December has been unusually warm leading to some grumbling among the people, but last week there was an exceptionally heartwarming experience in Panjim, igniting some hope that in a period where divisiness has begun to dictate the discourse, the path to peace and happiness is still wide open, if only we choose to look in that direction. And, the direction is looking into the mind.

At an hour in the morning in the middle of the week, when employees rush to their workplaces, and students are seated in class listening to the drone of the teacher’s voice, and when housewives begin to prepare the day’s meal, around a thousand people were hurrying to the Kala Academy. Highly irregular behaviour, but then the person who would be holding fort in the indoor auditorium of the academy was also an unusual personality – it was the Dalai Lama – who is the spiritual leader of the Tibetans, many of them who have fled their country and are living as refugees in various other countries. It was, therefore, worth taking time off the daily grind and turn one’s footsteps towards the Kala Academy.

Within the campus of the Kala Academy, members of the Tibetan community, even children and babies, living in Goa stood patiently and expectantly, awaiting the arrival of their spiritual leader. Inside the auditorium that was quickly filling up, the expectations were just as high and the Dalai Lama certainly didn’t disappoint – neither those outside, not those inside. Outside the Tibetans cheered and bowed as the vehicle carrying the Dalai Lama passed by, and inside the sound of sirens penetrated the walls of the auditorium signalling that he had arrived, with people settling down in their seats. His first act on taking the stage was to walk to the edge of it to greet the audience, before turning back and taking his seat. And then he endeared himself to the audience, by taking a bite of a piece of fruit from the basket offered to him. It drew applause and also set the tone for the rest of the session, for an informal but highly educative hour, but not before the Goa University choir (it was organised by the university) stunned the audience into absolute silence with three pieces, one especially composed for the occasion, that outdid each other.

The Dalai Lama spoke on anger, saying it is the biggest destroyer of inner peace, and advised parents to teach their children that ‘anger and hatred are very bad for good health’. He said that constant anger and hatred are eating into our system. The focus of the speech was to ‘utilise the human brain more’ – that to increase warmheartedness we must utilise the human brain not just propagate a faith. As a human being we need knowledge of our mind, he stressed and suggested meditation to strengthen the mind. His entire focus was on improving the education system – something that there can be no argument about – on the education of the mind. That education, of the mind, is perhaps what we are lacking today.

Ironically, the Dalai Lama lives in India as a refugee, and on the same day that he was in Goa speaking in Panjim, in New Delhi the Rajya Sabha was debating the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which it passed later that evening. The Bill, now already an Act, gives citizenship to refugees from three neighbouring countries – Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh – who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians. The Bill drew censure from various sections, igniting violence in the northeast and protests elsewhere. The protests continue days later and the amendment has been termed unconstitutional and has already been legally challenged in the Supreme Court.

The Dalai Lama, of course made no mention of this in his discourse. He kept away from anything that could be even remotely construed as political. But, against this background of the CAB, what the Dalai Lama said that morning about India and its secular traditions needs to be kept in mind for he spoke not of learning by rote, but of knowledge of the mind. He praised India’s tradition of religious harmony, he extolled the 1000-year-old education system of Nalanda, and explained how it needs to be combined with modern education. The Nalanda teachings do survive he stressed, the edifice may have collapsed, but the knowledge has not. His topic was of course that – Nalanda teachings in today’s world – but how appropriately did the discourse get timed with the raucous debate in the Rajya Sabha. 

The Dalai Lama was all praise for the secular traditions of India, of the ancient Indian practice of ahimsa, which he said must be combined with modern education. He said India was an example to the world of secularism. It felt good to hear all this, but it also led to introspect on whether today, India still holds the flag of secularism high. This would need more discussion, as even as he spoke of peace, friendship and understanding, even as the Goa University choir gave voice to their last piece, of their first act on stage – they returned for another piece at the end – offering friendship and peace, outside the Kala Academy the debate centred around the Citizenship Amendment Bill and its divisive nature. That debate continues and is unlikely to end anytime soon. 

A Nobel Peace laureate, the Dalai Lama was the right person to listen to on that day. He ran away from his land and sought refuge in India. Most of his life he has lived as a refugee in India, even headed a Tibetan government in exile, before turning it over to others. Like him, there are thousands of his fellow country men and women who are refugees in India, but he still preaches peace, friendship and understanding. The question of Tibet and its legal status may take years to be decided. He will, perhaps, never see his homeland in his lifetime. Perhaps in a next life – as the Dalai Lama is believed to be reincarnated – he may set foot on Tibetan soil again. He has, however, said that the next Dalai Lama may not be born in Tibet. Yet, he is so understanding. There is a lesson for everyone.