Answer

• • 1. 1. Scrutiny of evidence from Dalailama.com website and Amore, Hussain, and Oxtoby (5) identify 3 commitments by Dalai Lama; namely, the Promotion of basic human values, advancement of inter-religious harmony, and protection of Tibet’s Buddhist heritage. These commitments are subsequently discussed in this paper.

          1. Promotion of basic human values

          Example

          To exemplify Dalai Lama’s commitment to the promotion of basic human values, the website outlines four antecedents through which discourse is sustained. The discourses on fundamental human values focus on “Why Leaders Should Be Mindful, Selfless, and Compassionate”. In addition, he discusses the intersection of sympathy and empathy and the impact on human beings, “Counteracting Stress and Depression”, and urging leaders to embrace empathy as the primary precursor to happiness (Dalailama.com 7).

          How the Dalai Lama aims to achieve these commitments

          Evidences from Dalailama.com (7) and Amore, Hussain, and Oxtoby (5) show that Dalai Lama intends to enhance human values by transmitting knowledge contained in Buddhist core teachings of Dharma. Accordingly, this approach advocates for avoidance of evil, perpetuation of just and fair practices in every sphere of life and the decontamination of the mind as contained in the eighteenth page of the Dhammapada (Amore, Hussain, and Oxtoby 5).

          To achieve this, the Tibetan Leader calls on people in authority to pay less attention to material wealth, and instead focus on helping people to reach full potential. This view is consistent with studies which show that human values can be promoted when leaders perpetuate tranquility among employees, and executing a focused plan aimed at eradicating underlying causes of fear and anxiety and trepidation. The strategies should tie in with a leadership principle that promotes the welfare of workers, and demonstrates an honest pursuit of others’ interests (Dalailama.com 7).

          Correspondingly, the Tibetan leader promotes human values by redefining life as “the pursuit of happiness” and compassion as “the source of happiness” (Dalailama.com 7).  In his purview, the Tibetan leader urges people in authority to understand his view of expression of happiness sensorial and mental levels. He perceives true happiness as the absence of emotional pain, and not the mere absence of physical discomfort.

          1. Fostering of inter-religious harmony

          Example

          This is exemplified by Dalai Lama’s participation in the all-inclusive conference to protect spiritual coherence, cooperation, and global peace under the guidance of “International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF), and the Ladakh group” (Dalailama.com 7).

           

           

          How the Dalai Lama aims to achieve these commitments

          Three main talking points can be delimited from extant reviews:

          Respect for religious freedoms and rights

          The Buddhist leader urges for caution and restraint from activities that could amount to religious intolerance. He also urges members who profess a certain religion to remain steadfast and to practice it with all sincerity. Further, he warns of nuanced intolerance through utterances such as “I belong to this or that religion” (Dalailama.com 7). In his view, such utterances are products of “disturbed minds” who abuse religion for their own selfish interests.

          Seeing the Big Picture

          In anticipation of the dangers of radical views, the Tibetan leader encourages followers to refrain from passing judgements on others. Instead, every position, whether “political, economic or religious” should be put in context so as to make informed and well considered judgments. To this end, Amore, Hussain, and Oxtoby argue that seeing the big picture is important as it takes opposing views into consideration. On the whole, it is argued from the Buddhist perspective that comprehending the entire story fosters rationality, which is critical for objective inter-faith dialogues.

          Exclusive belief in their religions

          Still on the issue of objectivity, The Dalai Lama urges his charges to shed off bias, as it precludes the ability to engage intellectually, in addition to obscuring the “the complete picture” (Dalailama.com 7). As such, it becomes impossible to get hold of reality and decisions made during such mental states will be “out of tune with reality” (Dalailama.com 7).

           

          1. Preservation of Tibet’s Buddhist Culture

          Example:

          Use Buddhist principles to understand or solve contemporary issues as a way of preserving it.

          How the Dalai Lama Aims to Achieve these Commitments

          Review of evidence from Dalailama.com reveals three strategies by Dalai Lama to preserve the Buddhist culture of Tibet (Dalailama.com 7). First, the leader urges his subjects to pursue an education to shield their country from losing its identity. In 2006, the Tibetan leader made a passionate speech in which he cautioned his followers to be vigilant against forces which threaten the future of Tibet as a Buddhist Society. To protect the region’s Buddhist heritage, the supreme leader still urges his compatriots to pursue modern education, which he sees as the most plausible strategy to forces of globalization which could lead to the former’s decline (Dalailama.com 7). The leader perceives education as a possible instigator of cultural revolution, which in itself, presents a serious threat to the future of Buddhism in Tibet. The supreme leader urges his charges to pursue knowledge relentlessly in order to infuse Buddhist perspectives on such scholarships.

          Second, the Dalai Lama calls for the use of Tibetan language to protect citizens from the vagaries of colonial mindset imposed by overreliance on Chinese language.

          Finally, the Tibetan leader maintains a “freedom campaign” anchored on non-violence, a trajectory he describes as the “business capital and pride of our campaign” (Dalailama.com 7). This view contends that the campaign founded on the truth we will inevitably guarantee victory and preclude suffering in future. It breeds confidence and a sense of pride in the campaign to rescue the country from external influences that threaten its Buddhist roots. Additionally, he contends that “it is on the basis of knowledge that truth must be vindicated by non-violent means”. This strategy presents a more focused mode of engagement which extends beyond “solemn oath” taking.

          Cited Works

                     Amore, Roy C., Amir Hussain, and Willard Gurdon Oxtoby. World religions: Eastern traditions.            Oxford University Press, 2019.

          Dalailama.com. (2020, October 14). Compassion as the Source of Happiness. Retrieved October                             14, 2020, from https://www.dalailama.com/messages/compassion-and-human-                                            values/compassion-as-the-source-of-happiness