ZAGREB, July 8 (Hina) - During a lecture at Zagreb's Jesuit Faculty of Philosophy on Monday, the Tibetan religious and secular leader, the 14th Dalai-lama, Tenzin Gyatso, called for inter-religious dialogue as a way to build a better
future for mankind in the new millennium.
ZAGREB, July 8 (Hina) - During a lecture at Zagreb's Jesuit Faculty
of Philosophy on Monday, the Tibetan religious and secular leader,
the 14th Dalai-lama, Tenzin Gyatso, called for inter-religious
dialogue as a way to build a better future for mankind in the new
millennium. #L#
The Dalai-lama, who arrived in Zagreb from Split this morning,
said during the lecture "The Buddhist Approach to Inter-Religious
Dialogue" that the creation of a better future started on the
individual level.
Greater individual happiness, the progress of communities, and
happier mankind in general cannot be achieved with government
decisions, but depends on the hard work of every individual, he
said.
The Tibetan leader, who has been living in exile in India's
Dharamsala since 1959, said it was important for every individual
to act morally and ethically in his field of interest, in line with
the principles of compassion, tolerance, and understanding.
While he stresses that intelligence and knowledge are
exceptionally important for humankind, the Dalai-lama warns that
academic communities, as one of the most important segments of each
society, should pay more attention to the "education of the
heart".
In his address to reporters at the Zagreb airport, the 1989 Nobel
Peace Prize winner said he advocated Tibet's autonomy within China,
and not its full independence.
Speaking about the establishment of a better inter-religious
dialogue, the Dalai-lama said it could be achieved with the help of
several methods - by learning about different spiritual and
religious traditions, exchanging experience about spiritual
practice, and pilgrimage to the holy places of other religions.
He reminded that he was especially grateful for his personal
opening up to the experience of the Christian brethren to Catholic
priest Thomas Merton, who was a member of the Trappist order and who
he said had enabled him to understand the depth of the potential of
Christianity.
The Buddhist approach to inter-religious dialogue is based on
learning about other religions as the only way to alleviate
tensions, the Dalai-lama said.
The Dalai-lama was welcomed by Father Ivan Macan, the head of the
Croatian Jesuit province. Macan thanked the guest for his great
contribution to improving understanding among religions.
Academician Mislav Jezic, the president of the Croatian Pan-
European Union, which organised the first unofficial visit of the
Dalai-lama to Croatia, said the Dalai-lama was one of the greatest
moral authorities of today.
Attending today's lecture among numerous representatives of the
Croatian academic community and students of the Jesuit Faculty of
Philosophy were also papal nuncio Giulio Einaudi and Croatian
Academy of Arts and Sciences (HAZU) president Ivo Padovan.
The committee to welcome the Dalai-lama in Split said today in a
statement archbishop Marin Barisic did not meet the Dalai-lama due
to previously arranged confirmation services.
The statement read that "the two-day visit of the Dalai-lama to
Split was very successful and is deeply engraved in the memory of
all those who attended his public lecture and numerous other
cultural events, meetings, and talks".
(hina) rml sb