Thousands-year-old Tibetan Buddhist Tradition holds key to achieving world peace: His Holiness the Dalai Lama at New Namgyal Monastery School

Dharamshala: At the inauguration of the new school of the Namgyal Monastery here in Dharamshala, the Tibetan spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama called for global promotion of human values and compassion through education and awareness.

“Namgyal Monastery has been known as centre of learning, contemplation and meditation on the profound Buddhist treatises. While it continues to strive to strengthen its scholastic training, it must engage more proactively to serve humanity at large,” His Holiness said.

“The thousands-year-old Tibetan Buddhist tradition, which the Tibetans have kept alive till now, holds the key to achieving world peace; we are therefore in a unique position to serve the 7-billion human beings.”

His Holiness encouraged the Tibetans to take pride in their culture and as custodians of the classical Buddhist heritage, which emphasises critical reasoning and thinking. “Through an exchange of these knowledge, we could serve the world through collective effort.”

The spiritual leader lamented how the world was marred by large-scale violence and lacked appreciation for any expression of love and kindness.

“The seed of compassion is within us. We must strengthen that aspect of our nature and promote it further,” he told the gathering of Buddhists from India, Italy, Vietnam, US and others.

The 82-year old spiritual leader became nostalgic recalling his earlier days at Namgyal Monastery in Tibet and said he envisions the centre to grow into a premier institute of Buddhist science.

Ven Thupten Yarphel, Principal of the Namgyal School and President of the Education Society, delivered a detailed history of the Namgyal Phende Leksheling.

Khen Rinpoche of Namgyal Monastery, in his address, pledged to follow the His Holiness’ advice to be 21st-century Buddhist and to embrace his message of peace, nonviolence and universal brotherhood.

Namgyal Choklang, Secretary of the Monastery delivered the vote of thanks.

The Namgyal school has a strength of 123 students, including students from Tibetan origin, Mon, Bhutanese, Ladakhi and Mongolian. In keeping with the tradition of Namgyal Monastery, the new Namgyal School will offer study and scholarship in the Tibetan language, Buddhist philosophy, the study of both sutra and tantra and western academics, including English, Science and Math.

The Namgyal Phende Leksheling Monastery was founded by His Holiness the Third Dalai Lama Sonam Gyatso in 1574 at Drepung Gaden Palace in Tibet. The monastery was founded in order to assist His Holiness in his religious activities.

In exile, the monastery was rebuilt near the residence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and has since been serving the Tibetan spiritual leader and Buddhist students.