Dal-roti, Nalanda make me a son of India: Dalai Lama
TNN, Jan 31, 2011, 03.11am IST
BANGALORE: That it was a Sunday morning did not deter people from walking into St Joseph’s College (autonomous) to listen to the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetans. The entire place wore a look of Tibet. The dais was decorated in the Tibetan style with pictures of Lhasa andBuddha as the background. It was red and green all over. But the Dalai Lama said: “I am a son of India.”
Continuing on his theme India, he said: “Once a Chinese media person asked me why I call myself a son of India. I told them my brain is filled with Nalanda thought (Nalanda is an ancient centre of higher learning). My body is built with Indian rice, dal and chapathi. I am proud of it.”
When he came on the dais, the students were in for a surprise. Happily munching biscuits when offered, trying on a conical cap that was presented to him and teasing some, he was so child-like in his enthusiasm that he bowled over the gathering.
Clad in his signature maroon robe, he first paid homage to the Buddha’s photo. Then he greeted the crowd in his mother tongue but soon switched over to English. “That was the formal part and now to the informal one,” he said.And the informal speech was peppered with some one-liners. Like when asked about divorce, he said: “After all, we do not have much experience!”
He elaborated: “We Tibetans learn from Indians. Indians are our gurus and we are chelas. And history shows we are good chelas.” Asked how one could control anger, he said laughing: “The day before yesterday, I lost my temper. But my temper is like lightning, it comes and goes. If anger remains, it turns into hatred. One life is not enough to completely eliminate anger.”
After praising the Christian ‘brothers and sisters’ for their significant contribution in the field of education, he said that some missionaries were engaged in conversion. This, when the management of St Joseph’s College was sharing the dais with him. “Some get converted to Buddhism too,” he said.
“I am straightforward. While praising all this while, I have been critical too,” he added as the crowd burst into laughter.