By IANS,
New Delhi: Making a strong argument for world peace, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Wednesday said many of the problems besetting humanity today are due to “secondary-level differences”, and at the basic level there is no cause for quarrel.
Every human being has the right to a happy life – irrespective of whether he is rich or poor, educated or uneducated, king or a beggar, the Dalai Lama said, delivering the valedictory address at the close of the four-day Global Buddhist Congregation here.
“According to my experience, every human being wants a happy life and do not want suffering. Each one of us has the right to achieve that. We all have the same rights,” the 76-year-old said.
The Dalai Lama said at a deeper level, he was a human being and for his own interest, he had to think of humanity.
“I think many problems which the humanity is facing is because of the secondary-level differences. At a fundamental level, there is no basis for quarrel or cheat each other. They have to realise that they are the same,” he said.
The Nov 27-30 Global Buddhist Congregation whipped up a controversy after China objected to the presence of the Dalai Lama at the meet.
The spiritual leader said “a happier humanity was in everybody’s interest”.
“We have a responsibility to serve humanity,” he said.
The spiritual leader said that “on looking back… the 20th century had become an important century for human history”.
“This century has also become a century of bloodshed, violence and divisions. Some of the unhealthy things of the 21st century are symptoms of past mistakes and negligence,” he said.
“Anger, fear, hatred and suspicion were the cause of the problems,” he said.
The Dalai Lama said those who believed that money and technology could make the world better were wrong.
“In order to make this 21st century a peaceful century, we have to think of things that cannot be achieved through declarations. Peace can come through inner peace,” he said, referring to a Global Buddhist Congress resolution to set up an International Buddhist Confederation.
He said “to make a happier world you have to look at individuals”.
He called upon his fellow Buddhists brothers and sisters to follow that they preached.
He said Buddha’s words were still relevant 2,600 years after his death.
The spiritual leader, who had been campaigning for rights of the Tibetan Buddhists, refused to address the media.
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