Alumni Bulletin - Fall 2008 - (Page 22)

“ umanitYIsBecominG H MoreMature” In an exclusive, 40-minute interview with the Lehigh Alumni Bulletin, the Dalai Lama talked about a wide range of topics, including specific methods to promote religious harmony, the future of Tibet, the root cause of so much anger and hatred in the world today, and his view of the U.S. presidential election. By Jack Croft Photos by Douglas Benedict Just days before coming to Lehigh University for his historic week of teachings in July, the Dalai Lama made a pilgrimage to the Ajmer Shairf shrine in Rajasthan, India. While there, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism donned a Muslim prayer cap as he offered prayers on the occasion of “Urs,” the 796th anniversary of the death of Sufi saint Khwaja Moin-ud-Din Chishti. The next day, the Dalai Lama recalled during an interview with the Lehigh Alumni Bulletin, he saw a newspaper photograph of himself wearing the “Muslim white hat.” Laughing heartily at the memory, he said, “Picture looks nice.” That story—and the warm laughter that accompanied it— vividly illustrates the Dalai Lama’s passionate commitment to the promotion of religious harmony at a time of increasing religious tensions. During an exclusive 40-minute interview conducted before his final teaching session at Stabler Arena on July 15, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and exiled leader of Tibet discussed subjects ranging from the best ways to promote religious harmony to the future of his beloved Tibet to the upcoming U.S. presidential election. The interview was conducted in English, and the Dalai Lama, who turned 73 the weekend before his Lehigh visit, would occasionally consult with his translators to find the right word or phrase. The playful sense of humor and humility that he exhibited throughout the fiveand-a-half days of teachings and the sold-out public lecture on Sunday afternoon, July 13, were on display frequently during the interview. When asked what makes him laugh, he quickly replied, “Some mistake”—and then immediately burst into laughter. “Other people make some mistake, then I laugh. Also, my own mistake sometimes causes me to laugh. I immediately admit this—my mistake, OK.” Promoting Religious Harmony The 14th Dalai Lama has been a state leader in exile since 1959, when he was forced to flee Tibet for India after China colonized his native land. Over the past five decades, he has taken a place beside such revered leaders as India’s Mahatma Gandhi, U.S. civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela of South Africa as an advocate for and exemplar of world peace and nonviolence. The promotion of religious harmony has long been one of his core convictions, and in the years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the U.S., the Dalai Lama has made a special effort to reach out to Muslims in particular. He said the key to lessening religious tension in the world is “regular contact.” India, he said, has the second largest Muslim population in the world. Yet, for two centuries, Muslims have largely 22 LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN

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Alumni Bulletin - Fall 2008 Contents From the President's Desk Mailbox On Campus Research Arts & Culture Sports Cover Story: The Dalai Lama at Lehigh Heart of a Champion Around the World in 80 Years Fighting for Children wth Autism Keepers of the Flame From the Publisher's Desk Alumni News The Last Word

Alumni Bulletin - Fall 2008

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