BENGALURU: Basic human nature is of love and peace, and tolerance is an intrinsic part of different religious philosophies and their purpose was to preach it, the Dalai Lama said on Sunday.
Delivering the first National Institute for Advanced Studies (NIAS) Distinguished Fellow Lecture, the Dalai Lama said that too much attachment to one’s faith begets hatred.
“Education embedded with scientific fervour is the only hope we have. Education is needed to build healthy-minded humans and it should not only breed materialism. Material values only scintillate sensory consciousness,” he said.
Pointing to the lacunae in the modern education system, he said that it is not focusing on strengthening the mind. He said that ancient Indian psychology was highly developed and in comparison to that modern Indian psychology is of kindergarten level.
The Dalai Lama said it was not religion that promotes violence but the way people perceive religion wrongly that leads to violence.
While commenting on the Syrian crisis, the Nobel peace prize winner said, “What is happening is sad and it is time that Indian Muslims should should come forward and act as messenger of peace for their religious fraternity in the Middle-East.”
He said that the Indian Muslims should not be afraid to come forward a point out the wrongs that is taking place in the name of religion.
During the lecture he said that a couple of universities in New Delhi are working with him to come up with a curriculum to promote secular ethics.
“The current world is divided into two generation, one belonging to the 20th century and other to the 21st century. The 20th century or the century that bred hatred is over and much cannot be done about it. But the future is mend to be changed and the youth of the 21st century should come together and promote peace for a better future,” the Dalai Lama said.