A harmonious World Begins in the Mind
刚坚活佛
BY T.Y.S. LAMA GANGCHEN,
LAMA HEALER
A harmonious World Begins in the Mind
A Synergy of Conditions
Firstly I would like to offer greetings and respect to the distinguished members of, both the panel and the audience, and other eminent members of the honorary and organizing committees. I like to thank the organizers for inviting me to participate in this conference, at such a significant moment, when China”s development and importance is once again renewed and gains much international attention. In particular, I would like to congratulate this great country for having very successfully hosted the 2008 Olympic Games.
Events like this forum strengthen international exchange and dialogue for the benefit of development and better understanding, as for example on the issue of environmental pollution, which is not confined to national borders, but affects the whole world. In particular, this Forum - A harmonious World Begins in the Mind, a Synergy of Conditions - focuses on great values such as harmony, respect, cooperation and gratitude and uses the profound Buddhist wisdom of karma and interdependence as basic guidelines to foster insight into the laws of existence that will bring about a spirit of harmony with oneself, one”s surroundings, family, environment and society.
In the history of Buddhism in China, it is worthwhile recalling that the oldest wood block printed book was discovered in Dunhuang and dates back to 868 AD. This text happens to be a Chinese translation of the Diamond Sutra and hence is not only a testimony of the great technological advancement of China at the time but also of the profound interest in Buddhism.
In the 13th century, when Marco Polo visited Asia, he initiated a significant exchange not only of trade but also of cultures, traditions, customs, and thought; and Chinese culture already at that time reached far into the world. Even though then China had fallen under foreign invasion, Marco Polo in his writings expresses his great appreciation for the high level of Chinese civilization and special sense of social harmony and unity that distinguished the nation from most other countries he had visited.
Maybe also today China could take a leading and exemplary role in finding and implementing solutions for dealing with the global environmental crises.
I am the Founder of the Lama Gangchen World Peace Foundation, a United Nations affiliated NGO (ECOSOC), and my work as a peace messenger involves traveling thousands of miles a year. Please allow me to share with you a few observations I have made during my travels around the world in the last 20 years.
I have been teaching a practice through a book entitled "Making Peace with the Environment", which won the Healer of the Environment Award by the city of Aqui Terme in 1997 and for which the famous Italian showman, Marco Columbro, realized a video. In 1996, I have created the Himalaya Andes Amazon Healing Arts Association in Brazil to further environmental education and awareness. I have visited the Amazon three times and in a meeting with the Minister for the Environment in Brasilia, I proposed to preserve the Amazon forest not only for the large sweet water resources and the indispensable source of oxygen for this planet, but also to take advantage of the numerous rare medicinal plants in the Amazon. This could provide jobs for the local communities and valuable remedies for the sick in Brazil and world-wide.
The Environment: Microcosom and Microcosm
Today, out of necessity most people live and work in large polluted cities deprived of the natural elements and energies of the environment. Electricity, central heating, air conditioning and su…
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