Dalai Lama Congratulates PM Modi on New Nalanda University Campus in Bihar
Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 22: Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the inauguration of the new Nalanda University campus at Rajgir, Bihar. The Dalai Lama expressed his happiness about the growing interest among young people in ancient Indian knowledge and wisdom.
He wrote to PM Modi, saying, “As a centre of learning, the original Nalanda University shone like a sun in the east. Education, rooted in rigorous study, discussion, and debate, flourished at Nalanda, attracting students from far and wide across Asia.” He added that students learned about philosophy, science, mathematics, medicine, and the Indian traditions of ahimsa (non-violence) and karuna (compassion).
The Dalai Lama highlighted the importance of understanding the mind and emotions through traditional Indian meditative practices like shamatha (tranquility) and vipashyana (insight). He believes these practices can be combined with modern education for the benefit of humanity.
The new Nalanda University campus features two Academic Blocks with 40 Classrooms, two auditoriums, a student hostel, an International Centre, an Amphitheater, a Faculty Club, and a Sports Complex. It is a ‘Net Zero’ Green Campus with solar plants, water treatment plants, and other eco-friendly facilities.
The original Nalanda University, established around 1600 years ago, is one of the first residential universities in the world. Its ruins were declared a UN Heritage Site in 2016.
