The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso on Universal Brother/Sisterhood 2

The 14th and current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, belongs to the first generation of Tibetan Buddhists who have become more prominent actors in the globalized post-colonial modern world. In his impressively open, tolerant, cosmopolitan perspective, many a Theosophical idea has been adopted, not the least being the notion of universal brother/sisterhood, to which he gives a distinctive Mahayana touch based in a deep consideration of the value of compassion. Below are some of his reflections, taken from his Twitter page, from the year 2020.

 Wherever I go, I always feel the people I meet are the same as human beings like me. Scientists have also observed that we human beings are social animals. We have a sense of community. Right from birth we have the same feelings of closeness to those around us. (Jun 19, 2020)

What is important is not so much how long you live as whether you live a meaningful life. This doesn’t mean accumulating money and fame, but being of service to your fellow human beings. It means helping others if you can, but even if you can’t do that, at least not harming them. (Jun 22, 2020)

Regarding other human beings as our brothers and sisters can make our lives happier and more meaningful. Some people think that when we cultivate compassion and affection for others only they benefit—in fact, we ourselves derive great benefit and satisfaction from such conduct. (Jul 13, 2020)

To me, all these features that differentiate us, like wealth, position, status, and so on, are secondary. I truly believe we can learn to relate to one another on the basis of our shared humanity. And if individuals can learn to do that, there’ll immediately be a basis for trust. (Aug 28, 2020)

HHDL tells the G7 climate crisis conference we should think of the the whole world as interdependent and of the entire 7 billion human beings as one human community. Global warming is very serious. Many people suffer. We must pay more attention. (Sep 12, 2020)

As human beings we essentially belong to the same family and we have to think of each other as part of ‘us’. To develop peace in the world, we have to educate people to understand that we are all the same in being human. (Sep 18, 2020)

Today, the world is interdependent as never before, which is why we need a keen sense of the oneness of all human beings. We have to take the whole of humanity into account. We have to understand what we have in common with everyone else. (Oct 2, 2020)

Wherever you live, try to create a happy community. I pray that every human being, indeed every sentient being, should be happy. So, if you come across individuals facing problems, help them. Share their problems and try to bring them peace of mind. (Oct 23, 2020)

We are truly brothers and sisters. We all face the same kind of problems and we all have the ability to overcome them. That means putting our human brains to good use, combined with a strong sense of warm-heartedness. (Nov 2, 2020)

Ask children whether they prefer smiling faces or stern ones. Obviously, the way to bring about harmony and friendship is to smile. We need to cultivate such childlike attributes that are the basis of human values and remember that we are the same and have to live together. (Nov 6, 2020)

When you think about the difficulties you face in your life, think about all the other people who have a similar experience of suffering. We need a keen sense of the oneness of humanity, remembering what we have in common with everyone else. (Nov 13, 2020)

My dedication is to serve the 7 billion human beings on this planet and the other creatures with whom we share it. If you can, help and serve others, but if you can’t at least don’t harm them; then in the end you will feel no regret. (Nov 27, 2020)

We can learn how to cultivate peace of mind. Then, we can apply our intelligence to extend a compassionate attitude on an individual, family, community and global level. It’s our nature to be compassionate, so education can teach us to appreciate that we’re brothers and sisters. (Nov 30, 2020)

We must learn that humanity is one big family. We’re all brothers and sisters: physically, mentally and emotionally the same. But we still focus far too much on differences instead of what we have in common. After all, every one of us is born the same way and dies the same way. (Dec 14, 2020)

Wherever I go, I try to cultivate a sense of the oneness of humanity. I see everyone I meet as being essentially the same. And people respond positively to this. Animals too. Fear leads to isolation, so it's helpful to be open to others. (Dec 29, 2020)

I regard a compassionate, warm, kindhearted person as healthy. If you maintain a feeling of compassion, loving kindness, something automatically opens your inner door, through which you can communicate much more easily with other people — you'll find that they are just like you. (Jan 11, 2021)

Best wishes for the inaugural  International Day of Human Fraternity  February 4, 2021.

The UN General Assembly on 21 December adopted a resolution declaring 4 February as the International Day of Human Fraternity. The day is to be observed each year, beginning in 2021. The Assembly invited the Member States, the United Nations system and others to observe the annual day in a manner they would each consider appropriate to promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue.

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2020-12/united-nations-institutes-international-day-human-fraternity.html 

Part 1