(by His Holiness, the XIV. Dalai Lama)




I think that this is the first time I am meeting most of you. But to me whether it is an old friend or a new friend, there is not much deference anyway, because I always believe we are the same; we are all human beings. Of course, there may be differences in our faith, or we may be of a different colour, but we are human beings, consisting of the human body and the human mind. Our physical structure is the same, and our mind and our emotional nature are also the same.

Wherever I meet people, I always have the feeling that I am encountering another human being, just like myself. I find it much easier to communicate with others on that level. If we emphasize specific characteristics, like I am Tibetan, Buddhist or Muslim, Christian etc. then there are differences. But those things are secondary. If we can leave these differences aside, I think we can easily communicate, exchange ideas, and share experiences!