On the first day of his first visit to Japan in
2012, His Holiness enjoyed a few brief audiences, then took a brief
drive to the Pacifico Yokohama Exhibition Hall, in Yokohama, to deliver a
talk on Geshe Langri’s “Eight Verses on Transforming the Mind” before
more than 6000 people. It was a brilliant autumn Sunday in Japan, and as
the almost capacity crowd sat still before him, His Holiness said that
“Everyone has the right to achieve a happy and successful life”—as well
as the capacity to do so—and went into a lucid and rigorous explanation
of the different schools and emphases of Buddhism.
Pacifico
Yokohama Exhibition Hall where more than 6,000 people attended His
Holiness the Dalai Lama's teaching and talk in Yokohama, Japan, on
November 2012. Photo/Office of Tibet Japan
|
Yokohoma, Japan, 4 November 2012 - On
the first day of his first visit to Japan in 2012, His Holiness enjoyed a
few brief audiences, then took a brief drive to the Pacifico Yokohama
Exhibition Hall, in Yokohama, to deliver a talk on Geshe Langri’s “Eight
Verses on Transforming the Mind” before more than 6000 people. It was a
brilliant autumn Sunday in Japan, and as the almost capacity crowd sat
still before him, His Holiness said that “Everyone has the right to
achieve a happy and successful life”—as well as the capacity to do
so—and went into a lucid and rigorous explanation of the different
schools and emphases of Buddhism.
Clearly invigorated by the chance to
talk about these serious Buddhist ideas, His Holiness suggested that,
after all this food for the mind, the body needed sustenance, too, and
broke for a quick lunch.
Less than an hour later, he was back in
the large hall, to watch a chanting of the Heart Sutra, first in
Chinese and then in Korean, followed by a moving film chronicling his
travels through Mongolia, accompanied by four richly-costumed Mongolian
musicians on stage, and then a recitation of the Heart Sutra by four
Tibetan monks and, at last, by a group of Japanese monks, stock-still in
their gold-and-black Zen robes.
“We have to interact on the basis of just being humans,” he said at the beginning of his talk on nurturing the heart. “If, when I speak to you, I keep some notion that I am a Tibetan or a Buddhist, or even if I think it’s important to be a Dalai Lama, that attitude itself creates some kind of barrier. No use! We humans all have the same potential to attain a calm mind.” He went on to dissect the nature of self-created problems, our tendency to over-emphasize material values and power, even technology, our tendency to greed. “Those who have conducted scientific research are convinced that inner peace is the most important source of happiness.”
How find this inner peace? “The wise method,” His Holiness went on, “is to keep our intellectual faculties, keep sharpness of mind, without losing peace of mind.” We have, in short, to cleanse ourselves of destructive emotions through a training of the mind.
“We have to interact on the basis of just being humans,” he said at the beginning of his talk on nurturing the heart. “If, when I speak to you, I keep some notion that I am a Tibetan or a Buddhist, or even if I think it’s important to be a Dalai Lama, that attitude itself creates some kind of barrier. No use! We humans all have the same potential to attain a calm mind.” He went on to dissect the nature of self-created problems, our tendency to over-emphasize material values and power, even technology, our tendency to greed. “Those who have conducted scientific research are convinced that inner peace is the most important source of happiness.”
How find this inner peace? “The wise method,” His Holiness went on, “is to keep our intellectual faculties, keep sharpness of mind, without losing peace of mind.” We have, in short, to cleanse ourselves of destructive emotions through a training of the mind.
His
Holiness the Dalai Lama watching Mongolian musicians on stage at the
Pacifico Yokohama Exhibition Hall in Yokohama, Japan, on November
2012. Photo/Office of Tibet Japan
|
The minute His Holiness
concluded his formal talk, three long lines formed, almost to the back
of the huge hall, of people, mostly young and often from outside Japan,
eager to ask questions.
“Now is the time for scientists to take
the lead,” His Holiness said at one point, in his answer to one of the
first of more than 15 questions. “But everyone in his own
field—teachers, doctors, even businessmen—can encourage inner values.
And a businessman may find that if he works with moral principles, his
business will be more successful.” Politicians, too.
Questioners came up to mikes near the stage to ask about the relation of neuroscience to spirituality, about loving with attachment and parenting and the environment and Tibet.
“Everything depends on education,” His Holiness said with vigor, rising to meet the often searching enquiries. “The existing educational system is very oriented towards material values. That’s not adequate. We must find out how to instill in the existing modern educational system equal weight on secular ethics, backed by science. They teach hygiene of the body in schools, but teaching about hygiene of the emotions is not yet developed.”
When a young Japanese man asked him about the anger he felt at official evasions about the Fukushima nuclear disaster, His Holiness said, “Such tragedies as Fukushima already happened. Too much worry, too much stress: no use! Instead of worry, look forward. The future is open. You can rebuild your home, your village, your community. If you have some interest in the Buddhist way of thinking, please read Shantideva’s book, especially the sixth chapter, instead of watching television. Instead of using “eye consciousness” or “ear consciousness,” use your mental powers. Think! Analyze! Then you can get more confidence.
Questioners came up to mikes near the stage to ask about the relation of neuroscience to spirituality, about loving with attachment and parenting and the environment and Tibet.
“Everything depends on education,” His Holiness said with vigor, rising to meet the often searching enquiries. “The existing educational system is very oriented towards material values. That’s not adequate. We must find out how to instill in the existing modern educational system equal weight on secular ethics, backed by science. They teach hygiene of the body in schools, but teaching about hygiene of the emotions is not yet developed.”
When a young Japanese man asked him about the anger he felt at official evasions about the Fukushima nuclear disaster, His Holiness said, “Such tragedies as Fukushima already happened. Too much worry, too much stress: no use! Instead of worry, look forward. The future is open. You can rebuild your home, your village, your community. If you have some interest in the Buddhist way of thinking, please read Shantideva’s book, especially the sixth chapter, instead of watching television. Instead of using “eye consciousness” or “ear consciousness,” use your mental powers. Think! Analyze! Then you can get more confidence.
“Frankly speaking, we should not be
like animals. Animals, when something happens, respond by reflex. But we
have this marvelous capacity to use the mind.”
A
young woman asking a question of His Holiness the Dalai Lama during his
talk in Yokohama, Japan,Nov 2012 Photo/Office of Tibet
Japan
|
Finally, addressing the
issue of enmity, he carefully explained how “Only your enemy gives you
the chance to practice tolerance and patience.” And the actor should
never be confused with his action. “As soon as wrong actions are
committed, sometimes you need counter-measures. But the actor, as a
fellow sentient being, sometimes requires our compassion. For example,
when we make a mistake, we make a distinction between “I” and that wrong
action. Similarly, we can make a distinction between others and their
wrong actions.” Just as we say, “It wasn’t me” when we did something
wrong, we could say, “It wasn’t him.”
“So,” said His Holiness, “practicing forgiveness does not mean accepting wrongdoing.” We condemn the action, but never the person who committed it. That, perhaps, was one concrete, practical measure towards peace of mind, happiness and a true hygiene of the emotions.
“So,” said His Holiness, “practicing forgiveness does not mean accepting wrongdoing.” We condemn the action, but never the person who committed it. That, perhaps, was one concrete, practical measure towards peace of mind, happiness and a true hygiene of the emotions.
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