This is a talk given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet, taking place at the Santa Fe High School Auditorium in April of 1991. The talk is entitled, World Peace Through Compassion and Nonviolence. His Holiness is introduced by Robert Thurman. This is tape number DSF 91-1. Thank you, Harman. I'm very happy to be back in Santa Fe here with all these friendly faces. And we're all of us here about, and many people, I believe, at home around the country, are about to have the rare privilege and special treat of an audience with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, outstanding exemplar of the millions of monks and nuns of the 2,500-year-old international Buddhist monastic community, believed by many Mahayana Buddhists to be the living incarnation of their messiah, the archangel of compassion, Avalokiteshvara, and the undisputed political and spiritual leader out of exile of the six million people

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of Tibet. We are meeting one of the dedicated celibate monastic lamas who got up to pray this morning at 4 a.m. in the middle of this busy schedule, and actually believed by his own people to be a living, breathing archangel, and yet an imaginative, spiritual, yet down-to-earth man of action who bears a heavy burden of responsibility for his suffering nation. Now His Holiness is going to share with us his prophetic and practical vision of compassion as the art and method to achieve world peace, his perennial yet uniquely novel prescription for our ailing world to have a fabulous 21st century of peace and freedom after recovering from this 20th century of wondrous progress and also unprecedented mass horrors and savage holocausts. My job is to set the stage, to bring you up to speed on the background of His Holiness

[02:10]

and his thought so you can appreciate the deep realities behind his words and the vast possibilities ahead of them. We can, for instance, begin to really appreciate His Holiness's tremendous positiveness and indomitable goodwill when we know what it means that he is a Tibetan, the acclaimed leader of six million people who are undergoing the supreme catastrophe in their history. Tibet is a vast country on the roof of the world, over one million square miles of highland, the roof of the world, at the heart of Asia. Its historically well-recorded civilization is over 2,000 years old, its distinctive language written in a vast and sophisticated literature since the 7th century of the Common Era. Its distinctive political nationality was routinely recognized by its Indian, Nepali, Iranian, Turkish, Chinese, and Burmese neighbors.

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Since 640 of the Common Era, Tibet began to devote its national life to Buddhism in an effort to rise above the warrior empire stage which it was living, in common with most of the empires of that era. Buddhism was for the Tibetans not merely a religion or simple creed, but a powerful spiritual movement that had already reshaped India and was hard at work at that time taming Southeast and Central Asia, China, Korea, and Japan. It proceeded from the Buddha's experience of perfect enlightenment around 500 before the Common Era, and it was a social, spiritual, and scientific educational movement believing in the human ability and destiny to overcome ignorance and prejudice, greed and hatred, and attain enlightenment, openness, generosity, and real, genuine love. The Tibetans translated the whole range of Buddhism from Indian languages and set about the long, hard struggle to tame their own minds, to cease from violence, to achieve

[04:15]

freedom, wisdom, and happiness. By the 1600s, the Tibetan nation had, on the whole, succeeded in this battle with basic egotism, and they had evolved a unique civilization where each individual, man and woman, was totally supported by the whole government and society to maximize the amount of life energy they could spend on spiritual development, progress, and enjoyment. Not that everyone was at once a sage and a saint, but everyone was oriented in everything toward the real possibility that they and others could, would, and had achieved fulfillment, and the art and literature of the time shines with the light of intelligence and the vivid colors of their happiness. The first Dalai Lama led this process from the Tibetan Renaissance of the 1400s. The great fifth Dalai Lama presided over this moment of great social fulfillment, taking

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practical steps from 1640 to de-feudalize society, expropriating, often it is sometimes said, even by authorities, that Tibetan society was feudal, but this is totally incorrect. Tibetan society had been feudal before the 17th century, but in the 17th century the fifth Dalai Lama expropriated the property of the aristocracy and bound their continued existence to their service of the government, and also he demilitarized, most importantly, he disarmed the country and demilitarized the robber barons of Tibet, and you can't have a feudal system without a good old robber baron. So Tibet was not a feudal system, this is incorrect. In Tibet alone in the world at this time, the long seesaw struggle between the military armies of kings and warlords and the monastic unarmed armies of peaceful seekers of holiness and enlightenment, this long seesaw that had been going on since 500 BC in India and had

[06:20]

gone on in Europe under the banner of Christianity, and in East Asia and Southeast Asia between Buddhism and the state. This long seesaw was only resolved in Tibet in favor of the unarmed monastics. In Europe, China and Japan, things went the other way. The emperors and shoguns and the kings of Europe smashed monastic individualism and pacifism and destroyed the monastic centers of peace and learning and created the secularized lay societies busy with industrial revolutions. The oil energy was put into outer material progress and productivity, and all of that energy of course has created our modern world of materialism. But the Tibetans alone went against that tide in the 17th century, the tide of materialism. They alone gave their whole land and their whole national life to their messiah incarnate, Avalokiteshvara, represented in the Dalai Lama, who used the resources of the country

[07:24]

to support the monastic universities, basically giant enlightened people factories. And the nation put all its energy into inner progress, spiritual development, and spiritual productivity. This inner industrial revolution, which was conducted in Tibet, I call, and their unique form of society that supported it, I call Tibet's inner modernity, to show how precious it was and is, how essential it is today to rebalance the rest of the world's out-of-control outer modernity with which we are all too familiar. Due to Tibet's special spiritual social achievement of this type, it became perceived, this is the reason why Tibet became perceived subtly by the outer world as a Shangri-La, a land of prayer and spiritual science, a lighthouse of the brilliant energy of wisdom and compassion, a haven of peace and contentment in the violent, hungry world of imperialistic colonialism,

[08:28]

reaching in our times to its logical conclusion. In its mountain fastness, Tibet was the world's illuminated crown chakra, you might say. It's the world's monastery, its great generator station of spiritual energy, radiating a subtle light on the inner planes that illuminated the minds of the world's people from within, quietly nourishing optimism, hope, love, intelligence, and creativity over the centuries. It is for this reason that Tibet has become the land of mystery and beauty and has drawn spiritual seekers over the ages. It was the mysterious land of the mani wheel, the water, wind, and hand-turned wheels that generate om mani padme hum, which can be translated as, hallelujah, the jewel shines from the lotus, amen, freely translated, meaning, meaning, and with its meaning that wisdom and compassion do prevail, not that they will prevail, but that those who have spiritual

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insight know that they are prevailing. The sacred mantra of Avalokiteshvara, but then, after World War II, what happened? Basically, outer modernity collided with inner modernity, and outer modernity crushed inner modernity. The forces of material progress smashed the factory of spiritual progress. In 1949 and 1950, Mao Zedong's Chinese Communist Red Army invaded Tibet, overwhelming the mainly token defense force of the demilitarized country of nonviolent Buddhists. A treaty was imposed on the Tibetans, accepted only under duress. China basically annexed two-thirds of the country right away, at first pretending to respect Tibetan political, cultural, even spiritual integrity. Quote, as Mao said, yes, we will swallow you, but you can maintain your way of life free

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and autonomous within our stomach. Ha! Tibetans tried, against their common sense, to work with the Chinese military governors, going along with this charade, as the British do today, even in Hong Kong, for eight hard years. Then, when it became totally obvious that genocide and assimilation was the name of China's policy, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in 1959, then 24 years of age, fled into exile in India. With 100,000 eventually of his followers, he has worked tirelessly and successfully to preserve the civilization, and more important, and as important, he has spoken out to awaken the world, slowly but surely, to Tibet's plight and to free his people. But what did the world do? What did we do in the face of this aggression and grab of territory, even more obvious than Iraq's attempt on Kuwait? Did we form a coalition? Did we mobilize the world, already geared to stop the red tide in Korea, at that time?

[11:40]

No, we did almost nothing. At that time, we must remember, the British knew Tibet best, because they had been in there since their invasion of Tibet in 1904. But when the world asked them, what about Tibet? What is happening? What should we do? Should we help the Tibetans? They would not speak up for fear of China and for greed for business through Hong Kong. The newly liberated Indians also knew the score, but Nehru feared Mao and was entertained by Zhou Enlai. So, after a few half-hearted UN resolutions of protest, the world turned its back on the rape of Tibet. We don't recognize Tibet. Maybe it is a part of China, and maybe Tibetans are Chinese. What do we know? It's their internal affair. So, we said coldly and callously. This is actually the first act of genocide, to join in the denial of a people's identity, to pretend they could not be getting killed because they never did exist.

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It is our policy. Tibetans have always been Chinese. This buys the lie, and it denies history. It denies our sacred freedom and principle of self-determination. It is, and it is still our official policy, and it is still the official policy of all of the nations of this world. It is still the official policy that Tibet is not recognized. This is mental genocide. But it is a problem. The big problem with the lie is that it isn't true. When a Chinese goes to Tibet, they feel as if they are in an alien land. They feel the Tibetan in front of them is not one of them. But the government is saying he is a Chinese. Then the Chinese soldier sees a foreign Tibetan who he knows is not him, not one of him, not his family. And then he says, you should be a Chinese, because the government says. The Tibetan refuses to be a Chinese because he is not a Chinese.

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Then the soldier hates him. Then the soldier is angry with him. Then he wants him out of the way. Then he wants to kill him. This non-person he wants to remove from his view. So this is how we are implicate. This is how we are accomplice of the genocide by buying the lie that Tibetans do not exist, when we know perfectly well that they do. So the conspiracy of official silence goes on and on for more than 30 years. And a major holocaust continues. 1.2 million Tibetans lose their lives. 6,250 monastic cities are destroyed and universities. Over half a million monks and nuns are killed, defrocked or forced into exile. The national wealth is entirely stolen. Sacred art treasures are desecrated. Wildlife destroyed. The environment exploited and polluted. 654 billion cubic feet of lumber is clear cut and stolen. Grazing land is desiccated by overgrazing.

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Tibetans are enslaved in work gangs to build roads, military installations. Nuclear wastes are dumped. Missile stations are constructed. The whole country is turned into a hell, into a slave camp, into a military base that projects China's geopolitical power over India and Soviet Central Asia. Finally, in the 80s, a moment of liberalization is followed by massive population transfer of Chinese colonists to flood Tibet with them, to assimilate the Tibetans, intermarrying. When the Tibetans resist, enormous human rights abuses and atrocities are perpetrated. In short, a systematic attempt is embarked upon to reach the genocidal final solution to China's Tibetan problem. Assimilate the Tibetans, keep the one million square miles of territory and your nice fat map image, and never mind the Tibetans. So this gives you the background of His Holiness' and the Tibetans' unique on this planet at this time nonviolent fight for freedom.

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When His Holiness comes out here and is so wholeheartedly positive and optimistic, loving, even towards China, concerned even for them, now you can appreciate in this context what has been his ordeal. He and his people's ordeal of suffering. You can know how clear-eyed is his awareness of how bad human beings can be when driven by ignorance, greed, and hate. You can know from what a harsh experience he has forged his loving outlook. And thereby you can realize, and you can take tremendous heart, because you can realize how realistic it is. Not just pie in the sky, not just fancy ideas from someone who doesn't know the human reality of evil, but realistically forged in the midst of an ordeal and a holocaust of suffering. In exile, the Tibetans have developed a model community preserving the best of their spirituality while dealing ably with outer modern technology and society.

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They have steadfastly kept to their nonviolence on the whole. No major incident of terrorism by this people who the world has let die and still let dies from the official level. The world thinks it can do without Tibet. Fortunately here we do not think that. I'm delighted to know. So finally the tide begins to turn slightly last two years ago when the Scandinavians award His Holiness the Nobel Prize for Peace for his nonviolent struggle against overwhelming injustice and oppression. And the people of 36 countries went against their governments, sometimes including their, along with their congresses, and decided to recognize the Tibetan nation. Never mind the diplomatic niceties and hypocrisies. We the people recognize the Tibetan nation. We recognize their special civilization,

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and we realize that we need their civilization, something to balance our berserk outer modernity that threatens our destruction. We need that. After all, we can only help save them on the outer level. It is we who need saving on the inner level. It is clear. So therefore we are celebrating the International Year of Tibet, 60 committees in North America and 36 countries around the world. And more and more people throughout the world are listening eagerly to His Holiness as someone who can articulate, based on his profound human experience of suffering and his triumphant intelligence, a reasonable alternative method for achieving world peace. The Buddha and Jesus Christ both said that hate would never be stopped by hate. Violence would never be put an end to by violence.

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Only love can put a stop to hate. Only compassion and patience can end violence. The world knows this but thinks it's somehow idealistic and still doesn't listen to it as a practical strategy. It thinks that power has other rules. So let us listen. It does not therefore recognize the power of compassion and patience. So let us listen carefully and think hard to this teacher who can stir our hope, who can help us understand that compassion is realism, that love does have the power, that patience is the technical method to achieve world peace. Let us try to open our minds and unite our minds' best judgment with our heart's deepest wish. Let us listen, study, think long and hard.

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And then, if it makes sense to us, let us act. Let us reach out and help. Let us acknowledge our responsibility and power as individuals and members of a free society to save this precious society before it is too late. Let us not, as the New York Times editorial said last week, let us not have requiems for this people after they have been destroyed. Let us not put our effort in museums for their holocaust after they are finished. For once let us make it unnecessary to build such a museum. Let us celebrate them so hard that the museum can be the living land itself where we can visit and enjoy and have fun with the Tibetans in their own land. So anyway, enough of me.

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His Holiness also doesn't like long introductions. He always teases me and tickles me in the back if I go on too long. And I want to make one practical statement that His Holiness wants to have your questions. If you think of questions while he is talking, you should write them down on a scrap of paper and give them to someone in the aisle who will then pass them up front. These will then be sorted and he will try to answer one or two or maybe, depending on the time, a few more. He wants to know your questions. He wants to dialogue with you. So write them down and send them up. And then if he doesn't get to your question, don't get mad. So, let us now open our minds and open our hearts and meet with His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet. Thank you very much. Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet

[22:47]

Brothers and sisters, it is indeed great honor to me to speak on world peace through compassion and non-violence and through my broken English. First of all, I would like to thank all the concerned people who arranged this opportunity. Now, you come here to listen to my talk, I think with some expectation. But I am afraid I have nothing to offer you except, you see,

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some of my feeling or my experience to share with you. Because I believe, you see, we are the same human being. Insight, you see, culture or religion or race or even if it's a continent, there are differences. But these are secondary. Basically, we are the same human being. We are members of one big human family. And our inner experience and desire for happiness and desire for overcoming pains and sorrow, that also same. So on that basis,

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I think we can communicate more easily. So this moment, let us feel we are simply just human being. The other complicated things remain secondary. Leave aside. Then, now, what is purpose of our life? I believe happiness, joy. That's our purpose of our life. The reason is quite clear. I think very existence of daily life, I think based on hope. If someone who completely lost hope, then the very existence become questionable. So therefore, I think hope, betterment or better future, better next day,

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that kind of feeling I think lead our whole life. So therefore, I think the purpose of our life, we can say happiness. Now, I think as time goes, and also the material development through science and technology, there is much achievement there. And also I think, in some way, due to population, and also, of course, the well communication, easier communication. So due to this factor, the world becomes smaller and smaller. So therefore, the nature of interdependent one another become very, how to say, very clear, very obvious. In ancient time, I think village to village, even I think can, without interaction,

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I think they can survive. But now today, that situation now gone. And I think now, you see, crisis of one part of the world, now actually, I think the global crisis. Since things are so much interrelated, and then, now here is the main question, the peace, world peace. I believe basic human nature is gentleness. And according some scientists also, you see, have the same opinion. I was told, I was told. So, you see, I think genuine or natural human desire,

[28:12]

you see, one peace, one friendly atmosphere. So therefore, you see, war is something actually humanity do not want. However, if you look human history, you see, the war is something part of human history, part of human life. However, because of much change of circumstances, now I think today, although I think the name or the word war is same, but meaning is much different than the previous war. You see, the war today, due to technology, you see, the destructive power is immense. So, you see, not only the human suffering, you see, the thousands, thousands of human suffering,

[29:14]

but also, you see, a lot of destruction environment. And also, actually, you see, war is so much expensive. You see, we need, you see, everywhere, you see, every people is always, you see, shouting, you see, high prices or high inflation, these things. You see, every family is concerned about money. And I think in worse, you see, the same one group, one group, one planet, you see, one side, the people are well-to-do, and economy situation, comparatively, much better. At the same time, the same planet, same human being, same, I mean, same human, no, I mean, same member of human family, you see, facing starvation. So, under such circumstances, you see, I think modern war is something really negative.

[30:18]

Hmm. So, you see, peace. Now, not, I think, you see, I think desire for peace not come from, what to say, the religious, how to say, what to say, religious belief or something else, but due to, I think, we realize the peace, harmony is something really necessary. So, therefore, you see, I think, you see, the recent years, the genuine desire for peace, I think everywhere, particularly among younger generation, you see, that desire is something really, I think, come, you see, come stronger and stronger. So, now, the question is, how to achieve the genuine peace? The genuine peace is not mere absence of war.

[31:21]

I think, you see, genuine peace is something more than that. Now, example is, at least in the European continent, this last, you see, few decades, you see, some peace there, but that peace, if we look closely, you see, that peace is not genuine peace, because, you see, that peace come from out of fear. So, you see, mentally, they are, you see, still, you see, very, how to say, unhappy. That I noticed. Now, today, although, you see, same, the same, how to say, calm nature, but nowadays, the peace which prevail, in European continent, now, that peace, I think, genuine peace, because, now, that peace come from mutual trust, mutual respect, not out of fear.

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I think, you see, peace come from, on the basis of, I think, human understanding, the human feeling. So, you see, this peace really become more, more fuller, how to say, more fuller meaning of genuine peace. So, it obviously, you see, it demonstrated the genuine peace must come through, how to say, human understanding, not by weapon, not by fear. Therefore, now, in order to achieve genuine peace, the peace must come through mental peace. So, without inner peace, the genuine world peace is very difficult to achieve. So, it is almost impossible, you see, expecting some genuine peace

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while our inner world remain, how to say, full of hatred, full of anger. So, therefore, the genuine, proper path to world peace, of world peace is the compassion, this I believe. Now, if you have genuine compassion, even, you see, towards the person who really creates problem or creates suffering to you, you see, due to compassionate mental attitude, you see, your attitude towards that person is something much, how to say, much, even though you realize that person creates problem, but however, due to the mental, how to say, attitude, you find much easier to deal with that person.

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So, therefore, the compassion is something, I mean, key thing. Now then, what is the meaning of compassion? Compassion, not something like, how to say, the feeling of pitiness, or something attachment, not that kind. You see, although both cases, there is feeling of the closeness feeling, some kind of closeness feeling, but compassion is more than that. Not only feeling of closeness, but also, you see, there is the awareness or the sense of responsibility. So that someone, you see, who suffers, someone who is suffering, then the feeling that that person also, just like myself,

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I do not want suffering and want happiness, and have every right to be happy, to overcome suffering. So from that awareness, that understanding or realization, then, you see, the feeling of some concern or closeness feeling toward that person, with sense of responsibility, that is genuine compassion. So, that motivation or that, I think, that thought, that attitude, is something I consider something very, very useful. You know, compassion or good heart develop inner strength. Once you develop inner strength, the self-confidence will come,

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or will increase, and fear will go. So, with self-confidence, and with open-minded, with flexible attitude, with that, these mental qualities are almost like a guarantee for a better future, for a success future, for a happier future. The other case, fear, you see, lose self-confidence, and indecisive, and always suspicious, some kind of negative attitude towards others. Under such circumstances, then, you see, pessimism, or I think some kind of, how to say, even self-hatred, this kind of, you see, feeling, come. So, these are the real ultimate, how to say, the source of fear.

[37:40]

So, therefore, the compassion is, I consider, the most precious thing. Whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated, or politician, or religious, or professional, no matter, you see, the good heart is, I think, something key thing. And also, you see, if the person has compassion, then all his actions become more constructive, or positive. If the person does not have these inner qualities, then the action becomes more destructive. Now, for example, say, you see, religion, or politics, or economy, or education, or law, or medical field, in every field, even warfare,

[38:49]

all these parts of human activities. Now, if someone, you see, if someone who deals in politics, if the person, the lack of, how to say, these good human qualities, then, you see, that person becomes more, how to say, unreliable, or, how to say, unreliable. I mean here, you see, saying something, doing something different. So, you see, then through that way, the people usually, they call politics something dirty politics. But actually, you see, the politics itself, nothing wrong itself. Now, in religion also, if a person who deals in religion, if that person, something lacking, something missing in heart, then religion also becomes dirty religion.

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You see, instead of providing humanity some, how to say, comfort, it creates more trouble. So, therefore, you see, every human action, whether it becomes constructive or destructive, much depends on the human heart. Then, you see, technology and science, of course, marvellous. You see, nothing wrong itself. Again, now, if, you see, you say, now, for example, I think technology and science, if we look from the purely scientific point of view, then, you see, those awful weapons, like nuclear weapons or Newton bombs, these things are really remarkable achievements. But then, because, you see, these achievements bring humanity,

[40:56]

bring to humanity more fear, more suffering. Therefore, we consider these things negative. So, you see, on the basis of human feeling, then we judge. Now, this is right, this is wrong. Without the basis of human feeling, it's difficult to judge which is right, which is wrong, which is positive, which is negative. So, therefore, all human activities, I think the key mover, the prime mover is motivation. So, therefore, compassion is a very important factor. Then, for health reasons also, the good heart creates mental calmness. Mental calmness is very important for good health. Sometimes, it looks, I think, those people who have, I think, contrast experience,

[42:03]

you see, a few moments, so much excitement, so much happy, joy, excitement, then, after a few hours or after a few days, very low. I think that kind of, you see, too high, too low, you see, upside down, you see, that kind of thing looks very colorful. But I think, you see, in real sense, that I think too much, you see, disturb for its mind. So, as a result, you see, eventually health will deteriorate. Therefore, you see, from various viewpoints, one's own, how to say, one's own benefit, one's own future success, including one's own health and environment, and comfort of our, how to say, companions, is very much related with good heart. Now, usually I'm joking, you see,

[43:07]

people, that we love friend, humanity, by nature, you see, we are social animal, therefore, you see, we love our friend. If friends, genuine friends surround you, you see, you feel happy, you feel comfort, you feel secure. So, because of human nature, the feeling of loneliness, you see, it creates many negative, how to say, development within our body also. Therefore, you see, the human nature, you see, we love friend. And friend with big smile, you see, that we are very much cherishing, isn't it? So, how to bring good friend? How to bring good genuine smile? If you keep here negative, you see, attitude, then, you see, then it is impossible, you see, to bring the genuine good friend

[44:11]

or genuine, how to say, good smile. Now, usually, you see, people who have power, you see, who have, who have, you see, who have wealth, you see, these people usually have, you see, more friend. But these friends, if we look closely, these friends are not genuine human friend, but these are friend of wealth or power. So, you see, so long you have these, you see, things there, these friends always come to you. As soon as your fortune decline, then these friends disappear automatically. Even you want to telephone, you may not get answer. Even you get some answer, I think very short and rude answer. So, therefore, you see, the genuine friend should not become friend due to wealth or other reason.

[45:13]

But genuine friend must come on the basis of genuine human feeling, human, how to say, human affection. And also, you see, naturally, when our fortune goes this way, without friend, we can't manage. When our fortune goes deadline, then that is the time we need most friend. So, you see, those friend, artificial friend, is no use, isn't it? Therefore, you see, the good heart is something very, very important. And I think social life also, you see, very important. Then for marriage also, you see, very important. I think I would like to mention something. I think marriage, yes, I think, of course, I am Buddhist monk. However, you see, in human community,

[46:21]

I think marriage is one of the very important, how to say, part of life. So, it should not take, you see, should not look marriage as something very easy way. If, you see, without proper, how to say, thinking, or proper, how to say, proper arrangement or proper preparation, then the marriage brings more trouble. You see, the divorce doesn't matter, all right, but my main concern is children. Our younger generation, our future generation. You see, here, many children, I think another word, you see, many people, you see, who have some kind of, you see, mentally, how to say, psychological problem. But these, of course, there are other factors also there, but one major factor is when they are young, you see, when they are growing, you see,

[47:23]

at that time, you see, their experience or atmosphere, you see, become the prime factor. So, the parents' love, parents' care to children is, I think, the most important factor for the happiness of the children or through that way, I think, healthier and happier, more harmonious human generation should come that way. If we neglect right from the beginning, then, you see, children, many children, you see, due to lack of this affection, then all their lives are spoiled, and in the society, a lot of troubles happen. Then, although, you see, everywhere, you see, people, you see, try to solve this problem, but because, like, you see, a tree or like a plant,

[48:23]

right from the beginning, something is wrong, something is lacking, then very difficult to repair, isn't it? So, you see, something like that, you see, right from the beginning, you see, when the seedling and the small, how do you say, small shoot, you see, during those moments, you see, taking proper care, then the healthy and good plant comes. Similarly, we human beings also, you see, must develop through that way. So, many current problems not come just yesterday, due to many years, let's say, I think, lack of care and lack of, I think, awareness. Due to that, now present crisis happens. So, therefore, you see, the good heart, you see, genuine compassion,

[49:26]

these things, I believe, the key factor for better world. Now, this is one part. Then, non-violence, as I mentioned earlier, even warfare. Warfare with human affection is much less danger. The war, completely controlled by mechanized one, becomes more dangerous. So, therefore, you see, now about the war, my principle belief is non-violence. Now, again here, what is the meaning of non-violence? Non-violence is, there are, I think there are two levels. One level, non-violence, simply, you see, restrain, harming, harming to other. Then the deeper meaning of non-violence

[50:29]

is not mere absence of harming, but something positive, you see, serving, helping. That is non-violence. Now, because human basic nature is gentleness, so non-violence method is human way, usually I call. The violent method is inhuman way. And also, the violence, I consider something like very strong pill. You may solve some pain by that pill, but at the same time, they create side effects. So, similarly, violence, sometimes, you see, it looks to solve some problem, but very often it creates the longer and bigger problem. So, therefore, the non-violence is much safer.

[51:36]

Here, you see, we need... We need, you see, more patience, more determination. Through that way, through non-violence, once you achieve something, that I consider real, genuine achievement. There's no side effect. So, therefore, non-violence is really human way. Now, here, although in recent years, on this planet, I think the freedom movement, the democratic movement, on the basis of popular movement through non-violence, now become political force, doesn't it? I think this shows, this indicates that non-violence is something effective method.

[52:41]

Now, you see, like the recent gulf crisis, I think it reminds us, you see, the modern war is really terrible. Then, you see, once some crisis, some serious crisis happens, then every people is rushing and trying to solve that. You see, to me, it seems, you see, I think due to very... I think maybe due to modern life, you see, too much hurry. So, I think you may not have enough time, you see, to think the deeper cause. You see, this I feel very important. You see, the cause and effect, you see, like the gulf war, invasion,

[53:50]

you see, this cause, immediate cause, Saddam Hussein, his policy, you see, is greedy and these things. Then, further goes, there are many causes. Why, you see, that dictatorship? Firstly, you see, how to become a dictatorship? How it become? How it came? How the dictatorship came into being in the first place? And then, you see, all these, you see, the deeper causes, the previous causes. So, here I think very clear, all his military power, you see, developed not only, not entirely within his own country. Firstly, you see, military equipment come from other countries. And then, international situation, not situation, international atmosphere,

[54:52]

particularly in the political, international relations field. You see, people, I think, very much neglect about the value of truth. They very much neglect about moral principle. So, these, you see, two things combine. Then, you see, dictatorships happen. So, therefore, now, I think time has come to think seriously how to reduce military forces. That, I think, is very important. Now... Now, already, you see, there are many people, many leaders, you see, fully committed the nuclear disarmament and reduction of nuclear threat.

[55:53]

Very good. Then, you see, they control or minimize the danger of conventional, let's say, forces of warfare. Now, so, I feel, I think now time has come to think. This is something, you see, long-term plan. First, denuclearize. Then, second, you see... elimination of all offensive, you see, weapons. Then, third... Eventually, you see, the world whole, I think, should be demilitarized. Demilitarized as well. I think, you see, at the beginning, when we demilitarize,

[57:03]

when we stop all these, you see, what is it, business equipment, these things, I think at the beginning to change, you see, that pattern, then some company or some nation, you see, at the beginning may find some, I think, to lose or some, you see, difficult at the period of adjustment. Then, eventually, I don't think, you see, there are many... I mean, the factories which produce military equipment, I think they can shift or change some other more constructive issues. We have, you see, plenty of problems. You see, I think, what is it, the water resources, and also the, what is it, the energy... energy resource without solution, these things,

[58:05]

and so many other things there, isn't it? I think, for example, you see, there are on this planet a lot of desert there, what we call desert, you know, in Sahara Desert or Indian continent, in Soviet, in China, I mean, that border area, you see, there are a lot of, you see, deserts there. I think, you see, a lot of places where, you see, our resource, our technology, many things we can put there, you see, to make a more productive place, isn't it? And those, then, particularly, the scientists, you see, I believe, what to say, I consider the most brilliant, I think, most brilliant, brilliant human being, there is a wonderful, fantastic, you see, intelligence, or intelligence, you see, using on destructive field. That's a very pity, very sad.

[59:07]

As I mentioned earlier, you see, our very purpose of our life is something benefit, something positive, not negative, isn't it? Then, you see, those people who have such a wonderful brain, now their whole energy put in something destructive, it's very, very sad. Therefore, isn't it? So, therefore, you see, I think we need some kind of, you see, the long-term master plan. You see, turning our direction, we're complaining, we're always complaining war and war. We're always complaining killing these things. Yet, we faithfully, you see, follow that direction. It's wrong. War is man-made. War is man-made. War is man-made. Now, solution should come from humanity. You see, there's no one else, you see,

[60:14]

has come forward with some initiative. Ourself must have said, come forward. Must go with initiative. So, therefore, I think the time has come to think seriously about this war mission and military establishment itself. I feel, you see, due to certain, I think, the human history, I think our very concept towards war is something, I think, wrong. I feel, I myself, when I was small, you see, I very much attracted the military equipment, especially those guns, very, you see, polished ones, very attractive, very beautiful, very smart. So, you see, when I realized,

[61:17]

these beautiful equipment is meant for killing. Then, I realized, all these things, in spite of beautifulness, but it is dangerous. So, therefore, I think our very concept about war is something wrong. I think we somehow, you see, brainwashed. You see, we believe... Sometimes we feel, you see, war is something, another aspect of human art. Then, through that way, you see, the individual human being can become hero, something national hero. But that means more killing, more suffering on others. And I think the very concept, ours and theirs, it is not good. Thank you.

[62:21]

You see, theirs body also just exactly same as ours. You see, even, you see, mosquito comes, very uncomfortable, isn't it? Under such circumstances, how to dare, you see, so much destructive, explosive things put on them. How can we are same human being, we are same human flesh? Isn't it very sad? We are human being. We can solve problem through, I think, human communication, with patience, with determination. This I feel. So, therefore, then, at another point, with this I want to explain something. Now, I think many people feel demilitarization, complete demilitarization. A sound looks nice, but impractical, firstly.

[63:29]

And secondly, also dangerous. Some may feel like that. For this, I feel like, you see, the recent crisis. Because of the circumstances, you see, you need the force of, how to say, force of allied or coalition forces. So, therefore, you see, we have to, I mean, we can manage, you see, to set up the collective force, which, you see, all member states, you see, share or contribute equal number of force. Then, you see, controlled by collective commandership. And controlled by, like, you see, the international organization, such as U.N. or something like that, isn't it?

[64:31]

Or first step, as a first step, not whole world, but regional. Say, in European continent, you see, the all member states contribute one force. And then America, Northern and Southern, you see, things like that. And Africa and Arabs. So, I think we can, if human being, I think, you see, think on deeper way, with more patience, I think we will find some, I think, proper solution for our future. This I feel. The one thing. Then last, can I say even? Oh, last, I forgot one thing there. Carolina. Now, not coming here.

[65:32]

All right. It doesn't matter. So. Although I feel that talking such things is a little bit presumptuous, but I feel that millions and millions of people remain in silence, but I think they have this kind of feeling. So... Now here, the United States, people of the United States, from my childhood, you see, we have the image of the U.S. that this country is not only a powerful nation, but also a champion for liberty, freedom, democracy. So I think you, the great nation, lead humanity in the right direction.

[66:39]

This is, I think, on the basis of freedom, personal freedom, liberty, democracy. So this is, I think, your greatest task. This is my hope. If I want to love my enemy, how can I transform my anger and hate into love? Hmm. You see, when the negative things happen, then since things are interdependent, so there are different aspects, many different aspects, many angles.

[67:43]

So therefore, it is useful, you see, to look from different angle. As your question, you see, someone who creates problem to you, then if you look some other angle, then because, you see, that person creates this problem, so therefore, you see, you are facing some challenge. So that challenge gives oneself more opportunity, you see, to utilize human determination, human wisdom. And also, you see, for a practitioner, now for example, you see, my own case, someone who practices compassion, you see, then, you see, in order to develop genuine compassion, you see, we need tolerance and patience. Then the best teacher for tolerance and patience is our enemy.

[68:46]

So from that viewpoint, you see, sometimes you can develop some kind of deep appreciation. So now here, you see, if you want enemy, really, you see, threat your life, then better to escape. Then other case, you see, some kind of some other trouble, then I think, you see, thinking this line, and eventually your negative attitude, negative feeling will reduce. Then, you see, you get some kind of, you see, genuine inner strength on the basis of compassion. Then with that, you can face much easier with the person who creates trouble for you. So this is one way. Then generally, so when you see problem,

[69:48]

some problem, negative things happen, then it is advisable or useful, you see, to look that problem from distance. From distance, then it appears little smaller. If you only look, you see, that, like this, then it becomes very big and something you cannot bear. Unbearable. That also is one technique. Then, of course, the anger transforms into compassion. It takes time. Such practice, we need, you see, constant effort, through patience and determination. Then eventually, you see, it can change. Next question.

[70:49]

If the purpose of our lives is happiness, how is it that mankind spends so much time pursuing suffering? No. I don't think that we human beings knowingly pursue suffering. I don't think, but you see, due to ignorance or due to short-sightedness, and also some cases due to impatience, sometimes we create ourselves more suffering. But otherwise, I think nobody deliberately pursues suffering. I don't think. I don't think. I think here is another thing, perhaps.

[71:56]

You see, in order to gain bigger happiness or bigger benefit, sometimes purposely, you see, take some suffering. That, of course, altogether different case, different question. Next question. Is there just one thing that people can do regardless of religion or if they have a spiritual practice, something that is simple that will help cultivate a good heart and peace in people's lives? Is just being kind to others enough? Last question, last part. I believe that is possible because the good heart or human affection, this, I feel, comes from birth.

[73:03]

I think by nature we have that kind of experience there, that kind of quality there. Because I think the nature of this body, even animals also, when they're born, when they're grown up, at certain stage, the affection, the parent, or particularly the mother, like a bird or some other animals, that is there. So, human being. Now, for example, the medical scientist says that just after birth, a few weeks, that period is really crucial period for development of the brain, enlarging. During that period, most important factor is mother or someone else's physical touch

[74:07]

is the crucial factor for development of the brain. So, this shows by the very nature of our physical body, this body needs the other's affection. So, therefore, I believe, generally speaking, I believe when we're born, we are free from any religion, but not free from human affection. Then religion comes later. Religious faith comes later. And actually, the various different religions, I think they are, how to say, they do increasing the human good quality. So, therefore, someone who has no particular religion, without faith, it's very possible to develop good heart.

[75:09]

And that I actually trying to make clear, to tell people, because I believe five billions of human being, little over five billions of human being. Now, perhaps, I think genuine religious believer, I don't think more than one billion. So, just four billions of humanity, no faith. So, therefore, there are majority. They are also human being. So, therefore, a message or technique should find to reach those remaining four billions of people. So, therefore, I think usually I make two distinction. Spiritual, there are two level. Spiritual, one is with faith, with religious, how to say, tradition or religious, how to say, religious belief. Another spiritual, that is simply those good quality of human nature.

[76:19]

Now, and also another reason why there is possibility to develop good heart is although anger and negative thoughts, these also part of human mind. But still, if we look carefully, I think the indication is that still the dominant force of human mind is those positive human quality. Anger comes and goes, comes and goes, but not the dominant force. This I believe. Now, in spite of human society today, you see, every newspaper, every day, newspaper or radio broadcast some negative things happen here and there. But this ratio, I think these negative events actually not feel happy to humanity.

[77:20]

Therefore, such things happen. Then, you see, we get some kind of, how to say, surprise or something. Then, you see, the other thing, the millions and millions of people having others' care and survive or live under human affection, you see, that kind of thing not worthy to report on newspaper. Because that is something everyone, you see, take for granted. So therefore, there is a negative thing. Therefore, I think the fact that we pay more attention to negative events is an indication that negative events like sufferings and miseries and so forth are contradictory to basic human nature.

[78:21]

Hmm. It's mere compassion. The last question was, is just being kind to others enough? Hmm. I think these two things, you see, compassion is motivation. Non-violence is the action of compassion. So I think these two things should go together. Next question. Those of us who work for a more balanced, compassionate world often find that we must work through the political sphere. It is hard. We are surrounded by anger, fear, greed, and disconnectedness. Often we fall into these ways ourselves, despite the fact that we begin with a good heart. Some of us give up the struggle and withdraw because it is so difficult.

[79:31]

How can we maintain inner harmony and balance and bring that into difficult situations and exert there the power of love and healing? So what's the question? Hmm. Still not very clear, but it seems to say that human affection or compassion with human intelligence, these two things should go together. You see, these two things become something like supplementary.

[80:40]

Complementary. The human intelligence, you see, and for human intelligence to go the right direction, that is made by compassion. Now compassion becomes effective by intelligence. These things should go together. So that, I think, I feel that compassion and good heart and intelligence should go in union so that compassion would steer which direction the human intelligence would be directed or utilized. And similarly, intelligence would strengthen

[81:42]

the force and stability of compassion so that it will also be able to judge the appropriateness of circumstances, time, and the skillful means that are required in a particular context or circumstances. Last question. Last question. Your Holiness, if I understand correctly, you do not favor imposing sanctions against China. If this is so, how can we, with non-violence, help to make Tibet free again in our lifetime? I believe China, as a most populated nation, it is unwise if China is isolated. So it is much better that China must bring into the mainstream.

[82:46]

Then there is one thing. Sometimes I feel a little bit wondering. That is, the Western nation, they adopt, I think, certain very appropriate or some right attitude towards the Soviet Union. That is, try to maintain good relations or even try to improve mutual trust. At the same time, make clear those negative things or wrong things such as human rights violations and things like that. So that, I think, is very appropriate or wise. So it's a similar attitude. Why not adopt towards China? Maintain good relations. At the same time, make clear, through friendly manner, those wrong things committed by the Chinese government. Make it clear.

[83:50]

And take a strong position, a strong stance. I think that, for the long run, the Chinese will appreciate much. Otherwise, you remain too much politeness. That may create suspicion on others' mind. If you remain genuine friend, a friend, at the same time, straightforward, I think that kind of relation is much healthier. So eventually, I think, if you have a strong world opinion, including governments, then the Chinese, eventually, will listen.

[84:55]

According to recent events, it clearly demonstrated. Although the Chinese government, I think, is too much proud, but somehow, they are very much concerned about the outside world opinion. So therefore, it makes a tremendous impact on their mind. And then, overall, I think, judging recent events on this planet, I think, due to so much negative experience, which we gained during this century, now humanity is becoming more mature, and deeper awareness about our own interests, our long-term interests. So therefore, now those, you see, inhuman, those are the economic system, or the political system, or ideology, which basically is something inhuman.

[86:00]

Against human nature. Against human nature. These, now, I think, now already, you see, many places already changed. Now Chinese case also, I think, only a matter of time. You see, say, five to ten years, I think things will change. Definitely. So, in other words, the disappearance of Berlin Wall, and with disappearance of Berlin Wall, the Iron Curtain already, you see, disappeared. That is very good. Now, Bamboo Curtain still, apparently, active. So that also should go. So, you see, the citizens of the free world, I think everyone has moral responsibility to help Chinese people,

[87:03]

which Chinese people themselves do not want this Bamboo Curtain. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. This ends the program. Thanks for listening.

[87:27]

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