WASHINGTON—The National Endowment for Democracy presented the Democracy Service Medal to the Dalai Lama in a packed auditorium at the Library of Congress on Feb. 19. After accepting the medal, the Dalai Lama gave a talk about the value of democracy.
Before the ceremony got underway, Opening the ceremony was James Billington, Librarian of Congress who thanked the Dalai Lama for his “witness of freedom of speech and knowledge on which all libraries depend.”
Actor Richard Gere, present in the audience, was acknowledged for his humanitarian work on behalf of the Tibetan people as chair of the “International Campaign for Tibet,”, and speaker for human rights, cultural preservation and helping disadvantaged communities worldwide. Gere responded with a respectful hand gesture of pressing both palms together at the level of his chest.
The Dalai Lama began with the words: “I did not learn the value of democracy through education but through experience.”
His address was an elaboration on that very experience. The Tibetan leader’s humbleness and good humor came across through his broken English. His conclusions invariably begin with a strong, ‘So!’ a word he uses quite often. To compensate for his limited command of English, the Dalai Lama would pause and use his hands to gesture, endeavoring to persuade his listeners to consent to his reasoning.
“Firstly when I was young Buddhist monk, I feel a rather stupid young monk; never pay attention about study, just only for play.
“During ceremony I sat on a throne but in real daily life [was] completely mixed with these people.”
By his open nature, the Dalai Lama was able to come into contact with ordinary people, street people/workers, who treated him as an equal and friend which he said was a source of joyfulness for him.
That way he was able to learn about the injustices in society and “a lot of gossips about leaders and regimes.” He heard a lot of complaints from these “ordinary poor people,” and about the system, which he related in a whisper, as if passing on what he heard.
“There [was] a lot of injustice or drawbacks. Not as bad as [communist] Chinese say but still bad,” he said about the society he remembers from his youth.
Democracy, equality and tolerating criticism
Dalia Lama described the contrasting difference he observed between the Chinese and Indian parliaments of the 1950s. The Chinese ‘parliament’ was quiet, with a leader talking to an audience while Party members napped or were told to “shut up” if they voiced a complaint. In contrast, the Indian parliament was rowdy and bustling. He recalled how an Indian official criticized Prime Minister Nehru in private and in public. Yet, all was still peaceful. This he learned was the “value of democracy” and that the Chinese system he was living under was “very backward.”
Dalai Lama joked about his relationship with Lobsang, saying that in “the political field he’s my boss; in the spiritual field I’m his boss.”
He told President Obama with whom he met the day before, “We are part of 6 billion human beings. On human being level—no differences. From the top, from president, from king or queen to beggar, we are same human being. And we all have same right—the right to live happy life.”
“In order to live [a] happy life material facilities [are] important, no question, but ultimate source, basis of genuine joyfulness, comfort, peace, depend on our mind [and] inner value...”
“So everyone seek joyfulness life, happy life, but expecting joyfulness to come from outside—it’s wrong!” he said quietly but firmly.
“Ultimate source of joyfulness is within our self,” he said.
“Not every person can be president, so election by the people for the people gives people power and a sense of responsibility,” he explained motioning his hands upwards to depict a pyramid.
Importance of education
“So, democratic system is really wonderful,” he said. “However, education, in order to utilize democratic system properly, education is [the] key factor.”
The Dalai Lama pointed out that though democracy was important, education was more important. In countries where education was high, democratic system is “more smooth.”
While in those areas where education is “still lacking,” the democracy is “quite strange democracy,” he said motioning his hand back and forth to indicate instability, pausing and then chuckling.
“So…we very much emphasize about education. As soon as we become refugees, our first task [was] education for our younger people,” the Dalai Lama explained referring to the refugee status many in the Tibetan community hold.
“Since the [19]60s, we never pay attention to building [monasteries]. For the past 50 years, Tibetans did not pay attention to building huge monastic institutions or temples, as in the past. All our energy, all our resources, [have been] spent on education,” meaning schools, he said.
“So, quite successful achievement in that field!”
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