“Whenever I meet anyone new, I reflect that we are both human beings. We are born the same way and we die the same way. When we were in our mother’s womb she tried to avoid being angry or anxious in order to avoid upsetting us. For the two years after we were born her affection was really important. Indeed some physicians say that a mother’s touch is crucial to the proper growth of the infant’s brain.

“Scientists have found evidence to show that basic human nature is compassionate. And whether we believe in religion or not, affection and compassion are key factors in our peace of mind, while constant anger and fear are said to undermine our immune system.

“Throughout our lives affection is important. At the end, we’ll be more comfortable if we have people we love around us. At that point money and power are of no consequence. As the coarser sense of ‘I’ dissolves, having affectionate relatives and friends nearby will put us at ease.

“Between the start and end of our lives, we are inclined to forget the importance of loving kindness. In the context of a materialistic, competitive way of life, loving kindness may seem irrelevant. Although those with no interest in religion pay scant attention to inner values, since we are all human beings compassion and affection are necessary.

“If we start to work on cultivating such values now there may be less violence in the world later in this century. Violence is not so much about the use of weapons as about the motive we have in our hearts. External disarmament will only be achieved if we first achieve inner disarmament. Likewise, world peace will only be won on the basis of inner peace. And without inner peace it will be difficult to eliminate violence in society.

“We are all human beings possessing a seed of compassion. We have to use our intelligence to cultivate the inner values associated with it, which I refer to as secular ethics.”

His Holiness explained that as a Buddhist monk he also tries to promote religious harmony. He alluded to the long-standing tradition of harmony that exists in India between members of indigenous religious traditions, like Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism and those that have come from outside like Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Islam. He said that in supporting and promoting religious harmony, he regards himself as a messenger of ancient Indian thought. He stressed that all major religious traditions teach love, compassion, tolerance, and forgiveness, and that although there are philosophical differences among them, they share a common goal. He pointed out that even among followers of the Buddha there are different philosophical views.

Advising people sitting out in the baking sun to cover their heads, His Holiness said that he wanted to give an introduction to Buddhist teachings. He recalled the Buddha’s appearance in India 2600 years ago, that he grew up in a palace, but left it to engage in six years hard work cultivating method and wisdom through single-pointed and analytical meditation. His Holiness explained that in the first Turning of the Wheel of Dharma at Sarnath, the Buddha laid out the foundation of his doctrine in the Four Noble Truths.

He noted that both the Pali and Sanskrit traditions teach these Four Noble Truths and the 37 Factors of Enlightenment from the Four Mindfulnesses up to the Eightfold Noble Path, which culminate in cessation, the third Noble Truth. He also alluded to the four characteristics of each Noble Truth, which in the case of the first are that suffering is impermanent, in the nature of suffering, empty and selfless. He suggested that once we understand the Four Noble Truths and their 16 characteristics we will develop a proper appreciation of the Buddha’s teaching and how to cultivate the path.

“While the Pali tradition thrives in Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Sri Lanka, the Sanskrit tradition, including the Nalanda tradition, was conveyed to China from where it spread to Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Later, in the 8th century, the Nalanda tradition was brought to Tibet directly from India by the Abbot Shantarakshita. Within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition we distinguish two waves of translation, the old and the new, depending on whether they took place before or after Rinchen Zangpo, a translator of the 11th century. The Tibetan language evolved during the process of translation of Indian Buddhist literature, so that it remains today the language most capable of accurately expressing the Buddha’s teachings.

“By understanding the Buddha’s explanation of the Two Truths, conventional and ultimate truth, which is explored in the four schools of thought that developed in India, it is possible to overcome ignorance and so extricate ourselves from cyclic existence. The Perfection of Wisdom teachings, exemplified by the Heart Sutra, explicitly explain the wisdom understanding emptiness, while implicitly describing the skilful means of compassion.”

Returning after lunch, His Holiness engaged in preparations for giving the Medicine Buddha permission, while the Vietnamese monks first chanted the Heart Sutra and then Tibetan monks chanted the Medicine Buddha mantra. His Holiness mentioned that the particular practice of the Medicine Buddha he was giving came from among the profound visionary teachings of the 5th Dalai Lama.

“While the Pali tradition emphasizes the achievement of liberation, the Sanskrit tradition does not stop there but invokes the courage to work for all sentient beings, generating the awakening mind of bodhichitta, the aspiration to enlightenment.”

He led the gathering through a brief ceremony to generate the awakening mind based on the verse for taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and the altruistic aspiration to enlightenment. Following that he guided them through the steps for visualizing the lapis lazuli coloured Medicine Buddha.

He will return to the Dieu Ngu Buddhist Temple tomorrow to participate in its grand opening ceremony.