by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

From SHUMEI Magazine, VOL. 225

(Cape Town, South Africa, December 8, 1999. Transcribed by Gillian Haggerty, The Word Foundation)

Brothers and sisters of various religions. I am extremely happy to have this opportunity to be present here at the conclusion ceremony of the Parliament of the World's Religions which has just finished their deliberations. And this morning when I also had the occasion to be with you all for a brief moment I was very impressed with the latest efforts that were made by the groups that came here to participate in the conference. And I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Madame Mayor for hosting this conference and being connected with it in many ways.

Now, I want to speak through my broken English in order to save time. I suppose here that I'm communicating with human beings, but I can't see your faces. So it's almost as if I am talking to the darkness. But, anyway, I just want to share some of my own experience or my own practice.

In order to serve others, the motivation or desire to help others, the sense of caring, that is the basic thing. In order to serve other people, first you have to develop that kind of desire. And then, second, in order to serve, in order to help others more effectively, first you yourself should have some kind of inner strength or inner tranquility.

So now, here I am a Buddhist monk, just a simple Buddhist monk. In my daily prayer, the main thing -- the true analytical meditation -- is I try to get deeper awareness about the reality or value of these human, good qualities such as human affection, sense of caring, sense of concern for one another.

First, I myself implement these things and through that way I feel I can serve others more effectively. So I want to share this with all my special brothers and sisters. First, oneself. Practice seriously, sincerely. Then through that way you will have better equipment to serve others. Then, another thing. I am always thinking how to make a contribution from my own tradition, not thinking how to propagate my own sort of belief, my own tradition. I hope brothers, sisters here, also I think if you change that line our contribution can be more beneficial.

We need genuine respect toward other traditions, like this kind of gathering. The more interaction -- we follow other traditions. Through that way we can learn the value of other traditions, through that way we can develop genuine mutual respect. So that's one thing.

Then, another thing. Though I myself am Buddhist, and my own experience of course is through Buddhist practice. But, however, usually I am trying to promote human value without touching Buddhism. I think that's important because I'm always trying to share with other people that there are two levels of spirituality. One is spirituality with religious faith. One is spirituality without religious faith.

The second thing that I feel is very, very important, frankly speaking. I think one individual, one community without religious faith certainly can survive. They can manage their own sort of future without a problem. But the second kind of category, just basic human sort of good qualities, without that an individual can't be a happy person. Without a sense of caring for one another, a sense of sharing with one another, a sense of community, a sense of responsibility, a sense of discipline.

Without these things you can't be a happy person. You have always some sort of disturbance in the mind. And as a result your family will not be a happy family and that person wherever they live always creates some sort of problem in the community. So therefore in order to have a happy, peaceful community we have to start with genuine peace within ourselves, within one individual.

For that these basic human good qualities are essential. Without them you cannot be a happy person. So therefore the religious believers, irrespective of what philosophy, all teach of warm heartedness and all teach the importance of love, compassion, forgiveness, contentment - all of these things. Therefore, one as a believer can implement these qualities in daily life and then from that experience ask, "how much can I contribute regarding the promotion of human values." I think that's important.

So, firstly I think all humanity has the responsibility to look after ourselves and to look after our own planet. For that I think the believer has a special kind of role for the promotion of these human values. This I wanted to share with you.

Then the second thing, another thing, as I mentioned briefly this morning. Through such gatherings, we get new ideas and new visions. And these new ideas and visions we have to implement because change only takes place through action, not through prayer or through meditation, but through action.

I think that's all.

This morning I met a few youths full of energy and full of enthusiasm. I think that's very good. Now we are entering the 21st century and a new millennium. I often share with people that the new millennium itself is nothing special. Day and night. Sun and moon. But then I think of human beings, particularly youth, the younger generation. If you make good preparation for new millennium then we can turn new millennium - becoming more peaceful, more friendly, more in harmony. So it is entirely on our own shoulders.

So for that awareness, either one of them, is the most important factor. Because, I feel that many problems we are facing today and also in the past is, I feel, [because] there is a gap between perception and reality.

Then another thing, determination, will power. For that self confidence [is necessary]. One thing I want to make very clear. Every human being whether a believer or non believer, easterner or westerner or northerner or southerner, whether different size or shape these are secondary, not important. All human beings have the same sort of potential. All have the same rights. So we can see in the past history and even today some human beings make good commitments for the welfare of society or betterment of the world. So therefore we each of us has the same potential. So, believe that and develop some sort of self confidence and with the awareness combine these two and we can make great contributions for the betterment of the world.

Thank you very much.