Here & Now

Dalai Lama Addresses State Assembly

Zac Schultz:

Finally, we close with some words of wisdom from the Dalai Lama. He was in town this week for a presentation at the Overture Center, and stopped by the Capitol to speak to the legislature on Tuesday. His speech touched on the need for tolerance for all, and the ability of a democracy to promote basic human values.

Dalai Lama:

We’re all the same community, whether king or queen or high Lama, or special leader like the Dalai Lama and a beggar. We are same, same human being. My logic is the way we born, the way we die, same. Same way. Or the representative or the speaker or even president of United States. The way born, way die, same, no differences.

When we examine, when we analyze the situation, the ultimate source of substance for life is not money, not power, but here, inner value. You have inner value. That means more sense of concern over others’ well-being. Then ultimately your life carry more transparently, because with sense of love, with sense of affection, sense of concern of others' well-being, then there’s no room for cheating other people, telling lies, bullying. So your life can carry transparently. That brings trust. Trust brings friendship. So we are social animals. Genuine friendship, not friendship of money, not friendship of power, but friendship of real human being, human being. So, one, my commitment is promoting basic human values irrespective whether believer or nonbeliever, or rich or poor, educated or uneducated. Everyone, one happy life. Everyone have this potential.

Zac Schultz:

It was a busy week for His High Holiness. The Dalai Lama made several appearances during his time here, including a sold-out stop at Madison’s Overture Center. The name of that presentation was “Change Your Mind, Change the World.” Wisconsin Public Television was there. You can see the program by clicking into our website, wpt.org.