Praying for Paris Won’t Help, Says Dalai Lama
- By Derek Welch --
- 19 Nov 2015 --
Dalai Lama say Man created terrorism, it’s “illogical” to ask God to fix it.
The Tibetan leader, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, maintains that it is “illogical” to ask God to address the situation when terrorism has come from humans alone.
Dalai Lama say Man created terrorism, it’s “illogical” to ask God to fix it. -@DalaiLama[/tweetthis]
His remarks come at a time when Pope Francis, the spiritual head of 1.2 billion Catholics, has asked everyone to join him in prayer for the victims of the November 13 terrorist attacks in France that claimed 129 lives and left some 300 injured, and for their families. The Dalai Lama, a Buddhist, believes in prayer, but according to him, the issue of terrorism cannot be resolved by prayers alone. People generally want to lead their lives in peace, but terrorists are shortsighted, which is the reason why they blow themselves up.
The Dalai Lama also feels politicians cannot do much in this regard either. So the best way to tackle the problem would be to strive for peace in one's own family and in a larger context, society. This is to be done systematically without expecting help from Buddha or the government and if we start doing it now, the 21st century would be different from the previous one, said the internationally respected figure, who is of the opinion that we are one people, but the differences are largely superficial, arising from misunderstandings of other faiths or nationalities. He points out that over 200 million lost their lives in the 20th century, mostly because of wars and conflict.
When asked if his calls for peace and tolerance have not found acceptance globally, he disagrees, voicing that there is only a minor percentage of the world population who support the violence. If everyone considers others as their brothers and sisters, there would be no terrorism, which even otherwise cannot be justified by any stretch of imagination.
Even the doggone Dalai Lama is like "praying is cool but that ain't gon help Paris." SO MANY WELPS.
— Awesomely Luvvie (@Luvvie) November 19, 2015
The Dalai Lama's statements come in an interview with German media organization Deutsche Welle, more popularly known as DW. Speaking from India where he has been living in exile since 1959, the 80-year-old was he cites the recent victory of secular parties over a Hindu communal one in a state election as proof that most Hindus are all for peaceful co-existence, with only a few bad apples ruining the image of the country. He still considers his Middle Way approach as the most realistic route to resolving differences with China, which annexed Tibet and sees it as part of their nation.
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