BHUBANESWAR: You don’t tell Dalai Lama where Buddha was born. That exactly is what some experts did. Only to be gently shown their place.
The meet where the spiritual leader was to speak, some experts attempted the old trick of mentioning that Kapileswar, a place on the outskirts of the city may have been Lord Buddha’s birthplace because Buddhist artefacts were found from that site.
The Dalai Lama didn’t want to get drawn into the debate. “Whether Buddha was born in today’s Nepal or this side (India), I don’t know. Who will decide it, I don’t know,” he said.
The matter requires intensive research and the real answer may come from the archaeological findings, he said.
“If I say Buddha was born here, my Nepalese friends will say Budhha was from Nepal,” he said amidst peals of laughter. Saying that India is Buddha’s land, he called for extensive research on Buddhism and offered support too.
He said he would like to return to Orissa to share his ideas, lecture and at the same time discuss various aspects of Buddhism.
The Dalai Lama also hinted at a programme of translation of Buddhist texts to Oriya language and said he would be happy to recommend important books.