Mexico City, Mexico, 10 September 2011—Before
departing the hotel for Museum of (War Crimes) Memories and Tolerance,
His Holiness the Dalai Lama met with Senator Santiago Creel Miranda, who
earlier served as Minister of the Interior in the cabinet of President
Vicente Fox, and his family members. In October 2004, when His Holiness
visited Mexico, Senator Santiago Creel received His Holiness officially
on behalf of the Mexico Government as Minister of the Interior.
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama with
actor Richard Gere open the exhibition, ‘Tibet: Memories of a Lost
Nation’ at the Museum of Memories and Tolerance in Mexico City, Mexico,
on September 10, 2011. Photo/Yeonsuk Ka
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At the Museum of Memories and Tolerance, His
Holiness the Dalai Lama along with the actor Richard Gere opened an
exhibition, ‘Tibet: Memories of a Lost Nation’. Five-room exhibits
display not only the repression of the Tibetan people under China, but
also highlight the timeline of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s life as
well as display some aspects of the Tibetan Buddhist culture.
After opening the exhibition, His Holiness briefly
spoke to more than 200 guests and media people presented at the opening
ceremony of the exhibition. In his address, His Holiness thanked the
management of the Museum for organizing the exhibition on Tibet and
commented that these kinds of museums are so important to educate the
people and create more awareness. After concluding his brief address,
His Holiness signed the special visitors’ book of the museum.
From the Museum of Memories and Tolerance, His
Holiness departed to Metropolitan Theater where he gave two sessions of
teachings (morning and afternoon) to the Buddhist community of Mexico on
‘Eight Verses for Training the Mind’ composed by Geshe Langri Thangpa
((1054-1123).
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama during
his teachings at the Metropolitan Theater in Mexico City, Mexico, on
September 10, 2011. Photo/Oscar Fernández/Casa Tibet Mexico
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The first seven verses of the Eight Verses
for Training the Mind deal with the practices associated with
cultivating the method aspect of the path such as compassion, altruism,
aspiration to attain buddhahood, and so on. The eighth verse deals with
the practices that are directed toward cultivating the wisdom aspect of
the path.
His Holiness was extremely impressed and touched by the amount of
attention paid by the Mexican Buddhists throughout his day-long
teaching. More than 3,500 people attended the teaching.
At the end of the teaching, the organizers of the visit and the
teachings led by Marco Antonio Karam, President of the Casa Tibet Mexico
received a special blessing from His Holiness. This was followed by
the recitation of special long life prayers for His Holiness the Dalai
Lama in Spanish by the devotees who attended the teaching.
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama being
interviewed by Carlos Loret de Mola of Televisa News in Mexico City,
Mexico, on September 10, 2011. Photo/Oscar Fernández/Casa Tibet Mexico
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After the lunch break, His Holiness visited
the studio of Televisa, a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, which is the
largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking
world. At the Televisa studio, His Holiness gave an exclusive interview
to Carlos Loret de Mola, one of the most well-known Televisa News
anchors.
When asked to comment on his observation on the situation in Mexico,
His Holiness said although the media has been projecting so much
violence in this country, one gets a real picture when you are on the
spot. Just a handful of people engage in violence and the rest majority
of the people here are peaceful, he added. When asked to comment on
Mexican people in general, His Holiness said Mexicans are very gentle
and nice people. During the interview, His Holiness also explained his
Middle-Way Approach to resolve the issue of Tibet as well as China’s
approach.
