Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 4 June 2009 - The first full day of His Holiness' program in the Netherlands included a morning teaching on Shantideva's Guide to the Boddhisattva's Way of Life, and an afternoon public lecture on 'The Power of Compassion in Turbulent Times'. The events were held at the RAI Exhibition & Convention Centre in Amsterdam and over 10.000 people attended each of the events, with many hundreds more watching on screens in a nearby auditorium. The public talk can be viewed at www.boeddhistischeomroep.nl. In the early morning, before the teachings, His Holiness held an audience for Tibetans living in the Netherlands and Belgium. The audience was also attended by Mongolians and Bhutanese. In his address, His Holiness called on Tibetans in exile to continue their education, to be astute, smart and to avoid ignorance. His Holiness also stressed the importance of education for the new generation of young Tibetans in exile. His Holiness discussed the common heritage and religious traditions in the Himalayan region. In particular, he reminded that Mongolians have a strong connection with the Tibetan people and their Buddhist culture. His Holiness also discussed the current conditions in Tibet and called on Tibetans in Europe to remain strong, committed and aware of the situation. Following the audience with Tibetans, Mr. Job Cohen, the current Mayor of Amsterdam and a former Cabinet minister, called on His Holiness. Morning teachings and public talk During the morning teachings, His Holiness spoke on the importance of love, compassion and tolerance, as emphasized in all the major religions of the world. This is especially true in the Buddhist traditions, all of which state that compassion and love form the basis of every spiritual practice. His Holiness said that if we want to fully develop the potential for love and compassion that we all have within us, it is essential to be able to control their opposites - hate and aggression. His Holiness spoke of the importance of one's own traditions, and that he does not attempt to propagate Buddhism, but rather to increase understanding. The development of greater cross cultural communication enables greater understanding of other religions and to develop ones' own. But this can also lead to some conflicts. In the afternoon, His Holiness gave a public talk on the
