His Holiness’ teaching for Tibetan youth
DHARAMSALA, 3 June: His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave teaching on Gyalsey Thokme Sangpos’s Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva (laklen sodunma) today at Tsug-lag-Khang, the main temple in McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala.
As many as 8000 devotees, of which 1200 are Tibetan students from schools and colleges across India along with local Tibetan and foreigners have gathered for the Tibetan spiritual leader’s teaching.
The Tibetan spiritual leader called on the Tibetan youths to hold firm to their roots, “many among you may have been born in India, but you are Tibetan by ancestry. Those of us who are Tibetan will remain so until we die. What is special about us is our religion and culture,” the Dalai Lama said in his introductory teachings to the Tibetan students ahead of the actual teaching on Thokmey Sangpo’s ‘37 Practices of Bodhisattvas’.
The Dalai Lama then expressed his admiration to India’s secularism while adding that he will eternally remain indebted to the ancient Nalanda masters and scholars.
“The Nalanda Tradition was illuminating like the sun. Those of us who live in freedom have the opportunity to keep alive this vast tradition of Buddhism—do your best.”
The Tibetan Nobel Laureate then encouraged to reason and debate while studying Buddhism. 
“The Buddha himself advised his followers not to accept what he taught at face value, but to examine it, much as a goldsmith tests gold, and accept it only after a thorough investigation has shown it to be logical and of benefit. Logic and reason are really helpful, a unique characteristic that I wanted to make you young Tibetans aware of. It’s something of which we can be proud.”
Organized by the Buddhism Introductory Committee of Dharamshala, it is the 13th edition of teachings for the Tibetan students. The first edition was held at the Upper TCV school in 2007.
