Dalai Lama Shares Wisdom with Taiwanese Devotees in Dharamshala
The 14th Dalai Lama recently gave a special teaching on ‘The Three Principal Aspects of the Path’ by the Tibetan scholar Tsongkhapa. This event was held at the Tsuglagkhang, the main Tibetan temple in Dharamshala, at the request of Taiwanese devotees.
More than 5,000 people attended, including 1,200 Taiwanese devotees, foreigners, Tibetan monks, nuns, and locals. The gathering showcased the Dalai Lama’s message of universal compassion, attracting people from various religious backgrounds.
Tien Nai-Wen, a Taoist from Taiwan, shared how meaningful the experience was for him. He said, “This is very important for me because I am from Taiwan, and many people in Taiwan appreciate the Dalai Lama’s teachings. Even though I come from a different religion, the Dharma says all religions can come together to share these holy teachings, so I came here. I feel very happy to be part of this.”
Tien also emphasized the importance of compassion and kindness, expressing a desire to share these lessons with his Taoist community in Taiwan. “We have over 1,200 people from Taiwan here, but I am the only Taoist. I hope to bring these teachings back to Taoism because they, too, can benefit from it,” he added.
Another Taiwanese devotee, Lin Yaan Yi, noted the spiritual enrichment gained from attending the Dalai Lama’s teachings. She said, “I’m very happy to be here, and it’s been beneficial for me to develop compassion for others and Bodhichitta in my mind. We came to wish His Holiness a happy birthday and to gain insight from his wisdom.”
The event highlighted the Dalai Lama’s enduring appeal across cultures and religious backgrounds, offering a moment of unity and spiritual growth for all those in attendance.
Doubts Revealed
Dalai Lama -: The Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. He teaches people about kindness and compassion.
Taiwanese -: Taiwanese refers to people from Taiwan, an island country near China.
Dharamshala -: Dharamshala is a town in India where the Dalai Lama lives. It is in the state of Himachal Pradesh.
The Three Principal Aspects of the Path -: This is a teaching in Buddhism that talks about three important things: determination to be free, altruistic intention, and wisdom.
Tsuglagkhang temple -: This is a big temple in Dharamshala where the Dalai Lama often teaches.
Universal compassion -: Universal compassion means caring for all people and living beings, no matter who they are.
Taoist -: A Taoist is someone who follows Taoism, a religion from China that teaches living in harmony with the Tao, which means ‘the way’.
Tien Nai-Wen -: Tien Nai-Wen is a person from Taiwan who follows Taoism and attended the Dalai Lama’s teaching.
Lin Yaan Yi -: Lin Yaan Yi is another person from Taiwan who attended the Dalai Lama’s teaching and felt it was very positive.
Cross-cultural -: Cross-cultural means involving or bridging the differences between different cultures or countries.
Interfaith -: Interfaith means involving people from different religions working or talking together.
