Dalai Lama made Honorary Citizen of Budapest

The Dalai Lama lectured on Buddhism, led a public training session on the art of happiness and visited the Parliament during his recent trip to Hungary on September 17-20.

It is now ten years since the 14th Dalai Lama last visited Hungary as his planned visit in 2008 was reportedly cancelled due to widespread unrest in Tibet against Chinese rule. The Tibetan leader is a popular figure in Hungary, and so his recent, 7th visit resulted in receiving the Pro Urbe Budapest prize that makes him an honorary citizen of Budapest. The Nobel Prize winner Lama has been giving regular teachings in Western countries for many years. These programs include the so-called “public teaching” for people who are not familiar with Buddhist philosophy, followed by the “Buddhist teaching” for those who are more advanced in Buddhist practice, and finally a special event that is a part of the Tibetan tradition: the initiation, or blessing.

According to promoters, tickets for his recent appearances sold out in two days, filling Papp László Budapest Sportaréna (with a capacity of around 11,000 people) on the weekend. Those, who could not get in though, were able to follow his teachings and spiritual guidance live via the website http://www.dalailama-budapest.hu. In the public teaching, he spoke about the importance of worldly ethical values, independent from the Buddhist religion, and how ordinary people can attain inner peace and happiness through positive thinking, openness and compassionate caring towards each other.

The Lama also visited the Hungarian Parliament. In his address to the MPs he spoke about the October 1956 Hungarian revolution against the Soviet rule. He said at that time he was in Tibet but emotionally felt very close to those freedom fighters. “Power of justice is more powerful than power of gun.  Power of gun is only a temporary power and it cannot crush the power of truth,” he said. He further noted that the Tibetan issue cannot be solved through suppression. His Holiness reiterated that the Tibetans are not seeking separation from China but a mutually beneficial solution to the Tibetan issue through genuine autonomy.  He also encouraged the Hungarian MPs to visit Tibet to see the situation. He then addressed students and members of the faculty of Central European University and today he continued his journey to Passau, Germany.

The Chosen One

The Dalai Lama (a title that means “Ocean of Wisdom”) is considered to be a reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of compassion. The 14th Dalai Lama, was born on July 6, 1935 to a peasant family in the Tibetan village of Takster. His given name was Lhamo Dhondrup. At the age of two, on the basis of prophecies, he was recognized as the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and was brought to Lhasa. On Feb 22, 1940, at the age of five-and-a-half, the Dalai Lama was formally enthroned and received the name Tenzin Gyatso. He has lived in exile ever since China invaded and occupied Tibet in 1960.  He was the recipient of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to peacefully resolve the Tibetan situation.

His Holiness is revered by the Buddhists as a Buddha. In their view, he is an enlightened holy man, a prominent spiritual master of our age, the keeper of the highest teachings of the Inner Way. Through his boundless love and compassion he has a direct, intimate and deep relationship with the powers of nature which function in us externally and internally (body, mind and soul). When the Dalai Lama teaches, he uses the Enlightened Universal Mind of Wisdom. This is why he is able to appeal personally to each of his listeners, in the most appropriate way according to our personal abilities.  Being a Buddhist is not a precondition of this. Each of us can interpret and use the Dalai Lama's instructions which reveal the deepest universal human values, beyond religion, in accordance with our own spiritual and religious practice.