Dharamsala, (Asian independent) Tibetan Buddhist monk the Dalai Lama has sent virtually wished Archbishop Desmond Tutu on his 90th birthday by addressing the latter as the “elder spiritual brother” who lives in complete peace.
In a video message, the Nobel Peace Laureate, 86, on Thursday said, “I have deep admiration and respect for you Bishop Tutu. So I want to express my greeting to you on your 90th birthday. We religious people should follow people like Bishop Tutu who lives in complete peace.”
Archbishop Tutu is a close friend of the Dalai Lama and has co-authored with His Holiness the book titled “The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World”.
Sharing his long bond with the Bishop, the Dalai Lama said: “We joke with each other about what we believe. I believe in life after life but not in a creator, Bishop Tutu believes in a creator. So sometimes he teases me that he’s ready to go to heaven, but I may go to a different place.
“Anyway, you see, we are both totally dedicated to finding peace of mind and through peace of mind we try our best to bring about peace in the world.
“So on this special day, your 90th birthday, I will offer special prayers and greetings. My elder spiritual brother please live long. We need you to set the world a good example. As far as compassion is concerned, while we are in our mother’s womb and after birth, her warm heartedness, her compassion, and her loving kindness are the key factors in our survival.”
he globetrotting monk, known for his simplicity and jovial style and prefers to participate in meetings with religious leaders, and lectures businessmen on ethics for the new millennium and the art of happiness, said the life starts that way.
“Keeping alive our experience of our mother’s loving kindness when we are young is one the key factors for our survival and our being able to live a happy life. Our life begins that way and the rest of our life we should keep a more compassionate mind with loving kindness.
“These days some scientists say that the more peaceful our mind is, the more compassionate our mind is, the physically healthier we will be. If we simply have loving kindness here in our hearts, automatically our face will smile more.
“If we have suspicion and hatred in our hearts, even when someone smiles at us we will be able to show an artificial smile in return,” the Dalai Lama said.
“As far as compassion’s benefits are concerned, we are not talking about the next life or going to heaven, but in our day-to-day lives we really need a more compassionate mind,” the leading spiritual figure bringing Buddhist teachings to the international community concluded.
