Dalai Lama Urges "Warmheartedness" in Education
Published: Tuesday, 19 September, 2006
AMHERST, N.Y., USA 20 September 2006 (Carolyn Thompson / AP) —
The Dalai Lama invoked a newly bestowed honorary degree Tuesday to advise
educators to add "warmheartedness" to their lesson plans.
"The modern education system doesn't pay enough attention to the
development of warmheartedness," the Tibetan Buddhist leader told a crowd
of about 30,000 on the second day of a three-day visit to the University at
Buffalo.
Such a quality leaves no room to exploit or bully others and is a cure to the
world's social ills, the Dalai Lama said during an hourlong talk, delivered
from a chair inside the university's football stadium.
The address was the featured event in a visit that began Monday with an
interfaith service attended by about 6,000. On Wednesday, he was to take part
in a forum at the law school on how Buddhism can influence law and bring about
social change.
The university cancelled classes Tuesday in preparation for
the visit, which has been planned for two years.
The Dalai Lama quickly accepted the university's invitation because of UB's
large international student population — about 4,000 students — and its
relationship with universities worldwide, Simpson said.
"This global reach was a major factor in his holiness's selection of this
institution for an unprecedented three-day visit," UB President John
Simpson said.
Before Tuesday's address, the Dalai Lama accepted an honorary doctorate in
humane letters, and wasted no time putting it to use. "So with that degree,
perhaps I could make an appeal," he said to Simpson and State University
of New York Chancellor John Ryan about midway into his address. He asked that
educators from kindergarten through college find ways to develop "warm
heartedness or a compassionate heart."
The day began with a meeting with about 175 Chinese students on campus.
Stressing that his visit was not a political one, "he assured them he's
not anti-Chinese, that Chinese are his brothers and sisters," said Stephen
Dunnett, vice provost of international education. The Dalai Lama fled into
exile in northern India in 1959 during a Tibetan uprising against Chinese
occupation. His efforts for Tibetan autonomy earned him a Nobel Peace Prize.
Following his address, the monks of the Drepung Loseling Monastery led a
procession to a creek, where they were to disperse a mandala sand painting.
