Dalai Lama on human values

Why are we still being led by hearts of stone rather than hearts of love? Do our leaders reflect our own lack of values?  Perhaps.

Recently, His Holiness met with Mayor Tom Tait of Anaheim, California, Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville, Kentucky, and Mayor Ardell Brede of Rochester, Minnesota, along with several people committed to creating kind and compassionate cities. Anaheim had adopted the name ‘City of Kindness’ and Louisville had chosen the name ‘City of Compassion’.

His Holiness said, “We are witnessing lots of suffering in today’s world, including the recent (European) refugee problem. We must question what is wrong in today’s world. I feel we are lacking a sense of respect for other’s life, a sense of concern for other’s well being, which is kindness. We only think of me, me, me! That is the seed of today’s problem.”

 Will naming cities after human values develop more kind-hearted people? Our Beloved Monk, the King of Tibet, believes that the seven billion human beings of the earth could benefit from this type of international movement, irrespective of their religious affiliations.
The Dalai Lama said, “All children receive immense affection and love from their mothers.

This is a biological factor, not based on religion. We should be able to find a way to promote these values on this level, not based on religious faith. This is what I call secular ethics. Secular in the Indian context of respecting not only religious believers but also those who do not believe in religion.”

Today’s worldwide education is generally focused on material values. Very little teaching is done to develop warm-heartedness. Sports programmes as well as cultural programmes often breed competition and gigantic egos rather than co-operation and humility.

But the new awareness of the importance of human values in educational curricula is beneficial, His Holiness emphasised. “I am confident that leaders in the latter part of the century who grow up with a human value-based education system will be more compassionate. Then the 21st century can be one of peace and compassion.”