Monster Media 1994 #2/Monster Media No. 2 (Monster Media)(1994).ISO/text/dl_envir.zip/GLOBAL.TXT

Text File | 1994-05-15 | 10KB | 175 lines

  [from: Tibetan Bulletin (March-April 1994)


           Universal Responsibility and Our Global Environment
                       His Holiness the Dalai Lama


  As the twentieth century draws to a close, we find that the world has
  grown smaller. The world's people have become almost one community.
  Political and military alliances have created large multinational
  groups; industry and international trade have produced a global
  economy. Worldwide communications are eliminating ancient barriers of
  distance, language and race. We are also being drawn together by the
  grave problems we face: overpopulation, dwindling natural resources,
  and an environmental crisis that threatens our air, water, and trees,
  along with the vast number of beautiful life forms that are the very
  foundation of existence on this small planet we share.

  I believe that to meet the challenge of our times, human beings will
  have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. Each of
  us must learn to work not just for his or her own self, family or
  nation, but for the benefit of all mankind. Universal responsibility
  is the real key to human survival. It is the best foundation for world
  peace, the equitable use of natural resources and, through concern for
  future generations, the proper care of the environment.

  That is why it is so heartening to see such non-governmental
  organisations as yours. Your role in forging a better future is
  absolutely essential. I have come across many such orgaisations built
  by dedicated volunteers out of genuine concern for their fellow human
  beings. Such commitment represents the forefront of both social and
  environmental progress.

  Whether we like it or not, we have all been born on this earth as part
  of one great family. Rich or poor, educated or uneducated, belonging
  to one nation, religion, ideology or another, ultimately each of us is
  just a human being like everyone else. We all desire happiness and do
  not want suffering. Furthermore, each of us has the same right to
  pursue happiness and avoid suffering. When you recognise that all
  beings are equal in this respect, you automatically feel empathy and
  closeness for them. Out of this, in turn, comes a genuine sense of
  universal responsibility -- the wish to actively help others overcome
  their problems.

  The need for a sense of universal responsibility is present in every
  aspect of modern life. Nowadays, significant events in one part of the
  world eventually affect the entire planet. Therefore, we have to treat
  each major local problem as a global concern from the moment it
  begins. We can no longer invoke the national, racial or ideological
  barriers that separate us without destructive repercussions. In the
  context of our new interdependence, considering the interest of others
  is clearly the best form of self-interest.

  We need to appreciate interdependence in nature far more than we have
  in the past. Our ignorance of it is directly reponsible for many of
  the problems we face. For instance, tapping the limited resources of
  our world -- particularly those of the developing nations -- simply to
  fuel consumerism, is disastrous. If it continues unchecked, eventually
  we will all suffer. We must respect the delicate balance of life and
  allow it to replenish itself.

  Ignorance of interdependence has not only harmed the natural
  environment, but human society as well. Instead of caring for one
  another, we place most of our efforts for happiness in pursuing
  individual material consumption. We have become so engrossed in this
  pursuit that, without knowing it, we have neglected to foster the most
  basic human needs of love, kindness and cooperation. This is very sad.
  We have to consider what we human beings really are. We are not
  machine-made objects. However, since we are not solely material
  creatures, it is a mistake to seek fulfillment in external development
  alone.

  To pursue growth properly, we need to renew our commitment to human
  values in many fields. Political life, of course, requires an ethical
  foundation, but science and religion, as well, should be pursued from
  a moral basis. Without it scientists cannot distinguish between
  beneficial technologies and those which are merely expedient. The
  environmental damage surrounding us is the most obvious result of this
  confusion. In the case of religion, it is particularly necessary.

  The purpose of religion is not to construct beautiful buildings, but
  to cultivate positive human qualities such as tolerance, generosity
  and love. Every world religion, no matter what its philosophical view,
  is founded first and foremost on the precept that we must reduce our
  selfishness and serve others. Unfortunately, sometimes in the name of
  religion, people cause more quarrels than they solve. Practitioners of
  different faiths should realise that each religious tradition has
  immense intrinsic value as a means for providing mental and spiritual
  health.

  I have been extremely heartened to follow the recent developments in
  the search for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Laying down
  guns on both sides, and talking face-to-face is, in my opinion, the
  only way to resolve such disputes. We must learn to live together in a
  nonviolent way that nurtures the freedom of all people.

  There is a wonderful verse in the Bible about turning swords into
  ploughshares. It is a lovely image, a weapon transformed into a tool
  to serve basic human needs, symbolic of an attitude of inner and outer
  disarmament. In the spirit of this ancient message, I think it is
  important that we stress today the urgency of a policy that is long
  overdue -- the demilitarisation of the entire planet.
  Demilitarisation would free great human resources for protection of
  the environment, relief of poverty, and sustainable human development.

  I have always envisioned the future of my own country, Tibet, as
  founded on this basis. Tibet will be a neutral, demilitarised
  sanctuary where weapons are forbidden and the people live in harmony
  with nature. I have called this a Zone of Ahimsa or non-violence.
  This is not merely a dream -- it is precisely the way Tibetans tried
  to live for over a thousand years before our country was tragically
  invaded. In Tibet, wildlife was protected in accordance with Buddhist
  principles. We enacted decrees to protect the environment, but it was
  mainly protected by the beliefs which were installed in use as
  children.

  I would like to conclude by stating that I feel optimistic about the
  future. There are a number of recent trends which show our potential
  for achieving a better world. The rapid changes in our attitude
  towards the earth are a source of hope. As recently as a decade ago,
  we thoughtlessly devoured the resources of the world as if there was
  no end to them. We failed to realise that unchecked consumerism was
  disastrous for both the environment and social welfare. Now, both
  individuals and governments are seeking a new ecological and economic
  order.

  It is true to say that as late as the 1980s people believed that war
  was an inevitable condition of mankind. The notion prevailed that
  people with conflicting interests could only confront each other.
  This view has deminished. Today people all over the globe are more
  committed to peaceful co-existence, as is evident here in the Middle
  East. This is an astonishingly positive development.

  After believing for centuries that human society could only be
  governed with rigid authoritarian discipline, people in all corners of
  the world have woken up to the virtues of democracy. Speaking from
  their hearts, they have shown that the desire for freedom and truth
  and democracy stems from the core of human nature. Recent events have
  proved that the simple expression of truth is an immense force in the
  human mind, and as a result, in the shaping of history.

  One of the greatest lessons for all of us has been the peaceful change
  in Eastern Europe. In the past, oppressed people have always resorted
  to violence in their struggle to be free. Now, these peaceful
  revolutions, following in the footsteps of Gandhi and Martin Luther
  King, have given future generations a tremendous example of
  successful, nonviolent change. When, in the future, the need arises to
  change society, our descendents can look back to 1989 as a paradigm
  for peaceful struggle: a real success story on an unprecedented scale,
  involving more than half a dozen nations and hundreds of millions of
  people.

  Meanwhile, there has been a growth of awareness of human rights.
  Crude power can never subdue mankind's basic desire for freedom, truth
  and democracy, which are our fundamental right. People simply don't
  like a person or a system that bullies, cheats and lies. These
  activities are essentially opposed to the human spirit.

  All these encouraging signs reflect a renewed appreciation of the
  benefits of basic human values. Because of the lessons we have begun
  to learn, the next century will be friendlier, more harmonious, and
  less harmful. Compassion, the seeds of peace, will be able to
  flourish. At the same time, I believe that every individual has a
  responsibility to help guide our global family in the right direction.
  Good wishes alone are not enough, we each have to assume
  responsibility.

  I hope and pray that in the days ahead, each of us will do all we can
  to see that the goal of creating a happier, more harmonious and
  healthier world is achieved.


  [This is the text of the address delivered to the Society for the
  Protection of Nature, Israel, on March 22, 1994]