The English version of Dalai Lama’s Interview
1. You are the 14th reincarnation of Dalai Lama. Would you like to tell us, what are Dalai Lama's missions?
I think you would understand, the identification of Lama-reincarnated children
not only happened to me. There are hundreds or thousands of the so-called reincarnated children, or people who wish to come back to the world. I am merely one of the many reincarnated people. I am identified as Dalai Lama after passing all sorts of evaluations. From another perspective, after I was identified as Dalai Lama,
naturally, I came with a sense of responsibility. On the other hand, it is also a chance-an opportunity to benefit people, to serve people, an opportunity to serve people through the teaching of Buddhism. Chance means opportunity. Therefore, I had this title – Dalai Lama. With this title, I serve people and the teaching of Buddhism with my whole heart. Serving the teaching of Buddhism and people has no racial difference. It is to serve everyone. Personally, I am always inspired by this belief.
2. Can you tell us - Do you think the 14th Dalai Lama is heavily burdened, because you left your home country?
Yes, indeed. In history, there are many Dalai Lama's who were exiled in foreign countries. However, I'm the only one who has been in exile for four decades. The 13th Dalai Lama was once in exile, too. In another way, speaking of opportunity, comparing with the 13th Dalai Lama, I have better opportunity. We live in an era of tremendous challenges. It is also an era full of opportunities. I can say I have many friends in India, in Taiwan, and in European countries. I have many friends all over the world. Comparing with my predecessors, I might be the one who has most friends.
3. Please share with us - You were a little boy from an ordinary family. After being certified as Dalai Lama, are there any changes in your spirituality and destiny?
It's difficult to answer. Without magic power we don't exactly know. Generally speaking,if I remained in Xining, in Hunan, I might be a farmer, or I could be a monk in Taer Monastery.
4. Please tell us - How do you practice the belief that “We are family.” And
the concept that “we belong to oneness?”
What we call “sentient beings” refer to every human being who has feelings and thoughts. Each sentient being has different feelings and thoughts in response to suffers and joys. When the feelings of joys and suffers occur, it's human nature to stay away from suffers and reach out for joys. This wish can be found between people and people, between people and animals. Even a little insect has the same request about joys and suffers. Because all sentient beings are born with this wish, it is consistent that every sentient being wants to avoid suffers and seek joys.Therefore, every sentient being has right to stay away from suffers and reach out for joys. Clearly. This right is also consistent.
5. Can you talk about -the Nobel Peace Award you were granted in 1989. Would you share with us your definition of peace and freedom?
Since 1959, I have been in exile. Reasons for my exile are mainly concerned with the quest for freedom. When I am in exile, I realize how painful it is to lose freedom. I would consider it is ordeal to be controlled, and wish to break through the control. The wish to break free is the driving force behind the quest for freedom.
We are in exile. Yet, we live in a free country. If we are deprived of freedom, it's impossible to express our intelligence and creativity. Therefore, nothing can be accomplished without freedom. That's why freedom is very valuable. As I had
experience of being deprived of freedom, I care about others who lose their freedom.
People who lose freedom will synchronize with others who are in the same boat. Being specifically, some people fight for freedom with violence; yet other people strive for freedom through a non-violent path. Personally, I choose to follow the spirit of Gandhi. It's our right to pursue freedom, but freedom should be approached in a non-violent way. Therefore, what we look for is freedom. Our approach is non-violent, This is another form of freedom. Freedom achieved with violence comes at the cost of other people's freedom. Freedom secured by killing or hurting is a sheer contempt of other people’s freedom. Adopting the non-violent path enables us to respect the freedom of others, and at the same time pursue our own freedom. As freedom is our ultimate goal, it's important that our approach to freedom is not to sabotage freedom. This is my viewpoint. I am for the non-violent path, which is why I am awarded Nobel Peace Prize.
6. We can see that every year a lot of Tibetan people cross the Himalayas to follow Dalai Lama in search of a better future. Can you share with us if these people presented an act of supreme dignity and courage?
Yes, indeed. The Tibetan people are in the crucial stage of pursuing freedom.
I'd like to declare myself. I think the so-called freedom is different from independence. Many Tibetan people are after independence. Yet our thought is to strive for the de facto autonomous freedom. Having Tibet developed under the framework of the People's Republic of China will also benefit Tibet's growth. Therefore, I believe that,in order to better preserve Tibetan cultural heritage,we advocate the de factor autonomous freedom. This is the form of freedom we pursue.
7. Can you discuss - Many people have been inspired by your teachings and got lots of feelings and understandings. To your opinion, what modern people are short of spirituality? And how can they amend this shortage?
This question is difficult to answer, because different people like different things.
The situation varies from person to person. Therefore, it's hard to give a simple answer. Since the day we were born. We have been developed in the warmth of maternal love. We grow up with the love and kindness of our mothers. Therefore, we know life begins with love and kindness. As life begins with love and kindness, it is important to spend the whole life, until the very end, in love and kindness.
This love and kindness is what modern people need to have It’s crucially important.
The so-called love and kindness are important elements of many religious beliefs. However, it is wrong to think love and kindness are only required by believers. Everyone,including non-believers, should have love and kindness.
8. We see people today in advanced countries are blessed with abundant material resources. Yet many of them suffer from mental diseases, such as depression, or suicide. They seem not knowing how to be with themselves, or cope with external pressures. How do you think about this problem?
In the past few decades I have attended a lot of forums on the subject of social issues around the world. Based on what they said, most people believe that the care we get from our families is not enough. This shortage of care especially to young people,is an important social issue. I share the same view. If people had love and kindness in their daily life, they would indeed help others and benefit themselves. If we are loving and kind, a certain kind of strength will grow in our heart. Our self-confidence will This is very special.also grow
9. We'd like to ask - In your heart, what is suffering? How does your suffers differ from ours?
Some are the same, and some are different. Basically we have the same suffering. There are two kinds of suffers. One stems from “the five organs of the senses” or“the five roots.” The other originates from our thoughts and mind. In these two kinds of suffers, We experience the same kind of physical suffering, such as headache, cold, or other bodily aches and pains. However, I may experience less suffering caused by thoughts. Or I hope I have less. It takes some time to study this, or you'd not understand it. The suffering caused by thoughts is something that requires serious investigation and observation to realize and understand.
10. We know you are at the top of Buddhism hierarchy. Yet, you once said you never dream yourself as Dalai Lama, but an ordinary monk. Can you tell us what is the difference between Dalai Lama and an ordinary monk?
For example: the second, the third, and the fifth Dalai Lama. Comparing with my predecessors, they are the real Dalai Lama's I am just an ordinary monk.
But we don’t think so.We think you’re extraordinary.
You think so because you’re blinded by the deluded mind. It is not real. It is what the Buddhist doctrine calls an erroneous view that causes you to invent things that are not true. There is also another kind of erroneous view that makes you misinterpret the truth. Your thoughts originate from the first kind of erroneous view.
11. Have you ever pictured yourself in your dreams as an ordinary person without any role or responsibility? If so, what kind of lifestyle and profession would you prefer?
For me dreams mean - I consider myself as an ordinary monk in real life, so naturally I appear as a monk in my dreams. Even in dreams I don’t usually see myself as Dalai Lama. This is what I’m trying to say. Whether in terms of the Buddhist concept of “six periods of day and night,” or in terms of the power of energy, I spend 80% to 90% of my time and energy on things related to Buddhism. I spent 20% of a day receiving guests and doing some administrative work. Therefore, it's obvious that the way I spend my time underlines my role as a Buddhist. It means I spend most of my life on things related to Buddhism. Generally speaking, this kind of lifestyle to practice Buddhism fits the lifestyle of all monks. doesn't have a specific lifestyle.
12. Dalai Lama has visited Taiwan many times.Would you like to give Taiwanese people some advice on how to practice Buddhist teachings and compassion?
I don’t think I have any particular advice for people in Taiwan. For all Buddhists, for people in Taiwan, and my friends, I suggest them try to relax as much as possible. Being too emotional will bring them unnecessary troubles. I'm sure the source of relaxation is love and kindness. If you look at things with the wisdom of Buddha, It is less likely to be too emotional, or indifferent. This is very important. If you see things with an open mind, it’s easier to attain peace of mind. You can do well without my advice. Having a civilization and cultural heritage of several thousand years, I’m sure you have enough wisdom to deal with this.
13. You once referred to the people in Taiwan as one of the most diligent and kindest in the world. Yet, it seems that the wellbeing of people is partly controlled by the political directions of the leader of a country. The Venerable Master Cheng Yen pointed out that the willingness to serve other people is the basis of power and authority. I wonder what’s your idea about power and authority?
There are a lot of ways to interpret the idea of power and authority. I don’t have anything particular to say about this. A democratic society’s idea of power and authority might be different from that of other political systems. No matter administrative power or political power, basically power should not become a person’s or a few people’s shortcut to gains and profits. It is a mistake to exercise power at the cost of other people’s benefits. It is a good deed to exercise power to serve and benefit people. good deeds are not necessarily built on power.Good deeds should be based on good intentions We can say power and authority are merely the means to the end. The intentions will determine whether the means will benefit others. If intentions are good, they will benefit others. Oppositely, if intentions are harmful and greedy, power and authority will become hindering. Whether it's true? I think it is. I am not very sure.
14. Can Dalai Lama talk about the natural disasters in recent years, such as earthquakes and tsunamis. In our daily practice, how can we achieve the harmony between nature and mankind?
Generally speaking, disasters can be prevented partly with religious practices and rituals. But the four big natural disasters are caused by the tremendous changes of time and space. The disasters reflect a certain kind of change that is a part of natural rhythm and therefore cannot be prevented. We have earthquakes from time to time here in Dharamsala. I suppose typhoons are common in Taiwan.
15. Can you talk about your ideas about civilization? Sigmund Freud believes that with civilization comes a great deal of dissatisfaction. Do you share the same view?
This is what we call a clash between material civilization and spiritual civilization. Simply put, more thoughts inevitably lead to more expectations and doubts The more expectations and doubts you have,. the harder it is for you to be satisfied. It is easy for a person to develop changing thoughts when he is dissatisfied. Think about it - In this world, there are tens of thousands of living things. Of all living things, human is the number one trouble-maker. Troubles are not created by our body. These problems are caused by our thoughts. Human possesses intelligence which is also the source of various expectations and doubts. Therefore, we say most people would think intelligence is a good thing. It is a special quality possessed by human beings only. The problems created by people are not caused by intelligence. They are caused by the mind. A mind that is tainted problems via the operation of intelligence. Taking modern technology as an example, technology means to make our lives more convenient. Yet used in the wrong way, it would bring harm to mankind. Adversely, used in the right way, it would benefit mankind. This is the same for human intelligence. Used in the right way, it would benefit mankind. On the other hand,used in the wrong way, it would bring harm to mankind. We are not certain our brain alone can bring happiness for mankind. It takes the combination of a clever brain and a kind heart to bring real happiness.
16. You once spoke of an unforgettable event in the fall of 1967, During the Vietnam War. You were on a airplane flying over Vietnam. You witnessed a bomber entering Vietnam. When you saw this, you have a lot of feelings. Would you like to share with us this experience?
I was on my way to Japan for a visit. B-52 I saw the US B-52 bomber firing lots of missiles at Vietnam. These missiles were meant to kill, to take lives. Please imagine - a giant bomber, loaded with numerous missiles. How many lives will be taken by the rain of missiles? How much fear will they have? How much pain will be created? I was buried in thoughts when I saw this. The situation is similar to that of Iraq today. How many lives are taken everyday? Everyday and everyday.
17. We often say that there is an animal side to human nature, which is the side of brutality Yet we see animals only kill each other for the purpose of survival. They don't kill in the forms of massacre. However, humans will initiate wars for the large-scale killing. How do you think about this evil side of human beings? Having this evil side, how do we put our compassion, righteous thoughts and beliefs into practice?
This question involves something more than compassion. We should evaluate the influences of causes and effects, losses and gains, benefits and harms. Our violent behaviors are usually meant to secure short-term interests. We fail to observe the long-term future. For the short-term sudden events, we betray ourselves, and take inappropriate actions. Be it good or bad. When we observe an event, we should not fixate at certain trivial points. It's important that we consider the situation as a whole. Buddhism looks at things through the principal of origins. There are cause and effect origins, and interactive origins. It is important that we see things through the concept of origins. When we see an event, we should look at every side of it. Violence is no solution to problems. A hundred years ago, some things might be worked out with violence. However, the world today is very different from the past. Everything is interactively dependent on the environment. On this premise, there’s no winners or losers. If we have a correct understanding of the reality, we would realize the approach of non-violence.
17-1. Do you think that the modern world is filled with various forms of violence? Besides physical violence, are mental violence and verbal violence also causing serious problems?
Yes, indeed. Violence mainly stems from heart. The difference between violence and non-violence is defined by intentions, not physical actions. A person with ill intentions is still capable of sugarcoated speech and seemingly good deeds. On the contrary, a good advice is not always pleasant to hear. Sometimes good advices may even sound harsh. Therefore, only intentions can distinguish violence and non-violence. It is impossible to tell from the actions alone.
18. Would you like to share with us your idea about love? Love is intangible and abstract. To you, what is love?
Our love begins with our mothers. As children, we don’t understand Buddhism.
And of course we don’t understand the law. But we do know that the breast milk of
our mothers is very precious. We feel comfortable in the arms of our mothers. When we can’t find our mothers, we cry out loud. Moments like this make us feel the maternal love. We will also fully depend on and completely trust our mothers. We feel very close between ourselves and mothers. And that is real love. The socially-defined love is self-centered. You consider this person as your family and that person as your friend. This kind of love is based on greed. If we recognize that other people like to have joys and avoid suffers as we do, we will put ourselves in other people’s shoes,
and feel compassionate about the pain of others. This kind of love is not self-centered. It’s to recognize that we are the same. We all like to reach toward happiness and stay away from suffering. This kind of love has the virtue of equality. This kind of love makes it possible for us to love our enemies. Love based on greed is limited to family and friends. It does not make us love our enemies. Love based on equality makes us love our enemies.
19. Would you like to give some advice on how to overcome our fear for death?
Believers and non-believers have different ideas about death. Those who believe in afterlife have a different idea about death from those who don’t. According to different beliefs people’s opinions varies. And we need different ideas. Generally speaking, Those who have a meaningful life should have no regrets over death.
People who possess power and fortune, but have no friends and live in discontent are not blessed with happiness. Anyway, we want a good life. Yet death is not something should be avoided. When there is life, there is death. We should consider death as a natural part of life. If we could think this way, everything would be easier
20. We come here to make a special TV series for the 40th anniversary of Tzu Chi Foundation. We know Dalai Lama is one of the good friends of Tzu Chi’s. Would you like to share with us your impression of Tzu Chi Foundation?
Tzu Chi is a group that serves people, especially the poor. This makes it a very special organization. When you help people who have no support, you never ask for any return. I really look up to this kind of spirit. It is very important to help the poor. Helping the poor is the real way to practice Buddhism. It is a rare kind of virtue. This is what we call “dana” in Buddhism, which means generosity or giving. Such generosity is a unique kind of virtue.
21. My last question is to ask Dalai Lama say a prayer for Tzu Chi Foundation and the world?
I would like to sing a prayer.
The heart of bodhi is a treasure of beings
I pray for the heart of bodhi to come to those who lack it.
I pray for those who have the heart of bodhi not to withdraw or turn away,
and grow infinitely with days.
I pray for peace and harvest.
I pray for everything propitious.
I pray for the day that wishes are fulfilled.
Remain the heart of bodhi until the end of the material world.
Remain the heart of bodhi until every being reaches Buddha.
I pray to reside peacefully in the treasurable heart of bodhi
until all beings relieve from suffers.
沒有留言:
張貼留言