Correction..
An organized set of Spritual beliefs that CANNOT entriely be proven... Otherwise Science would in fact be a religion as well : )

Sure there may be be aspects of following a Yogic Diet that can be proven, but there's much more that can't be proven (such as in the Sutras) then can be.

Aha! I think I know what your problem is Benjamin. You are hanging around the wrong gurus!

I've only heard and read the yamas & nyamas defined and discussed in the postive. From B.K.S. Iyengar "When the sadhaka is firmly established in the practice of truth, his words become so potent that whatever he says comes to realization" (sutra II:36). Notice there are no "shoulds" here, no guide to action. The yamas and niyamas are presented as simple statements without telling you what to do and without any emotional hooks. Sure a guru or someone like yourself can add these in, but it is clear from Iyengar's translation that this was not the original intent of Patanjali.

Namaste,
Timothy

that's great you look at definitions for those words. it's too bad no one is willing to provide an objective definition of "religion". it would make it a lot easier to have a logical discussion here.

.......you need to practice Yoga religiously in order to have it do you any good.
.....each religion has it's own yoga.
........yoga is a belief system.
.......you need to have a personal relationship with your practice.
......You can have the religion of yoga?... or, the yoga of religion. Your choice.

......take yoga seriously, personaly, spiritualy..... for whatever it's worth.

Namaste = have a nice day!

briggi!

What I see out there, here in the Bay Area, is that most people practice yoga, often mostly asana, without any intention or thought that yoga is a religion. For them it is not. I see that some, not many, people bring yoga into a spirtual practice that is like a religion to them. For them it is. It seems like it could become either for someone. I have heard "the oppisite is also true". Does that apply here.

Re: Is yoga a religion? Question from Katrina to me. Ans: Union With Authentic Sadhana and Union With Our Own Human Potential.


Re Katrina, in response to a direct public question

"K, So might Yoga be the Religion of Union? "

Okay, this is very very deep stuff, and I want to give a broadly useful and authentic classical answer.

I happen to "know" what yoga "means" in the Hindu, 3H0 Sikh, and tantric Buddhist traditions. I am a vajrayana guru and I have completed ten thousand hours of mantra, and lots of pranayam and so forth.

First of all, Yoga is a Practice, a Whole Person Practice. This is in general very different from religion and religious belief. Much or most religious belief is outwardly focused based on presumed self-existing "creator god", and that is Not what yoga is about, not in general and not in the deeper sense.

Classically, yoga is a transmitted inner spiritual discipline traceable in different lineages from classical Sanskritic India.

Religion is basically a cultural and/ or legal definition. So, Scientology and Mormonism ( Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ) are both functioning religions. Neither is a yoga. Neither is anything like yoga.

In fact, under the Islamic Law of Egypt and also Iran, yoga, including simple hatha yoga, is illegal, immoral, and a threat to society! That's their idea of culture and civilization and social responsibility. That's Islamic religion and "culture" for you. See how far their commitment to the One True God got them, in Iraq and Iran and so forth.

Look people, religion is nothing or or less than a social construct and group consensus. There is absolutely no historical basic for the legally recognized religions Mormonism or Scientology. And what the Roman Catholic Church did in Europe has no real basis in the teachings of Jesus the Nazarene.

There is however a real historical basis for Hindu yoga sadhana and Buddhist yoga sadhana, and it's not just a belief system. Hindu and Buddhist systems of yoga practice derive from classical Sanskritic culture, and they are functional.

The tantric yogas share a subtle energetic science and subtle energetic medicine, which has to do with channels winds and drops, or in Sanskrit, "nadi, prana, and bindu". In key respects the Hindu and Buddhist systems of practice are based on the same or comparable approach to human energy systems.

That's why they share the Hindu Buddhist system of Medicine known as Ayurveda. The system and historical lineage of Ayurveda includes both Hindu AND Buddhist spiritual doctors. It's not about mere religious belief, it's about a functional theory and methodology for working with imbalances and energy flows in the human body, in the cakras and so forth.

Both the Hindu and Buddhist schools of Ayurveda make substantial use of pranamaya yoga, breath modulation. But that is completely unrelated to religious belief. It is actually a scientific discipline, just like physiology of gymnastics.

The Hindu and Buddhist terminologies and approaches overlap, they are parallel, they are distinct. They sometimes use the same words in different ways, and sometimes use different words in the same ways. This happens also withing the different Buddhist traditions. But these differences have taxonomies and can be resolved and understood.

Nothing in religion is inherently resolvable or understandable nor based on a functional methodology, that's why religion by definition is primarily based on faith!

Yoga is based on practice, and on sadhana parampara, the "lineage and school of practice".

Sometimes religion and yoga overlap, and sometimes they don't. The 3H0 Sikh religion is classically based on Hindu sadhana, but as a religion it is very distinct. I myself have found this system to be remarkable powerful and effective, but I use the sadhanas nontheistically ( pranayama and asana without Sikh mantras ).

In 1983 I got personal yoga instruction from Yogi Bhajan, the main teacher of kundalini yoga in the West. You know what he gave me? A tai chi practice for grounding and raising energy! So it's all about the energy flows and the functional integration and development of our human capacities. That is spiritual work.

In one basic sense, we can say that, yes, "Yoga is the Religion of Union." But the Buddhist meaning of this is very specific and clear, and basically at odds with all muggle religion.

To a Buddhist, this statement means Union With One's Own Buddha Nature." To an esoteric Buddhist ( tantrika ), this means "Union With The Three Bodies", i.e. with what in Buddhist Sanskrit is known as Trikaya. The technical term Trikaya has three parts
Nirmanakaya - manifest dimension of purity;
Sambhogakaya - inner subtle energetic dimension of purity;
Dharmakaya - primordial all pervasive dimension of emcompassing purity.

And none of this key esoteric teaching has anything to do with a "creator god". It is a yogic doctrine and discipline which in some respects parallels Kasmiri Shaivism, but has no compatibility with muggle religion. Buddhist tantra is completely incompatible with Judaism, Orthodox Christianity and Islam.

And since, overall, religious and cultural history is dominated by Middle Eastern religions, this means Buddhism and Buddhist yoga is ( to almost everyone ) irreligious and an offense to the purported creator god. More broadly speaking, Buddhism ( Buddha-dharma ) completely contradicts the conventional notion of religion-as-bhakti, while completely fulfilling the Hindu notion of religion-as-dharma. So we have to go back to the Sanskrit roots in both etymology and parampara and so forth to get the definitions clear.

In both the Hindu and Buddhist cultures from classical times, there is a definite sense of direct engagement and direct knowledge. As Yogi Bhajan said
"In the final analysis, all talk ( e.g. theology ) is worthless. It is only the exact practice which brings a result."
He's absolutely correct in classical dharma terms.

And what that means is that each system of practice must be approached in the right way, co-ordinating the theory and practice responsibly and authentically. Since Hindu and Buddhist and 3H0 kundalini yoga practice can be authentically approached on the basis of their shared foundation of Ayurvedic medicine and tantric human energy systems, that is what I do.

So for me, tantra and yoga are part of system of medicine, *not* a religion. I'm a spiritual doctor, and overall I reject religion.
Also for me, tantra and yoga are part of the overall work of raising consciousness, so I do this as a form of transpersonal psychology.
Also, as a Buddhist guru, I do this as a form of social work and personal liberation.
So these are the Unions ( yogas ) with which I consciously work. And they are all classical Sanskritic usages.

But again, please keep in mind that these yogas, these yokings or unions, have nothing to inherently do with the notion of a creator god. The medicine, the psychology, the personal liberation, are all about union with the deeper, more profound human potential, up to and including Original Buddha Nature.

I am very clear on the fact that in the deeper and more profound sense, yoga transcends any notion or notions of "religion". It's also way more useful through not being limited to one specific philosophy. I can help people by teaching yoga independent of religious philosophy, so long as the practice itself is classical ( sadhana parampara ) and appropriate.

Here's a yoga sadhana reference for you:
""Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha", by Swami Satyanananda Saraswati

As far as the technical Buddhist Sanskrit term "trikaya", there are two ways of approaching this, Atiyoga and Mahamudra.

The first way, Atiyoga, is defined in three parts as Vision, Meditation and Action. There is an excellent introduction to this, a book by the Tibetan master Namkhai Norbu. It is called
"The Crystal and the Way of Light: Sutra, Tantra, and Dzogchen".
This is a brilliant, extraordinary and inspiring book. It is very accessible.

The second approach to Trikaya is Mahamudra, which is defined in three parts: Basis, Path and Result. For this I recommend strongly the very direct teachings and transmissions of the Kagyu lineage of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, and specifically, initiation into the practice of Milarepa Guruyoga, which covers all the Mahamudra grouping of tantric practices.

Closely associated with the Milarepa Guruyoga is the set of practices centering on Goddess Vajrayogini, for which I have already posted teachings to about sixteen tribes. But please understand, these sadhanas are not about dualistic religious worship. On an inner level, they are about finding, purifying, and liberating one's own primordial Buddha nature. So as a yoga it is still the opposite of what most people call religion.

As far as 3H0 kundalini yoga, I recommend the books of Ravi Singh and also all those by Guru Rattan Kaur Khalsa PhD.

So these texts and sadhanas are Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh, but they all work and they all work together. That's because they can be approached as Direct Personal Practices without the blinders and limitations of, you know, theological dogma and dualistic faith and muggle materialism.

So, on the basic existential level, what we are really talking about is Union With Authentic Sadhana and Union With Our Own Human Potential. That's the real union. Everything else is just window dressing and wishful thinking and social conditioning, and really, just ignorance.

If anyone truly wants to develop their own inner potential, then the way forward is clear. The means are not lacking. What really matters now is the human potential movement, both inner and outer together. That means we have to take the big step of liberating yoga from the severe limitations of religious and materialist dogmas.

You have been helped.
Sarva mangalam! Siddhi rastu!

KT

Hamlet : There is more in heaven and earth, Horatio, than is dreamt of in your philosophies.

Oh, and I'm not looking for you to define the term based off of another cultures perspective of it. (re> Westerners classical definition of the word...) Just your own perspective.

In Russia, about three religions are recognized ... with people free to observe these. All other religions like Khrishna, 7th Day, LDS, Falun, etc, are deemed cults, and so are outlawed... much to the consternation of seekers of dharma and truth.
Yoga, however, is thought of as a physical culture so it gets to slide, free of state intervention.

In China, yoga is legal, but when associated with Spirit observance, or any form of ideology, then it's not.

In USA you can practice yoga as calesthenics, or as a religion, or whatever you want. As to what it REALLY is, well you can see it as a system or not. But most yoga books published in the last 100 years seem to agree on a basic generic yoga system.

Dhuma,

Again, who are you referencing?

We Buddhist gurus call it Mahayana. Means Universal Service. Also means no caste system. And a lot of other things, like Wisdom, Compassion and Power ( jnana, karuna, bala ).

I posted an article on the Dalai Lama to eighteen tribes. His Holiness is one of the foremost yoga scholars and yoga teachers anywhere in the world, Buddhist or otherwise. So, you can pick up on this kind of practice via the teachings of the Dalai Lama. Repost follows.

KT




Keywords : HH The Dalai Lama, public Dalai Lama talks on world peace, Dalai Lama resources and current schedule, Nobel Peace Prize, universal human [ secular ] ethics, deep permaculture ethics.

Summary: Provided here is (1) the current tour schedule for His Holiness the Dalai Lama [ for California Massachusetts, New York, Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands, India, Germany ], (2) an introduction to the life and work of HH the Dalai Lama, (3) book references and resources, and (4) curriculum vitae.

HH the Dalai Lama:
“Never give up.
No matter what is going on.
Never give up.
Develop the heart.
Be compassionate.
Not just to your friends but to everyone.
Work for peace in your heart and in the world.
Work for peace and I say again:
Never give up.
No matter what is happening.
No matter what is going on around you.
Never give up.”

Introduction:

All Our Relations. Mitakuye Oyasin.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is one of the pivotal figures of our time. He is, more than anyone else that can be presently named, a world citizen and world teacher.

His work in ethics, human rights,world peace, psychology and education, Buddhist teaching and East West relations, is second to none in our generation.

In addition to a Nobel Peace Prize and the US Congressional Gold Medal, HH the Dalai Lama has received scores of honorary Doctorates ( in Laws, Philosophy, Human Letters, Divinity, Buddhist Philosophy, and so forth ) from major teaching centers worldwide. These include Columba, Brandeis, Universite de Paris, Benaras Hindu University, Hebrew University Jerusalem, U California San Francisco, and Rissho University Tokyo. He is an honorary citizen of Canada, of Roma Italia and so forth.

He speaks worldwide and has published more than seventy two books.

He is one of the most respected and revered persons on the the planet. On one visit to New York City some years back, forty thousand people turned out to see the Dalai Lama in the park.

When the Dalai Lama gives the Highest Yoga Tantra initiation ( abhisekha ) of Kalacakra, the attendees sometimes number 100,000 or even 200,000. HH the Dalai Lama has given this initiation thirty times in different parts of the world. In addition to being a master of the Great Seal ( Mahamudra ) lineage of Buddhist tantra, he also gives initiations of the Great Perfection ( Mahasandhi, Atiyoga ), for example in London, in San Francisco, and Paris.

You can see him this year at public talks in several areas, such as California, Massachusetts, New York, Europe, and India. A current schedule is provided below.

I have seen HH the Dalai Lama give extremely worthwhile empowerments in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and represented him to the State Legislature of Hawaii in 1993, where he was invited to give a talk, and did. I have listened carefully to him conferencing with Hawaiian elders in public and was struck by the care and attention he gave in listening to others, and in asking questions.
HH the Dalai Lama has written extremely important books on psychology and ethics, and I recommend these to the general public for self-help purposes, and also recommend some of his books to those committed to public service, especially in the area of multiculturalism, international human rights work, and the international Green Party movement.

Because of the profound confluence of modern events, global economics, environmental issues and human cultures, the importance of broader and deeper human co-operation becomes more and more important.
To obtain a broader and clearer understanding and principles for working with these most important issues, studying the secular works of the Dalai Lama is of great value and importance.

Similarly, His Holiness is one of the few people who can and does speak for the diverse Buddhist populations and traditions worldwide. He has taught senior Japanese tantric Buddhist gurus of the Shingon lineage in their country, for instance. His Holiness is a paragon of the Buddhist renunciate order ( bhiksu-sangha ), of Buddhist scholarship, and of the Mahayana Great Way lineages, all of which are profoundly universal.

This teacher is one of our very very best, be you a psychologist or academic, a diplomat, a tantric yogi, or a Buddhist practitioner. He has completely revolutionized Buddhist teaching, parts of popular modern culture, the understanding of international diplomacy and so forth in our lifetime.

This is someone who actually embodies many of the key principles of the United Nations treaties on human rights, and also the key Buddhist Mahayana principles and teachings. It is important to note that the Mahayana Buddhist principles and the principles of the UN human rights work are essentially identical. There are universal principles that take us all forward, individually and together. In Buddhist Sanskrit these terms are, for instance pratitya-samutpada and karma. Now you know.

The final point I wish to put forward to all is this: the Dalai Lama believes in all of us as people who *already* have sensitive human hearts that can be educated and developed, and he shows all of us a very real and practical way forward, a way based on self-understanding, listening and mutual respect, and patient co-operation.

You could do worse, and please remember that due to impermanence, this elder teacher will not live forever. It is not clear how anyone anywhere can replace him.

I see no real alternative to respect and co-operation for the common good, because we are one world. For this broader and deeper reason, and not specifically because he is a Buddhist guru, I support this teacher. He was not allowed by their government to attend a recent peace conference in South Africa, but he is available to you, and he is here for All Our Relations. May he live long and may his brilliant consciousness reach many many more.

Thank you,
KT, Rio Earth Summit Green Party organizer and so forth

In partial fulfillment of my formal Mahayana teaching responsibilities.
Sarva mangalam! Siddhi rastu!
[ May it be auspicious! May there be accomplishment! ]

John David Bartoe, Challenger 8 NASA space mission, July 1985:
“As I looked down, I saw large river meandering slowly along for miles, passing from one country to another without stopping. I also saw huge forests, extending across several borders. And I watched the extent of one ocean touch the shores of several continents. Two words leaped to mind as I looked down on all of this: commonality and interdependence. We are one world.”


Some of the following materials are taken from
www.dalailama.com/
Published books and multimedia materials are available at libraries throughout the world, and from Snow Lion Publications at
www.snowlionpub.com

From the official web site:

“Universal Recognition

“His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a man of peace. In 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for the liberation of Tibet. He has consistently advocated policies of non-violence, even in the face of extreme aggression. He also became the first Nobel Laureate to be recognized for his concern for global environmental problems.

“His Holiness has travelled to more than 62 countries spanning 6 continents. He has met with presidents, prime ministers and crowned rulers of major nations. He has held dialogues with the heads of different religions and many well-known scientists.

“Since 1959 His Holiness has received over 84 awards, honorary doctorates, prizes, etc., in recognition of his message of peace, non-violence, inter-religious understanding, universal responsibility and compassion. His Holiness has also authored more than 72 books.

“His Holiness describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk.”

“Three Main Commitments in Life
“Firstly, on the level of a human being, His Holiness first commitment is the promotion of human values such as compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment and self-discipline. All human beings are the same. We all want happiness and do not want suffering. Even people who do not believe in religion recognize the importance of these human values in making their life happier. His Holiness refers to these human values as secular ethics. He remains committed to talk about the importance of these human values and share them with everyone he meets.

“Secondly, on the level of a religious practitioner, His Holiness second commitment is the promotion of religious harmony and understanding among the world's major religious traditions. Despite philosophical differences, all major world religions have the same potential to create good human beings. It is therefore important for all religious traditions to respect one another and recognize the value of each other's respective traditions. As far as one truth, one religion is concerned, this is relevant on an individual level. However, for the community at large, several truths, several religions are necessary.
“Thirdly, His Holiness is a Tibetan and carries the name of the Dalai Lama. Tibetans place their trust in him. Therefore, his third commitment is to the Tibetan issue. His Holiness has a responsibility to act as the free spokesperson of the Tibetans in their struggle for justice. As far as this third commitment is concerned, it will cease to exist once a mutually beneficial solution is reached between the Tibetans and Chinese.

However, His Holiness will carry on with the first two commitments till his last breath.”

Upcoming Schedule
2009
Lecture in Santa Barbara, CA, USA on April 24: His Holiness will give a lecture on The Nature of Mind organized by the University of Santa Barbara at the UCSB Events Center. Contact Website: www.religion.ucsb.edu/dalailama/
Public Talk in Santa Barbara, CA, USA on April 24: His Holiness will give a public talk on Ethics for Our Time organized by the University of Santa Barbara at the UCSB Events Center. Contact Website: www.religion.ucsb.edu/dalailama/
Public Talk in Berkeley, CA, USA on April 25: His Holiness will give a public talk on Peace Through Compassion organized by the University of California, Berkeley at the Greek Theater. Contact Website: www.berkeley.edu

Public Talk in Boston, MA, USA on April 30: His Holiness will give a public talk to the Harvard University Community on Educating the Heart organized by Harvard University at the Memorial Church. Contact Website: www.harvard.edu
Inauguration of The Dalai Lama Center on April 30: His Holiness will inaugurate The Dalai Lama Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) by giving a talk on Ethics and Enlightened Leadership. Contact Website: www.thecenter.mit.edu
Panel Discussion in Boston, MA on May 1: His Holiness will participate in a panel discussion on Meditation and Psychotherapy – Cultivating Compassion and Wisdom organized by the Harvard Medical School Department of Continuing Education at Boston Park Plaza Hotel. Contact Website: www.cme.med.harvard.edu/index.asp
Teaching in Boston, MA on May 2: His Holiness will give a teaching in the morning on What Is Buddhism & Commentary on The Four Noble Truths organized by the Tibetan Association of Boston at the Gillette Stadium, Foxboro. Contact Website: www.bostontibet.org
Public Talk in Boston, MA on May 2: His Holiness will give a public talk in the afternoon on The Path to Peace and Inner Happiness organized by the Tibetan Association of Boston at the Gillette Stadium, Foxboro. Contact Website: www.bostontibet.org
Public Talk in New York, NY on May 3: His Holiness will participate in a conversation with Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and moderated by Pico Iyer on Wisdom & Compassion for Challenging Times and organized by The Tibet Fund at The Town Hall. Contact Website: www.tibetfund.org

Teaching in New York, NY on May 4: His Holiness will give a teaching on The Quintessence of Compassion organized by The Tibet House at The New Beacon Theater. Contact Website: www.tibethouse.org
Public Talk in Albany, NY on May 6: His Holiness will give a public talk on Compassionate Ethics in Difficult Times organized by the World Ethical Foundations Consortium at the Albany Palace Theater. Contact Website: www.worldethicalfoundations.org

Teaching in Copenhagen, Denmark from May 30 & 31: His Holiness will give a day and a half teaching on Nagarjuna's Commentary on Bodhicitta (jangchup semdrel) & Kamalashila's The Middling Stages of Meditation (gomrim barpa) at the Bella Center. Contact Website: www.dalailama.dk
Public Talk in Copenhagen, Denmark on May 31: His Holiness will give a public talk on Peace Through Inner Peace at the Bella Center. Contact Website: www.dalailama.dk

Public Talk in Reykjavik, Iceland on June 2: His Holiness will give a public talk on the topic on Values, Attitude and Happiness at the Laugardalsholl Sporting Arena. Contact Website: www.dalailama.is

Teaching in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on June 4: His Holiness will give a teaching on Shantideva’s Chapter 6 on Patience from A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life at the Rai Congress Center. Contact Website: www.dalailamanederland.nl
Public Talk in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on June 4: His Holiness will give a public talk on The Power of Compassion At A Turbulent Time at the Rai Congress Center. Contact Website: www.dalailamanederland.nl

Teaching in Kaza, H.P., India from July 10 to 12: His Holiness will give three-day teachings at the request of the Sakya Monastery in Kaza. On July 10 His Holiness will give a Buddhist teaching (topic yet to be decided). On July 11 and 12 His Holiness will confer the Avalokiteshvera Initiation (chenresig wangchen).

Teaching in Frankfurt, Germany on July 30 & 31: His Holiness will give a day and a half teaching on Kamalashila's The Middling Stages of Meditation (gomrim barpa). On the morning of July 31 he will confer an Amitabha Empowerment (opakmey jenang). Contact Website: www.dalailama-frankfurt.de



Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
[ University Aula, Oslo, 10 December 1989 ] :
Your Majesty, Members of the Nobel Committee, Brothers and Sisters.
I am very happy to be here with you today to receive the Nobel Prize for Peace. I feel honored, humbled and deeply moved that you should give this important prize to a simple monk from Tibet I am no one special. But I believe the prize is a recognition of the true value of altruism, love, compassion and non-violence which I try to practice, in accordance with the teachings of the Buddha and the great sages of India and Tibet
I accept the prize with profound gratitude on behalf of the oppressed everywhere and for all those who struggle for freedom and work for world peace. I accept it as a tribute to the man who founded the modern tradition of non-violent action for change Mahatma Gandhi whose life taught and inspired me. And, of course, I accept it on behalf of the six million Tibetan people, my brave countrymen and women inside Tibet, who have suffered and continue to suffer so much. They confront a calculated and systematic strategy aimed at the destruction of their national and cultural identities. The prize reaffirms our conviction that with truth, courage and determination as our weapons, Tibet will be liberated.
No matter what part of the world we come from, we are all basically the same human beings. We all seek happiness and try to avoid suffering. We have the same basic human needs and is concerns. All of us human beings want freedom and the right to determine our own destiny as individuals and as peoples. That is human nature. The great changes that are taking place everywhere in the world, from Eastern Europe to Africa are a clear indication of this.
In China the popular movement for democracy was crushed by brutal force in June this year. But I do not believe the demonstrations were in vain, because the spirit of freedom was rekindled among the Chinese people and China cannot escape the impact of this spirit of freedom sweeping many parts of the world. The brave students and their supporters showed the Chinese leadership and the world the human face of that great nation.
Last week a number of Tibetans were once again sentenced to prison terms of upto nineteen years at a mass show trial, possibly intended to frighten the population before today's event. Their only 'crime" was the expression of the widespread desire of Tibetans for the restoration of their beloved country's independence.
The suffering of our people during the past forty years of occupation is well documented. Ours has been a long struggle. We know our cause is just Because violence can only breed more violence and suffering, our struggle must remain non-violent and free of hatred. We are trying to end the suffering of our people, not to inflict suffering upon others.
It is with this in mind that I proposed negotiations between Tibet and China on numerous occasions. In 1987, I made specific proposals in a Five-Point plan for the restoration of peace and human rights in Tibet. This included the conversion of the entire Tibetan plateau into a Zone of Ahimsa, a sanctuary of peace and non-violence where human beings and nature can live in peace and harmony.
last year, I elaborated on that plan in Strasbourg, at the European Parliament I believe the ideas I expressed on those occasions are both realistic. and reasonable although they have been criticised by some of my people as being too conciliatory. Unfortunately, China's leaders have not responded positively to the suggestions we have made, which included important concessions. If this continues we will be compelled to reconsider our position.
Any relationship between Tibet and China will have to be based on the principle of equality, respect, trust and mutual benefit. It will also have to be based on the principle which the wise rulers of Tibet and of China laid down in a treaty as early as 823 AD, carved on the pillar which still stands today in front of the Jokhang, Tibet's holiest shrine, in Lhasa, that "Tibetans will live happily in the great land of Tibet, and the Chinese will live happily in the great land of China".
As a Buddhist monk, my concern extends to all members of the human family and, indeed, to all sentient beings who suffer. I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. We need to cultivate a universal responsibility for one another and the planet we share. Although I have found my own Buddhist religion helpful in generating love and com¬passion, even for those we consider our enemies, I am convinced that everyone can develop a good heart and a sense of universal responsibility with or without religion.
With the ever growing impact of science on our lives, religion and spirituality have a greater role to play reminding us of our humanity. There is no contradiction between the two. Each gives us valuable insights into the other. Both science and the teachings of the Buddha tell us of the fundamental unity of all things. This understanding is crucial if we are to take positive and decisive action on the pressing global concern with the environment.
I believe all religions pursue the same goals, that of cultivating human goodness and bringing happiness to all human beings. Though the means might appear different the ends are the same.
As we enter the final decade of this century I am optimistic that the ancient values that have sustained mankind are today reaffirming themselves to prepare us for a kinder, happier twenty-first century.
I pray for all of us, oppressor and friend, that together we succeed in building a better world through human under-standing and love, and that in doing so we may reduce the pain and suffering of all sentient beings.
Thank you.

[ end posting ]