The Shajin Lama of Kalmykia on the 85th Birthday of the 14th Dalai Lama and His Visit to Russia

— Rinpoche la, this year we marked the 85th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In many countries, including our own country, Buddhists declared this year the Year of Gratitude to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. How can we, the faithful, thank His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his kindness? The current year, as you noted, has been declared the Year of Gratitude to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. For what do we express gratitude to him? We express gratitude for the far-sighted thinking of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, for his care for the whole universe. He believes that we must make our universe peaceful, harmonious, and safe. His Holiness the Dalai Lama always says that he has taken on four principal commitments. First, the spreading of universal human values: love, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, tolerance. Second, the strengthening of interfaith harmony. Third, the preservation of the unique Tibetan heritage: culture, identity, language, as well as the fragile nature of the Tibetan Plateau, since Tibet is considered the Roof of the World. This is a very important issue, for the ecology of this region is of great significance not only for the residents of Tibet, but also for the greater part of the Asian countries. Fourth, the Dalai Lama strives to revive ancient Indian knowledge, the ancient Indian philosophy of non-violence and peaceableness. It is precisely for this reason that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has devoted a large part of his life to the struggle for human rights, freedom of conscience, and freedom of religion. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, as well as countless other awards. We are sincerely grateful that we have such a spiritual leader — His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Although he calls himself a simple Buddhist monk, for millions of followers he is far more than a simple Buddhist monk. He is the embodiment of the Buddha of Compassion Avalokiteshvara. Moreover, for many years he has traveled around the planet, calling for peace, understanding, and dialogue. This is what all of us need today, especially amid various trials and difficulties. His Holiness is a source of boundless inspiration for all of us. We are very grateful that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is beside us. Although he is already 85 years old, he is full of strength and energy. And, of course, each of us wants His Holiness to remain with us as long as possible. We want to express appreciation for the tireless service of the Dalai Lama for the good of all humanity. Therefore we declared this year the Year of Gratitude, and the best way to serve or express gratitude to His Holiness is to be or become kind-hearted people. Change begins not with governments and not with any organizations. Change begins with each of us. Each of us bears moral responsibility not only for our own personal happiness, but also for the happiness of our relatives, society, country, and so on. Therefore everything is in our hands — we can achieve changes for the better. We are a continuation of our spiritual leader, our guru, our teacher. We must bring the ideas of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to life in the 21st century. Taking this opportunity, I would like personally to thank His Holiness the Dalai Lama, since he has opened many doors for me and granted me incredible inspiration. Although I cannot be called perfect, I work on myself day after day. Yes, I make mistakes, for I am human. We all make mistakes. But we learn from mistakes. Everyone acknowledges this. We learn from our mistakes. And it is quite likely that we will continue to make mistakes. Likely. But, based on the lessons of the past, in most cases we try our utmost to do good and become better. Through constant work on ourselves we change, and change for the better. I want to wish His Holiness the Dalai Lama long life, prosperity, and good health. May His Holiness the Dalai Lama abide with us for many years! I pray for the longevity of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and appeal to all of you to also offer prayers for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I know that due to the global coronavirus pandemic we cannot meet face to face with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, but nevertheless His Holiness the Dalai Lama regularly holds online teachings, lectures, and talks. And we highly value the technologies of the 21st century, which give us the opportunity, at the very least, to communicate remotely with our spiritual leader. We sincerely thank His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his tireless labor. Although His Holiness is already 85 years old, I gladly note that he is full of strength and energy. May His Holiness be in good health for many years to come. Thank you very much. — Thank you very much, Rinpoche la. What can you say about the efforts being made by the Buddhists of Russia, the Buddhists of Kalmykia, in particular the Association of Buddhists of Kalmykia, to organize the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Kalmykia and to Russia. And I am especially interested in the question of why the activity of the Buddhists in organizing the visit has increased this year. What are the reasons? His Holiness the Dalai Lama repeatedly visited the Soviet Union. The first visit took place in 1979, followed by several more visits, including in 1991. After the collapse of the USSR, His Holiness visited Russia in 1992 and 2004. During these visits he had an enormous influence on the development of the Buddhist regions of Russia and inspired us so much that the revival and strengthening of Buddhism, the development of Buddhism, sharply gained momentum. This became possible thanks to the inspiration and mentorship of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We are very grateful to His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his unceasing prayers, for the advice and instructions he grants us. Why is it so important for the residents of Russia to receive His Holiness the Dalai Lama in this great country? Historically, for many centuries we have been bound by strong ties in the sphere of culture and religion. Unfortunately, in the 20th century the ties that bound us for many centuries were severed. But nevertheless, we managed to restore, to renew this connection. And we were fortunate to receive His Holiness three times after the collapse of the Soviet Union. We were rarely given the opportunity to receive His Holiness, but be that as it may, these three visits left a deep mark. Since 2009 we have organized teachings for Russian Buddhists. A large number of Buddhists from Russia have made a pilgrimage to India. In addition, for many years now we have organized teachings for Russian Buddhists in Riga, Latvia. Despite this, we are firmly convinced that the visit of His Holiness to Russia is very important for the older generation, for my generation, as well as for the young generation. People hope that His Holiness will set foot on our land. People hope and believe that His Holiness will inspire us again. Now it is obvious that all of us need spiritual mentorship. And who, if not His Holiness the Dalai Lama, can guide us, set us on the right path? That is why it is very important for us to receive His Holiness the Dalai Lama here, in Russia. We have repeatedly sent requests and written many letters to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as to the President of the Russian Federation. Of course, the answers we receive are always diplomatic. We are never given a refusal, but neither are we given consent. At the same time, in justification they always refer to the relations between China and Russia and the cooperation treaties signed by Russia and China. We have nothing against this. We approve of comprehensive cooperation between Russia and China. It must be supported both in the interests of China and in the interests of Russia. There is no doubt about this. But speaking in a Buddhist context, from a Buddhist point of view, it is worth noting the principle of interdependence, of interdependent origination. It manifests clearly not only at the level of the individual, but also at the level of states. If one looks at the current global situation, in the sphere of politics, economics, healthcare, business, culture, and language, we are all very dependent on one another at a global level. This is weighty proof that friendship is necessary, that it is important. Cooperation means a great deal. And we do not deny the importance of cooperation between Russia and China. We affirm its significance. On the other hand, if we speak of people’s feelings, of the moral state of society, it is very important for us to meet with our spiritual leader. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has long ceased to be a political leader of the Tibetan people. He resigned, he laid down all political powers back in 2011. He renounced the role of political leader. Now he remains only a spiritual leader. Therefore his visit to Russia is in no way connected with politics — only with spirituality. We have repeatedly asked to approve the arrival of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Russia within the framework of an exclusively pastoral visit. And I sincerely hope that the authorities will be able to understand what influence His Holiness the Dalai Lama can have on the modern world. We need His Holiness the Dalai Lama more than ever before. Especially now, given the global situation. We are experiencing not only an economic crisis, not only a political crisis, but we are also experiencing a spiritual crisis. We have already lived through such a thing and do not want the scenario to repeat itself. We need leaders. Alongside political leaders we need spiritual leaders. And His Holiness the Dalai Lama is precisely a spiritual leader. He is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He is a person revered and looked up to by millions of people. Here, in Russia, there are also millions of such people, both Buddhists and non-Buddhists. It is obvious that His Holiness has many followers, millions of followers, who with all their hearts revere his teachings, his philosophy, and his wisdom. We sincerely believe that the authorities will be able to find a solution and will give us the opportunity to receive His Holiness the Dalai Lama here, in the Russian Federation, in the near future.