Religious tolerance still exists in India: Dalai Lama

Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said that India should adopt the ancient education system in the present curriculum to build a strong nation and help generations to tackle modern day stress.

Speaking at the Vidyaloke Talks on "Courage and Compassion in the 21st Century" for young professionals and students, organised by Vana Foundation in Bengaluru on Saturday, the Dalai Lama said that India is the only country where religious tolerance exists even today.

The spiritual leader said that he is committed to reviving the ancient Indian wisdom, which could address the present day crisis. "Indian traditions and texts contain material to tackle modern-day stressors, but modern India is not paying enough attention to their immense treasure and knowledge," added the Dalai Lama.

He said Indian meditative practices, which stem from Indian texts can provide peace of the mind that provide inner strength to a person and help them tackle all the problems of the modern world. Ancient Indian knowledge needs to be revived in this country by one and all – be it a non-believer or a believer of religion.

He said that the present day education system in India is slightly tilted towards creating a material life, society and culture. India’s educational system should be able to teach students to tackle their emotions, while the Indian yoga practices can be used to build a healthy body, he added.

The powerful combination of modern education and ancient Indian knowledge will attract other countries like China, Vietnam, Korea and the rest of the world to adopt the same in their countries as well. India has an opportunity to serve millions of people around the world in Asia, Europe and other continents with their treasure-trove of ancient wisdom and knowledge.

Recalling how he solved issues between Ladakhi Muslims and Buddhists in Zanskar region on Ladakh, the Dalai Lama said that Indian Muslims should play an active role in promoting harmony among Sunni and Shia communities.

These two communities are fighting and killing each other without any basis. India should take a lead and hold an International Religious conference to bring all religion together.

The difference between the Hindus and the Muslims are generally created by politicians, who manipulate for their political reasons. People in India should not pay much attention to this, he added.