Graduating with a formal education won’t guarantee happiness, but committing to finding inner peace will have the greatest influence on life.
That was the message that the fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, had for graduates of the University of California San Diego on Saturday. In his commencement speech, he cited inner peace and compassion as topics that held as much importance as courses like physics or economics.
“This subject should not be considered a religious matter, but an economic matter,” the Dalai Lama told the crowd of more than 8,000. “We’re not talking about the next life, heaven, or hell. No, simply this world. Human beings. Everyone wants a happy life.”
The 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner has been known to embed religion and ancient Indian values into his approach to the world, and it was something he brought up often in his speech. “Meeting with young people, I really feel these people are the future of humanity,” he said, gesturing his hand to the crowd.
“You have the opportunity and the responsibility to create a better world, a happier world. No longer violence. You can do that,” he said. “We as [the older generation] might not see that kind of world, but you can see [it]. You can enjoy [it].”
The Dalai Lama reminded the graduates that by being happy yourself, life satisfaction can grow exponentially throughout the community, the country, and then, eventually, humanity. He said that while it wouldn’t be easy, it could be reached with “determination, optimism, and willpower.”
The speech was mostly welcomed by engaged listeners, laughter, and applause, but the Dalai Lama acknowledged that not everyone shared his similar views. At UC San Diego, where more than 3,500 students are Chinese citizens, the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) protested against the school’s selection of the Dalai Lama after it was announced earlier this year.
The Communist Party of China view the Dalai Lama as a figure that is set on dividing a unified China. But chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla stood by the decision to welcome him at Saturday’s ceremony. “A man of peace, the Dalai Lama promotes global responsibility and service to humanity,” Khosla said. “These are the ideals we aim to convey and instill in our students and graduates at UC San Diego.”
The Dalai Lama asked students who opposed his views to look deeper into their culture’s dharma philosophies and reconsider their stance. “[The] time [has] come [to] pay more attention, to promote deeper human values,” he said. “That is compassion.”