Discussion Session I
UNIVERSAL RESPONSIBILITY
Keynote by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso
At the beginning, my salutation to two special Nobel Laureates: Bishop Tutu, not only a religious person and great practitioner, but totally dedicating his life to peace and non-violence. Then Betty Williams, again totally dedicated to peace, especially focused on the future peace. That means it is focused on our younger generation, children. Betty Williams has paid special attention to children Through that way trying to provide a peaceful humanity. So I always admire both of them. So first it is my duty to do a salutation. And also I personally want to express some kind of welcome here because I am Asian, and since 1967 I have come to this country several times. I know many Japanese, so compared to the two Nobel Laureates, I’m closer to this country. So on behalf of Japan, I am welcoming you, if you give me permission.
That these two great people came to this place of peace is very significant, because Hiroshima actually experienced nuclear weapons. So I think the message from here to all over the world is—nuclear weapons are terrible. Someone actually dared to use these two bombs, one in Hiroshima, one in Nagasaki, so I think people of these two cities really send some kind of message, not just about war, but from their painful experience. I really think these destructive weapons sooner or later have to be eliminated. Quite a number of Nobel Laureates have already been engaging in the restriction of the arms trade, so that we should reach some kind of total ban on nuclear weapons. So for these reasons, I really feel this will be a significant meeting with these two Nobel Laureates and me maybe on a small level.
Why do we need this kind of global responsibility? Firstly, we human beings are a kind of social animal. Since thousands of years, humans have lived in community, so each individual’s well-being depended on the community. No matter how powerful one individual person is, his or her happy or successful life depended on the community. So if the community is happy, there is more prosperity. Each family or person in that community gets benefit. If the community suffers, each member of that community suffers. That’s natural.
Now today, we have a new reality. First, because of the population and second, because of the global economy, national boundaries are not very relevant. Then with ecology again, we have no national boundaries. We have a centuries old concept—“We” and “They.” We are divided, taking care only of “We,” not “They.” Sometimes “They” are described as an “enemy” and that sort of concept leads to war. War means mobilizing for violence and also legalized violence. If an individual takes another’s life, we call him a murderer. He goes to prison, sometimes gets the death sentence. But sometimes we call someone who kills thousands of people--a hero.
For thousands of years, one of the worst things about human beings is our history of war. Some little monkeys or ants have some warfare of big numbers in groups, but for human beings, particularly because of our intelligence and technology, human violence is dangerous. So all these come to “We” and “They.” Actually, the whole world is part of yourself, because of this new reality.
So the point is that today there is a new reality, and according to this new reality, we Asians, our future, our prosperity, our development, depends on the West. Africa and other continents, their future also depends on Asia. We are so interconnected, interrelated. So according to this reality, the destruction of your neighbor is destruction of yourself. So the very concept of “We” and “They” is out of date. We have to think of the whole world as one family. So the concept of global responsibility is very relevant.
Now, how can we develop that kind of freedom of responsibility, not by force but voluntarily?
One, looking at this new reality brings you a new attitude. Usually we just think “me, me, me.” But we must look in a more holistic way to see a different reality. In this beautiful hall, everything seems peaceful, calm. In places like this, we can say the world is happy, at peace. But that is a mistake. We have news, television, newspapers, which shows the same planet, the same human beings, who have the same experiences of pain and pleasure. And all these people have the right to a happy human life. Yet some parts of the world, because of natural disasters or mainly local governments, are not prepared. And as a result, there is starvation and also civil war, like in Darfur. That is a terrible situation, very sad, particularly those innocent people who suffer the most, the women and children. When we look at television, it is really heartbreaking and I say, “I’m sorry, sorry.”
The more we think properly of the repercussions of these events, eventually they will reach your own place. For example, the Iraq crisis affects oil prices. And like that, the reality is that everything is interdependent. Looking in a wider way, we have to think about the global in order to get the maximum benefit—to oneself! Our education or knowledge or intelligence provides us with a new outlook.
And another thing—the basis of our sense of global responsibility is warm-heartedness. If someone is dying here and you feel indifferent, this is not, I think, the human way. Even animals, like elephants, if one of their own members of their community is hurt or dying, they suffer. If someone suffers, we cannot remain indifferent. That feeling comes from a sense of love and compassion and affection. So not only the intelligence side but also the warm-hearted side, brings a certain sort of feeling. So while we are getting information on the whole global picture, particularly the environment issue, on the other side, we also get warm-heartedness, which we have from birth, right from a baby.
I’m always telling people, I think today’s sense of love, compassion and affection to each other is learned within a few moments just after birth, A young child, just like a young animal, has no idea of mother. I don’t think they are so clear in their understanding. But emotionally and also biologically, automatically they are totally relying on that person. So long as my mother takes care of me and gives me milk, I feel tremendously secure. I feel happy, don’t I?
I think a certain amount of concern about the other’s suffering was cultivated by my mother at the time of my birth. That is my full conviction. So that understanding comes not through religious teaching, but by nature, by mainly biological factors. Because, you see, for one’s own survival, another’s care is necessary at that time. Without another’s care, you cannot survive. That’s a fact. Because of that biological reality, there is a certain kind of element to develop affection, and affection brings mother and child together. So affection, compassion and warm-heartedness at that moment, when we biologically need the other’s care, this is the foundation of our new life. And because of that experience, we have the potential to develop care of others later in our lives.
I think some of my scientist friends also now agree that warm-heartedness or compassion is very important for health reasons, for education, for wellbeing, for a happy family, for happy life. And also, in order for the brain to function in a normal way, a calm mind, compassionate mind is very crucial. Actually, the negative emotions, such as anger and hatred, are actually literally eating our immune system. Compassionate feeling is increasing our immune system. So for health reasons also, a calm mind, an affectionate mind is very very essential.
Compassion is the seed of the sense of global responsibility. Knowledge brings the necessity of that kind of sense of responsibility. The combination of these two things a genuine sense of global responsibility.
Discussion
Dr. Kazuo Murakami:
Can you comment on this keynotes by Dalai Lama, Betty and Archibishop?
Archbishop Desmond Tutu:
Thank you. Well, I’m quite scared to have to follow in the footsteps of someone I consider to be one of the holiest people I have ever met. Of course, he’s also mischievous. But he is someone filled with an extraordinary serenity. When you consider that this is someone who has been in exile for nearly five decades, you would have thought that by now he would be consumed by anger and bitterness. But here he is in front of us bubbling with an extraordinary inner joy. I said mischievous. He’s like a little schoolboy and I have to keep reminding him to behave like a holy man.
But he is such a wonderful gift to us. He is an extraordinary gift--that despite, he might say, because of, his experiences, of pain, of separation, from his motherland, from the people he loves so dearly, who love him so dearly--that what bubbles up from him is this compassion for the rest of humankind.
And yes, I think we need a new paradigm learning to know that we belong together. Learning to know that the only way we will ever be able to survive is together. The only way we can be human is together. The only way we can be free—is together. It seems so simple and we wonder why we have taken so long to learn the simple lesson that God created us for togetherness. And we know there is so much instability now because some have too much when others have too little. And God thought we would learn that it is better to share than for one group to have more, more than they can even enjoy.
And we need to say to the world, and you young people must say to us oldies, we will not win so-called wars on terror as long as there are conditions in so many parts of the world that make people desperate. It seems so simple! And His Holiness is saying that each one of us--so rightly, so profoundly, so simply--each of us has to develop this sense of responsibility for the other. Because the other is my sister, is my brother, is a member of my family. And God says I hope one day, you my children will learn this very simple lesson.
Betty Williams:
First, I’d like to say “Domo Arigatou!” to the organizers of this incredible event. We have been treated like kings and queens since we arrived. So “domo arigato!"
I’m sitting beside two of my heroes, two men I love with all my heart. My mother taught me the purity of love and the purity of life and I’m a grandmother now. But I was reminded while His Holiness was speaking of the birth of my own son. So many years ago they didn’t have epidurals and it was a long a very difficult labor. But when my son was born, I remember thinking to myself when someone asked me, “Was it painful?” And I said, “What pain? Was there pain?”
Because I had this beautiful miracle in my arms—my son! I’ve never felt love like that. I’ve never felt a closeness like that. And when I was suckling my boy, he was so beautiful that I cried. And I say now that I must have done something right in my children’s lives, because my son is a good man! And I sometimes think, “I don’t need a Nobel Peace Prize to be up here. I have the greatest qualification of them all—I am a mother.” Thank you.
Q: What can be done in order to join the hands in friendship of those whose views are different; those whose situations are different; those who hate? What can the individual do in order to realise world peace?
The Dalai Lama:
Yes, there are a variety of views and ideas, even among the religious, and even in Buddhism there are a variety of views. But these different views were deliberately taught by Buddha himself. So there are differences and then in other fields, there are different government systems, different economic systems, different culture, different races, different ages. But there is one common thing--everyone wants a happy life, everyone does not want suffering.
And the important thing is that everyone has the right to achieve a happy life. I believe the very purpose of life is a happy life. I heard that some young Japanese students sometimes because of frustration or too much agitation prefer to remain lonely in their rooms, locking the door and in worst cases, suicide.
So basically, everyone wants a happy life, does not want suffering. Everyone has every right to end suffering. So on that basis we develop the sense of concern to oneself. Simply, I have the feeling of “I” and “self” and “I give myself something.” No such idea!
So others are similar. Then the difference is that one is a single one, others are six billion. So is the right of just one single person more important? And furthermore, if six billion people are happy, then one single person automatically will be happy. If six billion human beings suffer, you cannot escape. So that is the way to think, to develop a sense of concern about others. Some answer for you?
Betty Williams mentioned the story of her experience when her son was born. Actually something uncomfortable, some pain, must have been there. But the affection and love was so much towards her own son, so that the compassionate feeling overbalanced her physical suffering. So if an individual develops a sense of concern for others, then his own problems appear insignificant. Otherwise, if you think just of you own self, not others, then even small problems appear unbearable. Thinking just of yourself, your whole mind becomes very narrow. But thinking of others, your mind becomes open wide. That makes a difference.
And then another thing—the mental level. More calm and more peace act as a sort of compassion. And physical illness even can be reduced. So mental experience is equal to physical experience. These are the reasons to realize the importance of compassion. Do you think that makes sense?
