[Sunday,30 October 2011,9:30 p.m.]
OSAKA,Japan: Over 5,000 Japanese and nearly 400 Koreans flocked to Mainishi arena inOsakato hear His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who started his public teaching today.
“I am very happy to be here in Japan and meet spiritual friends,” said His Holiness the Dalai Lama, after he was greeted on to the stage with a thunderous applause by the audience.
Beginning his first day program with a teaching on ‘Heart Sutra: From compassion to emptiness’, His Holiness said peaceful mind is the key to make this century a century of peace.
“The peace of mind can be developed through compassion and motivation to help for others’ well-being,” he said, as the members of the audience listened with rapt attention. He said he get inspired to talk when the members of the audience listened with attention.
He said material progress alone could not bring about lasting peace and happiness in this world. “The 20th century which brought tremendous technological progress and physical comfort, also saw unimaginable destruction and death of over 200 million people due to violence. The Japanese people also underwent similar suffering after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the second world war,” he added.
“So, since the later part of the last century, there has been growing interest in developing peace of mind. The scientific study of brain and mind to understand human emotions has gained momentum since then,” he said.
His Holiness also spoke about the role of world’s religious traditions to bring about peaceful mind.
He said “all the world’s religions have the same potential to generate peace in our mind, which he said is pivotal to make this century more peaceful.”
“All the religions preach common message of helping for others’ well-being through the virtues of love, compassion, tolerance and forgiveness,” he said.
“It is very important to follow and preserve your ancestral religion, and at the same time respect others’ faiths. It is equally very important that one should understand the meaning of the religion,” he added.
Later in the afternoon, His Holiness delivered a public talk at the same venue on the strength to overcome life’s difficulties.
Talking to Tibet online TV on the details of the current visit, Mr Lhakpa Tshoko, His Holiness’ representative to East Asia and Japan, said: “The interest in His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings during his visits among the Japanese people, including youngsters and the intellectuals, is ever growing.”
“The principal of Koyasan university, which is one of the organisers of this visit, today told His Holiness about growing interest in studying Buddhism in the Japanese universities,” Mr Tshoko added.
He further said, “His Holiness’ visit to offer prayers for the Japanese people on 28 and 29 April this year has brought meaningful comfort to all those affected by the destructive earthquake and tsunami tragedy. We hope His Holiness’ present visit to meet the affected people would be immensely beneficial to them.”
He said the people of Japan have expressed their deep appreciation for His Holiness the Dalai Lama on visiting their country over the last many years.
