Address on the theme of “India and Tibet: Ancient ties and current bond,” in New Delhi

(Delivered in Hindi)

As a part of Thank-you India programmes by the Central Tibetan Administration, a cultural festival of Tibet was organised, jointly with India International Centre, New Delhi. On 2 April 2018, at the request of the organisers His Eminence Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche gave a talk on the theme of “India and Tibet: Ancient Ties and current bond,” in the Indian capital.

His Eminence Rinpoche said:

“Initially, when I received the invitation letter I decided that I would not attend today’s meet if my talk were to be in English mandatorily, rather than either in Tibetan or Hindi. In general, both Hindi and English are not my mother tongue. Nonetheless, I speak both to some extent. As regards Tibetan script, it was based on Indian [Sanskrit] language, therefore in the presentation of vowels and consonants, and grammar, there is not any difference between the two languages. As such, it is slightly convenient to talk in the Indian language, Hindi.

“As for today’s theme in English, “India and Tibet: Ancient ties and current bond,” if the two words ‘ties’ and ‘bond’ were to be translated into Hindi, they would be written as bandhan and jagad; in meaning, they are understood as a relationship formed wrapped or bound by mutual insistence or forcibly. I do not think that the relationship between India and Tibet is of that kind.

“The relationship between India and Tibet is that of friendship and affection. On one hand, these days when one thinks of a relationship with one another the innate thinking is that,  a relationship has to be between two phenomena, that a relationship cannot be posited upon a solitary phenomenon. Secondly, when mentioning about a relationship of a society and a nation it is understood as a bilateral relationship between two nations regarding politics, economy, trade relation, societal relation, or security and territorial relationship—other than that one is not able to get the thought of a relationship beyond them, a relationship of culture (knowledge-heritage) and of spirituality. When talking about relationship between two countries it is understood as a relationship of public or of territorial politics.

“When looked from a relationship of that kind it can be said that there is almost no relationship between India and Tibet. That is because a relationship of that kind has to come between equal nations, while there is not at all a situation of being equal between India and Tibet. I can describe about it in detail. In the past, India and Tibet stayed in the manner of a teacher and a disciple; since the great abbot Shantaraksita, Acharya Kamalashila, Acharya Padmasambhava and others thought of establishing the foundation for Buddhism in Tibet the entire Tibetan land had become disciples to those Indian teachers.

“There could not be being equal between a teacher and a disciple. The relationship between the two is a relationship of faith, purity (samaya; pledge) and trust; from the part of the teacher there is compassion and fostering through the blessing of compassion, and also when looked from that perspective there is not at all a situation of being equal. In terms of the relationship at present between India and Tibet we Tibetans are refugees in India, India has become our place of refuge (source of refuge). There is not at all a situation of being equal between refugees and the source of refuge, one provides refuge and the other is a seeker of refuge. Nonetheless, even at present time, the relationship between India and Tibet has become as that of the past: a relationship of spirituality (Dharma), education, human ethics and human civilization.

“His Holiness the Dalai Lama mentions that the relationship between India and Tibet is that of teacher-disciple, from ancient times, and of refugees and source of refuge at the present time. When His Holiness the Dalia Lama gave a congratulatory message to Morarji Desai upon the latter becoming prime minister, Morarji Desai told His Holiness that India and Tibet are like two branches of the same tree. The meaning of the two different branches of the same tree is that the two branches have the same one root, how many branches a tree may have the root is one, and if the root dries there is no way the branches survive; branches may die, yet a root could remain alive. That metaphor very much appealed to my mind, and as such I quote this example time and again. As for teacher-disciple relationship, it is not to be merely talked about, rather it should be practised in actuality.

“So, in order to accomplish teachers’ advice the Tibetan lotsava-translators had translated into Tibetan language the ancient Indian teachings: Buddhavaca (Buddha’s Words; Kagyur, bkaḥ ḥgyur) and shastras (commentarial texts, Tangyur, bstan ḥgyur). From the time of the great abbot Shantaraksita, when Buddhism was established in Tibet, right till twelfth century the translating of Kagyur and Tangyur had continued. Perhaps in the world history there has not been any other instance of such a vast number of texts translated from one language to another, and of such a correct standard of translation. There are 108 volumes of Kagyur, and 220 volumes of Tangyur. To this day the tutorials and studies are continuing on those texts. On the texts of Indian adepts there are over a thousand commentarial texts written by Tibetan adepts. There are transmission-continuities extant with quite a number of the Indian texts. Not only His Holiness the Dalai Lama has thought of reviving in India those knowledge-heritages, His Holiness is working on it.

“Time and again His Holiness says, India is our teacher, and Tibetans are India’s disciples, and that the disciples are trustworthy ones.

“The amount of knowledge-heritage the Tibetans brought from India are to this day without damage and decline, ready to be handed over to the rightful owners—such is the state of things. One of the great commitments of His Holiness the Dalai Lama is to revive in India the traditional  Indian knowledges—mainly the science and philosophy of the mind—of Buddhist teachings, which have declined in India. If the great commitments become fruitful, then based on that one would need to look at future relationship between India and Tibet.

“It is very clear that there is the need for revival in India of those knowledge-heritages. For their revival the relationship between India and Tibet in future, too, will be a natural one, not that of politics, economy, trade relation, nor connected with societal situation; and that relationship will remain in future for a long duration, I don’t think there will occur any damage to it. A political situation can have a variety of flourish and decline; political thoughts and actions change from time to time, but once a relationship is based on knowledge and spirituality it will remain forever—I do think so.

“Tibetans call India as “the country of the arya beings (exalted beings)” and consider it as greatly holy. In the past when we were in our homeland it was considered as greatly meritorious if one could for once go for a pilgrimage to India, to the four or the eight major holy places.

“That relationship between India and Tibet, with that foundation, do not have any political and trade links. If the ancient well-spoken teachings of India which are being cared for by Tibetans could be revived in India it would not only be beneficial for India-Tibet relationship, rather it would greatly benefit the entire world.

“The present societal state of the world is of violence, environmental pollution, the gap between the poor and the rich, politically akin to larger insects eating smaller insects, terrorism and so on—immense many problems. Those problems are not at all going to fade away naturally. The present state of trying to stop violence by violence is not going to be a solution at all, it is like, for example, relying on fire to extinguish fire. If the ancient Indian well-spoken teachings could be revived a new direction can be paved. I can decidedly say that the responsibility to pave a new direction is incumbent on Indians.”

His Eminence Rinpoche presented in the address the above and other insights. Many Indian dignitaries attended the address.