“America is a champion of democracy and liberty; you
should be proud of those values,” the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader
told more than 3,500 listeners at
His morning talk, “Universal Responsibility,” was
delivered to students, staff and faculty at Nova’s Don Taft University
Center. It was the start of a two-day round of talks in
Believed by Tibetan Buddhists to be an incarnation
of Chenrezig, the bodhisattva of compassion, the Dalai Lama said
education and mass media had caused people to think in terms of respect
and cooperation, rather than conflict.
“It is nearly 10 years since the start of the 21st
century, but already much has changed,” he said at the gathering,
co-hosted by
consider that every part of the world is part of me. We still need to
educate people that our own interests depend on others’ interests.”
Some listeners found the Dalai Lama’s thick accent
hard to follow. But if the speech issues were a function of age, the
75-year-old remained limber enough to sit cross-legged on an easy chair
for his addresses.
In his morning speech, he called for schools to
teach compassion and responsibility, rather than just facts. “With too
much education, even a brilliant mind can go wrong, to destruction,” he
said. “Ultimately, inner values are essential.”
He compared the relationship of nations to the relationships of people to families and communities.
“In a family, each person carries some of the
responsibility,” he said. “The human being is basically a social
animal. Each person depends on the community.”
The Dalai Lama said
deserves to improve its economy and to have a place among more powerful
nations. He added that he admired the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong in
the early years, but was puzzled by his subsequent aggressive actions
in
In a Q&A session, he drew laughs when he donned
a visor that matched his maroon robes. Answering one question, he said
his talk with President
He praised American news media for guarding
democracy and said reporters “should have a long nose, like an
elephant.” But he did fault the amount of “negativity,” saying it
should be matched by positive content.
The Buddhist leader also said people should be given
light but productive work between the ages of 50 and 70. Retirement
homes would also benefit by letting the elderly mix more with children,
he suggested.
“Inspiring” was the word
a graduate pharmacy student, had for the Dalai Lama’s morning talk.
Especially the teaching that people should separate respect for a
person from his actions.
“He said lessons that we all know, deep down,” said McKenzie, 35. “It’s good to hear from somebody so influential.”
The 4,590 seat Taft Center was nearly filled for the
afternoon public speech. He took a more personal turn, as he discussed
his upbringing and education, his exile to
“Fear, doubt, anger, negativity,” were on his list
of basic ills. “We must counter with warmheartedness, compassion,
taking care of the other. Trust, friendship, honesty, brings us
together.”
said he admired the Dalai Lama’s simple message. “It was very elegant,
honest, passionate. No B.S.”
Cohen, 23, especially liked how the speaker “focused
on what we could do as individuals, taking a step of compassion. If you
affect someone on a small scale, it can be contagious.”
At a midday press conference, the Dalai Lama said he accepted the invitation to
“A university is a place where you’re exploring human abilities, good qualities,” he said.
The future of his own office seemed to bother him
less. When an audience member asked how the next Dalai Lama would be
chosen, he said it didn’t concern him.
“The people will decide the role of the Dalai Lama,”
he said. “In my life, I have to be something meaningful. After that, it
is not my concern.
—
(c) 2010, Sun Sentinel.
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