Despite feeling unwell after hospitalization, the 83-year-old Dalai Lama held the 10th annual exercise for Russian Buddhists in Dharamsala in May and gave an exclusive interview to RIA Novosti. The world-renowned spiritual leader told what his belief in the bright future of mankind is based on, what he thinks about Putin, Trump and the role of Russia in the world, what message he is addressing to the new generation, what is needed for modern science and the education system and how to work with the "sixth consciousness" to find happiness.
Your Holiness, you have said more than once that people are getting better: they show more and more compassion, do not want to fight, and treat nature more carefully. But now you declare that humanity lacks responsibility - and the world is close to disaster. Have you changed your mind, become disillusioned with humanity?
- No, I haven't changed my mind. Even more established in him. Every creature, even an insect, does not want to suffer, but wants to live life happily. And everyone has the right to be happy.
In addition - and this is very important - according to the latest scientific findings, by nature, humans are inclined to compassion. This is obvious: in the first few years after birth, we need maternal love and care, without them we would not have survived. This is the case with all social animals. We humans are also social animals. Collective feeling is to a certain extent inherent in us biologically. For millennia, people have survived precisely because of the sense of community, mutual assistance and care for each other.
Then what are the problems today?
- In today's world, there are problems that are beyond our control. For example, such a serious problem as global warming. I recently met with scientists, among whom was one Nobel laureate in chemistry from Taiwan. He said that the question of whether our world will continue to exist or not will be decided in the next eighty years.
And further. How many people die at the hands of other people! If from the very beginning people killed each other, as they do today, then we would have nothing to worry about - humanity would disappear from the face of the earth.
I think this is inextricably linked to the feudal system. In a feudal state, the king or queen, and sometimes the religious leaders, gathered armies and sent them to kill other people … But all soldiers, without exception, I am sure, value their lives. If they had freedom of choice, they would not go to kill each other.
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You Russians have a bitter experience of life under Stalin, and your opponents (the Germans) have an experience of life under Hitler. During the reign of Stalin in the Soviet Union and Hitler in Germany, millions of people were killed … These millions of dead are our brothers and sisters.
World War I, World War II - did they bring something good? Not. Only generated more hatred. Except for a good result, the development of the military industry. But the only purpose of a weapon is to kill.
Twenty-four ships from 14 countries are taking part in the joint NATO exercise Trident Juncture 2018 (Single Trident) in the Norwegian Sea. November 7, 2018 Twenty-four ships from 14 countries take part in the joint NATO military exercise Trident Juncture 2018 in the Norwegian Sea. November 7, 2018.
Not so long ago, a new king was proclaimed in Thailand, a new emperor of Japan ascended the throne, and another prince was born in Britain … I really think that the monarchical form of government is outdated. The Bolshevik Revolution in Russia put an end to tsarism, and the French Revolution ended the monarchy in France. I think it was correct. (Laughs) This is all outdated thinking: kings, queens. Moreover, the monarchy placed too much emphasis on military force.
What form of government do you think is optimal?
- Today is the time for democracy. The world belongs to seven billion people. Each country belongs to its own people. When people have received the appropriate education, when they have the right way of thinking, they are unlikely to be in the mood to kill each other.
Take the European Union for example. In the last century, European countries fought bloody wars with each other. And then, after World War II, two states that seemed to be implacable enemies - France and Germany - decided that it was much better to think about common interests than the interests of France or Germany separately, since this corresponds to the prevailing realities. This is how the European Union was born. And thanks to this, from the last half of the 20th century to this day, its participating countries have not fought with each other, have not shed the blood of their citizens.
Sometimes I say that Russia also needs to join the European Union.
Turning to Russia … President Putin jokes that after the death of Mahatma Gandhi, there is no one to talk to. What do you think? Are there politicians today who can change the world for the better, like Gandhi, or is the role of politicians not so important these days?
- First of all, I want to say that the Russian Federation is a great country with great power. Recent events have shown that Putin, as the leader of the country, pays great attention to what is happening in different parts of the world, and this is good.
But Putin's colleague, President Trump … (makes a hand gesture indicating his hopelessness.) Like Putin, he runs a huge country, bears a great burden of responsibility. The leader of such a country must see the big picture. And think about what will be beneficial for the country in the long term. It is very important. He shouldn't only think about getting short-term results. Of course, I have no right to criticize the activities of President Trump. But just think: he sold billions of weapons to Saudi Arabia. In my opinion, this is wrong. He also pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement. This is very unfortunate.
The world is in a critical situation today. And Putin needs to think very carefully about his actions, take into account the big picture and think about what will be beneficial in the long term.
You said that Russia can make a great contribution to the development of the world. Do you still think so? And why?
- Yes. The Russian Federation has another advantage: from a geographic point of view, it serves as a bridge between East and West.
And further. I am a Buddhist, but I never say that Buddhism is the best religion. All major religious traditions are like medicines to help you find peace of mind. You cannot choose one remedy and say that it is best for everyone. The doctor first examines the patient, and only then, based on his condition, he recommends the medicine that is most effective in this case. The same can be said for believers. Among them there are people with a wide variety of predispositions. For some, one religion is more suitable, for others - another. Nevertheless, among the many religious traditions, Buddhism, and especially the tradition of the ancient Indian monastery-university of Nalanda, followed by the Buddhists of the Russian Federation, offers a very scientific approach to the teachings of the Buddha.
Buddhism and modern science can go hand in hand. There are regions in Russia where people traditionally practice Buddhism. These are the republics of Buryatia, Kalmykia, Tuva, as well as Transbaikalia. When I still lived in Tibet (until 1959), we had many brilliant scientists-philosophers and abbots of large monasteries from Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva.
Not only Buddhists, but also many people who do not profess this religion, consider you a wise mentor and would like to keep in touch with you, from life to life. Is it possible, how?
- The question of whether the institution of the Dalai Lama will exist in the future or not is up to the peoples themselves inhabiting the territories of the spread of Tibetan Buddhism. Including the peoples of Russia, Mongolia, Tibet and the entire Himalayan region.
The very name "Dalai" is a Mongolian word (translated as "ocean", "great". - Ed. Note). This title was given to the Third Dalai Lama during his visit to Mongolia. If you remove the words "Dalai Lama" from my name, then I will not be able to sign, because my signature is "Dalai Lama" (laughs).
This relationship benefits everyone - both the Dalai Lama and Tibetans (mainly the so-called Yellow Hat School, Gelug) and Russians. Many monks from Russia studied in the monasteries of Tibet for years and became very good scientists, philosophers and abbots.
In the future, regardless of whether I live or not, this connection will continue to exist. Today, at least several hundred students from Mongolia and Buddhist regions of Russia study in our monasteries. So the connection is not broken. A new generation is coming.
What message would you address to the new generation today?
- As I said, among the various religious and philosophical traditions, the tradition of the Nalanda Monastery-University is the most modern and scientific. You can apply it. First of all, it should be studied as deeply as possible by those who belong to the traditional Buddhist communities.
In addition, today more and more non-Buddhists among Russians, including the professors of Moscow State University, are showing interest in the Nalanda tradition, in the science of the mind. This is a very encouraging sign. Now the situation is really ripening. Since Russia is a large country and a bridge between Europe and Asia, it can make a significant contribution to promoting the idea of the importance of peace of mind.
Prayer or faith alone will not help you achieve peace of mind. It is necessary to realize that anger is a destructive emotion and compassion is a constructive one. The most important thing is to understand that the basis of anger is ignorance, limited thinking. And the basis of compassion is logical reasoning, the ability to look at things from a broad perspective.
Compassion can also be instilled within the education system by applying the evidence of scientific discovery. The more compassion, the less anger. The cause of anger is ignorance, myopia - it does not have a solid foundation.
Does happiness have this basis, and what is it all about? How to be happy?
- Happiness is a very serious topic. In the Western world, education as a whole is aimed at acquiring material values. Material values can only give us sense gratification.
We love exciting events like sports, and some sports fans literally lose their heads with joy when their team wins. Thinking is practically not involved here - everything happens at the level of sensory perception. People also enjoy beautiful music - it makes them cry. Delicious food, pleasant smells, touch, including sexual pleasure. The feeling of happiness they experience while doing this is entirely based on sensory perception.
During my visit to Moscow in 1979, I met with several Soviet scientists. I told them that in Buddhism there are five types of consciousness associated with the senses, and the sixth type of consciousness is mental. They immediately declared that these were all religious matters, and did not want to discuss anything. Of course, I did not argue with them, but it was obvious to me then that this was a limited worldview.
So, real happiness is not caused by sensations received by the senses, but experiences of a mental nature. Therefore, if you experience unpleasant sensations associated with the senses, then with some experience of working with the mental level, you can maintain peace of mind. Thus, mental consciousness is higher than the types of consciousness associated with the senses. But due to the fact that we lead a materialistic life, we become slaves of sensory experiences.
Could you name the ways out of this slavery, methods of achieving peace of mind, happiness?
- In this regard, I would like to say the following. In the West, theistic religions are widespread, in which the main emphasis is on faith in God … At the same time, in India, more than three thousand years ago, the concept of the sixth type of consciousness was developed. Meditations - shamatha (one-pointed concentration) and vipasana (analytical meditation) - help bring the sixth consciousness into a state of calm. Therefore, I consider Indian civilization the most advanced.
In the 8th century, this ancient Indian knowledge came to Tibet. They were brought to us by Shantarakshita from the Nalanda monastery-university, and since then we have preserved this knowledge for more than a thousand years. In addition, Drogon Chögyal Phagpa visited Mongolia and introduced her to Buddhist dharma. Later, Sonam Gyatso, the Third Dalai Lama, also brought the Buddha's teachings to Mongolia, including the tradition of deep dialectical debates.
When I lived in Tibet, we had many monks of Mongolian origin, all of whom studied diligently and behaved in an exemplary manner. Among them there was not a single violator of the monastic rules. For example, Gene Legden was a great scientist-philosopher from Mongolia who fled to Tibet after the Russian revolution. He told me that during the day he hid under a sheep's clothing, and at night he walked towards Tibet. So he came to Lhasa, where he began his studies and after 20-30 years became one of the best scientists and philosophers. So there is a special relationship between us - Tibet, Mongolia and Russia. Therefore, I pin certain hopes on Russia.
Are your hopes for Russia connected with science and education?
- In the past few decades, I have been conducting conversations with Western specialists in the field of education, psychology, and neuroscience. And they show a truly sincere interest in the knowledge accumulated by Tibetan Buddhism. But when dealing with Western scholars, I usually have some doubts and try not to propagate Buddhism. Because Buddhist concepts can undermine their one-pointed faith.
For example, I have a Christian friend, Father Wayne Tisdale, a very good Catholic monk. He and I often discussed our common practices: compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, and the like. Once he asked me about shunyata (emptiness), and I answered him: "Don't ask me about this, it doesn't concern you." I believe that the provisions of quantum physics and shunyata are very close to each other - they say that everything is interdependent, nothing is absolute. And God is not absolute either. This is why I told my Christian friend not to ask me about emptiness.
But in Russia, with the Russians, I have no such doubts. Because you have had this knowledge and contacts with us for many centuries. Therefore, I want to say that today Russian Buddhists should pay special attention to the study of Buddhism. It is necessary to extract psychology, quantum physics, logic from Buddhism - all these subjects contained in Buddhist literature and used in spiritual practice can be studied in an academic way. So this knowledge can be used by people of various religions, as well as unbelievers.
Olga Lipich
