THAILAND - PART TWO OF DALAL LAMA INTERVIEW AIRED (FEB. 19) PAC RIM
INTELLIGENCE REPORT - (Suuhichai Yun) We will show you the second
and final part of the interview with the Dalai Lama who arrived in
Thailand two days ago to join six other Nobel laureates to pressure
the Burmese Government to release the opposition leader there, Aung
San Suu Kyi. The Dalai Lama left yesterday after a short 27-hour
visit to Thailand.
(Unidentified person) Your Holiness, do you think besides the Nobel
laureates' effort, do you think what kinds of roles Burma's
neighbors should play in helping Aung San Suu Kyi?
(Dalai Lama) I don't know. That's up to you, the Thai, Thai
Government, Thai people. You know better. (laughs)
(Sutthichai Yun) Your Holiness, apart from Burma, what is your main
concern around the world now?
(Dalai Lama) Now, in Africa state, in Africa continent, really I
think, the starvation, and also the problem of AIDS-that also I
think is very serious. Then, of course, the former Yugoslavia, a
civil war, really .... They showed many emotions, really, become out
of control. Then some other .... Then it's the former members of the
Soviet Union, member countries of the Soviet Union.
That also is one concern for me. The totalitarian... the communist
totalitarian system which has collapsed. One way, that's good. That
is a most welcome thing. At the same time, as a result, the old
system diminished, or collapsed. The new appropriate, or the sound,
the new, sound system not yet developed. So there, between there,
there is so much care for the situation there. So that also really
is concern about me ... the concern for me. Then initially, as a
Tibetan, as Dalai Lama, also there is a concern about my own
country.
(Unidentified person) One last question... Your Holiness, what is
the next campaign you are going to launch?
(Dalai Lama) I don't know. (laughs) At the moment, I don't know.
(laughs) Generally, as a human being, you know, as a human being, I
am always concerned about the problem of motivation. As a Buddhist,
from... , and also, you see, sometimes, I introduced myself as a
Buddhist psychologist. So, from the Buddhist psychologist, from that
viewpoint, I consider the motivation is the most important factor.
So every human action, whether it has become positive or negative,
must depend on motivation. So therefore, they must take every care
about the problem of motivation. For that is the Buddhist
messagekaruna, compassion. It's the basic thing for sincere
motivation. So with the realization, all (word indistinct) being, if
not at least all human being, as brothers and sisters, as a member
of one human family. With that, it's the sense of responsibility,
the sense of concern for all others. It's the key thing. So the
promotion of the human compassion and the sense of involvement,
sense of global responsibility. Now that I feel the entire of our
future very much depend on this motivation. So here the various
different spiritual traditions have special responsibility, and
particularly the various Buddhist, we have our special
responsibility the Buddhist message, the message of love and
compassion, and the message of Buddhism (word indistinct). Now these
two things are very very relevant in modern time. And I think the
future of humanity, I think, for that, these two Buddhist messages
can be very important role.
(Sutthichai Yun) The last question Your Holiness ...
(Dalai Lama) So, so I'm quite sure, the Thai as the Buddhist
brothers sisters, you can make great contribution in this respect.
(Sutthichai Yun) Last question, Your Holiness. What is the future of
Buddhism compared to human rights and dictatorship?
(Dalai Lama) Of course, all religions have the potential to help
humanity, to help world peace. And, meantime, particularly Buddha
Dharma, since Buddha Dharma, is very much based on investigation, or
reasons. So therefore, for certain scientific-minded people, the
Buddhist message is more suitable. So therefore, the Buddha Dharma,
I think, can be important role for future. And also here, because
sometimes I feel, I notice, you see, through my own, some kind of
investigation, that today about (words indistinct) of human beings.
It seems we can divide three groups. One group, and that's a
majority. They, in their daily life, hardly know religious faith.
They may claim Buddhist, or may claim I'm Christian, I'm Muslim, but
in actual day-by-day social life, I think very little religious
influence or religious, how say, practice. That's the majority.
Their main concern is money. Nothing else. Then one group, a small
group, that I think deliberately against religion. That one extreme,
what call, usually I call extreme atheist. Because I should..