Dalai Lama praises India's tradition of non-violence

達賴喇嘛讚揚印度的非暴力傳統

Because of this 1,000-year-old tradition of ahimsa, India is more peaceful than Pakistan, he said


NEW DELHI (Taiwan News) -- Buddhist spiritual leader and Nobel laureate Dalai Lama has said that India's tradition of ahimsa (non-violence) can make today's angry world a compassionate place.

The 82-year-old spiritual master told Times of India that using force to solve problems is outdated and the time has come to practice "karuna" through education.

"The concept of ahimsa has been in India for over a thousand years. Because of this 1,000-year-old tradition of ahimsa, I think modern India is more peaceful than Pakistan. Pakistan has a large number of Muslims, but India has a larger number of Muslims and is more peaceful though they read the same Quran. This is because of the long culture of nonviolence still alive," he said prior to the 28th anniversary of his receiving the Nobel Prize for peace.

"It should not be considered 'old' thinking; it is not only ancient knowledge of India but relevant in today's world. I realize this in my own experience. When I began to study ancient Indian knowledge, it was with great reluctance and no interest — because my only interest was to play, to run here and there, I did not like sitting seriously in front of my tutor! (laughs). But those subjects I learnt with great reluctance I now find so useful, firstly to keep my peace of mind, and, when I pass through difficulties."

"The education rooted in ancient Indian knowledge gave me a sound basis of will-power — the long run is very important. The short run, perhaps with use of weapons, is decisive, for power. But in the long run, the power of truth prevails," he said.