Buenos Aires, September 13, 2011—His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived yesterday evening in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, after flying for 9 hours from Mexico City. He was received at the airport by the protocol officers of the Ministry of External Affairs of Argentina as well as by Prof. Horacio E. Araujo (Lama Sangye Dorye), Lama Rinchen, and other members of the Kagyu Thekchen Choeling, one of the two hosts of the visit in Argentina.
Later when His Holienss arrived at Four Seasons Hotel, he was greeted by the members of the Dongyuling (Drukpa Kagyu) Buddhist Center, second host of the visit, and many well-wishers.
This morning , His Holiness had an hour long meeting with the Argentinean media. More than 25 media people, representing various media agencies attended the Press Meet. At the press meet, His Holiness told the media that he has come to Argentina at the invitation of many of his friends and his main purpose of the visit was to share his two commitments in life—to promote basic human values as a fellow human being and to promote harmony among various religious traditions, as a spiritual person and Buddhist.
His Holiness told the media people that they have an equal responsibility to promote and create awareness about these basic human values and that they should report unbiasly, honestly and truthfully about social problems in order to benefit the larger society. He added that in many parts of the World, corruptions have now become like a new cancer and that those who indulge in such unhealthy practice would not admit. Therefore, he said, it was the media role to investigate and report about these unhealthy practice truthfully and honestly to protect of the interest of a society.
Later His Holiness attended tovarious questions posed by media persons, ranging from how to incorporate Buddhist values in one’s life to how to adapt Buddhism to different culture settings to democratization of the Tibetan community in exile. While answering the question on democratization of the Tibtan community, His Holiness said that he noticed various flaw in the Tibetan government system when he was child and therefore he made serious attempts to reform the system as early as in 1952. Later after coming into exile in 1959, he said, he slowly introduced a democratic system in the Tibetan community and then ultimately in 2002, the Tibetans managed to directly elect the chief executive leader (Kalon Tripa). For ten years since then the Tibean people have shouldered more responsibility and also people became more politically matured and then he thought it was right time for him to completely devolve his administrative and political authorities to the elected leaders. Not only did he devolve the political authroities, His Holiness said, he proudly, happily and sincerely ended the temporal leadership of the 400 years old institution of the Dalai Lamas.
Towards the end of his press meet, His Holiness was joined by Argentinean Nobel Peace Laureate, Mr. Perez Esquivel. After the press meet, His Holiness had a private meeting with Mr. Perez Ezquivel. Later, His Holiness had a lunch with Mr. Perez Esquivel and his family members.
His Holiness also met Argentinean Congresswoman Dr/Maria Laura Leguizamon and her family members.
