Spiritual leaders should make 21st century age of peace and compassion, says Dalai Lama

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama shared his vision of peace, compassion and action at a public talk on inter-religious harmony in Delhi over the weekend, saying all spiritual leaders should come together to make the 21st century an age of peace, compassion and tranquility.

Outlining a past century rife with war and violence, the Dalai Lama said, "All different religious tradition who suppose practice Karuna (compassion), now joint effort to create this century be century of peace, century of compassion."

He was speaking during the closing ceremony of a two-day spiritual conclave titled "A meeting of diverse spiritual traditions in India".

The Dalai Lama said the need of the hour is to look beyond the key element of divide, political conflict, violence and self-centred attitudes. "I believe many leaders who have many followers share these views. Every individual now should make effort," he said.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju was also present. He said, "If there is a religious clash then what we do in the home (interior) ministry is that we send in the police or the army. We send in the force. More powerful than this is if religious leaders send in their message then communal clashes can be stopped. There is more power in the message of religious leaders than our force."

Earlier, the Dalai Lama was asked to reschedule the conclave on religious harmony to avoid it clashing with Chinese President Xi Jinping's three-day visit to India, which concluded on September 19.

The presence of the Dalai Lama, who has lived in India since fleeing a failed uprising against Chinese rule of his homeland in 1959, has been irritant for China. A government of exiled Tibetans and tens of thousands of refugees are also based in India.

China calls the Dalai Lama a "wolf in sheep's clothing" who seeks to use violent methods to establish an independent Tibet. The Dalai Lama maintains he only wants genuine autonomy for Tibet and denies advocating violence.