Tibetan religious leader Dalai Lama on the pious day of Buddha Purnima has said that people must come together to defeat global threats, including Coronavirus. In his message for Buddhists, the Nobel Peace Laureate said that by cultivating a sense of respect for others and a concern for their welfare. With this, one could reduce their self-centeredness, which is a source of several problems humans face.
He said on Wednesday, “I started my Buddhist education as a child and although I am now nearly 86 years old, I am still learning. Even though our world has changed substantially since the time of Buddha, the essence of his teaching remains as relevant today as it was 2,600 years ago.”
“…Let us all join together in doing whatever we can to overcome the global threats we face, including the Covid-19 pandemic that has brought such pain and hardship across the world,” he added.
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Buddha’s teaching was practical not just for one group of people or one region but for all sentient beings, he said. The spiritual leader said that people can follow this path as per their capacity and desire.
Urging Buddhists everywhere to discover the real meaning of the Buddha's teachings and apply them in their life, Lama said that, “This entails listening and reading, thinking about what you have heard and read and making yourself deeply familiar with it."
Stressing on Buddha’s advice to not harm others and always try helping people in whatever way is possible, the Dalai Lama further said that seeking joy and happiness is everyone’s birthright.
“We can begin to do this by recognising that everyone else is just like us in that...they want happiness and dislike suffering. Seeking joy and freedom from suffering is the birthright of all beings. But personal happiness very much depends on how we relate to others,” Lama added.