humans have created this problem, and now we are asking God to solve it. It is illogical. God would say, solve it yourself because you created it in the first place.
We need a systematic approach to foster humanistic values, of oneness and harmony. If we start doing it now, there is hope that this century will be different from the previous one. It is in everybody's interest. So let us work for peace within our families and society, and not expect help from God, Buddha or the governments.Full story...
The spiritual leader believes that his middle-way approach is the best way to peacefully resolve the Tibetan issue and promote co-existence between the Tibetan and Chinese people. The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 and has been since living in exile in Dharamsala, a city in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.
In an DW interview, the 80-year-old spiritual leader talks about his role as the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan issue, and the rise of violence globally.
DW: How do you view the terror attacks on Paris?
The Dalai Lama: The twentieth century was a violent one, and more than 200 million people died due to wars and other conflicts. We now see a spillover of the previous century's bloodshed in this century. If we emphasize more on non-violence and harmony, we can herald a new beginning. Unless we make serious attempts to achieve peace, we will continue to see a replay of the mayhem humanity experienced in the 20th century.
People want to lead a peaceful lives. The terrorists are short-sighted, and this is one of the causes of rampant suicide bombings. We cannot solve this problem only through prayers. I am a Buddhist and I believe in praying. But humans have created this problem, and now we are asking God to solve it. It is illogical. God would say, solve it yourself because you created it in the first place.
We need a systematic approach to foster humanistic values, of oneness and harmony. If we start doing it now, there is hope that this century will be different from the previous one. It is in everybody's interest. So let us work for peace within our families and society, and not expect help from God, Buddha or the governments.Full story...
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