By Aiden Fitzgerald
One day after the United States marked the second anniversary of the worst attack in its history, the Dalai Lama came to Boston yesterday bringing his message of peace in a world wracked by war and unrest.
“The world is so interconnected. There’s a need for affection toward each other,” the Dalai Lama said. “The most important thing is to examine one’s inner world.”
The 68-year-old Tibetan leader is in Boston as part of a five-city, 20-day U.S. tour – timed to coincide with the Sept. 11 anniversary. Earlier this week, he met with President Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Tomorrow, he will be at the FleetCenter, where he will give a talk to a sold-out audience on “The Global Community and the Need for Universal Responsibility.”
The Dalai Lama has lived in exile since a 1959 failed uprising against the occupying Chinese army. He is considered by Tibetan Buddhists as the 14th reincarnation of the Buddha of compassion. In 1989, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for leading the ongoing, nonviolent struggle for Tibet’s freedom.
The spiritual leader is also in town for a Mind and Life Conference at MIT, where he will join a group of scientists and academics today and tomorrow to discuss the common ground between Buddhism, neuroscience and human thought.
“I have been a part of these series of conversations between scientists and Buddhists, trying to engage in dialogues on many different issues of mutual interest over a number of years. And today, this time, we have the opportunity to make this conversation open, accessible to a much wider community of people,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
