Dalai Lama urges all Americans to help bring freedom to Tibet, lead lives of peace

Human beings are innately gentle and compassionate creatures, but they also have the responsibility to work at cultivating a positive outlook and to refrain from engaging in negative and violent behavior.

His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people, delivered this message to an Emory audience of several thousand in the P.E. Center Sept. 5. The Emory appearance, co-sponsored by the University and the International Campaign for Tibet based in Washington, D.C., was the Dalai Lama's first stop in a four-city, 12-day U.S. tour.

Considered by his followers to be the reincarnation of the Buddha, the Dalai Lama is the leader-in-exile of the people of Tibet, which was invaded by China in 1949. After the Chinese put down a Tibetan uprising in 1959, the Dalai Lama and 80,000 other Tibetans fled to India.

The power of the mind

"Through effort, we can change our mental attitude," the Dalai Lama said. "Our goal as human beings is happiness, and I believe happiness is the purpose of our life. To achieve greater happiness, we must pay more attention to our inner thoughts. The mind has no form or shape, so it is very difficult to control. But with constant effort, you can change your mental attitude."

Extending the theme of initiative's role in changing one's outlook, the Dalai Lama called on the American news media to examine their practices and reflect on the impact they have on viewers' perceptions of reality. He said that because possessing the quality of gentleness is basic human nature, seeing images of war and violence on television and in newspapers is a shock to viewers and readers. In the minds of producers and editors, that shock value gives those violent images news value, the Dalai Lama said. After continuous, prolonged exposure to such images, "people get the idea that human nature is negative," he said. "We need a more balanced presentation of the news. We also need to put more effort into making a happier society. I am not saying that all people should be religious minded. But without an affectionate heart, you cannot be a happy person or be in a happy family."

Protecting a culture

The importance of preserving the culture and heritage of Tibet, the Dalai Lama explained, has nothing to do with nationalistic aspirations or a lust for power. "The Buddhist culture of Tibet has great potential to create a more peaceful human society and a proper relationship with the environment," he said. "The interests of the world's different nations have become extremely interdependent. The global reality has changed. But our mental attitude has not caught up with that reality. Many of us are still thinking in terms of `we' and `they.' I believe the entire concept of war and the use of force is old-fashioned."

The Dalai Lama noted that while conflict is bound to happen, the cause of conflict and contradiction is intelligence, the power that humans have to realize that goals, attitudes and interests change over time. "The only remedy for conflict is a good heart and sense of responsibility," he said. "The proper way to solve conflict is through the human approach: dialogue."

Due to a recent large influx of Chinese into Tibet, the Dalai Lama said, much of the Tibetan culture and heritage has been lost and a great deal of environmental damage has occurred.

"If the Chinese government would adopt a more open mind and a more open policy [on the Tibet issue]," the Dalai Lama said, "I know that we could reach an agreement. Please help us bring the Chinese government to the negotiating table. Closer ties between the United States and China would create a more useful atmosphere [for progress on the Tibet issue]. The Tibetan cause is not based on narrow-minded, nationalistic views. The cause encompasses the well-being of all human-kind."

Prior to the Dalai Lama's address, Emory College student Vikram Gopal of the Indian Cultural Exchange presented the Dalai Lama with a walking stick in honor of His Holiness' 60th birth year.

--Dan Treadaway

Editor's note: See page 5 for story

on Richard Gere's plea for Tibet.