His Holiness the Dalai Lama addresses a packed audience at Mindfulness Congress

Hamburg, Germany, 21 August 2011 - His Holiness the Dalai Lama addressed a pack audience at the International Congress Mindfulness. Mindfulness is not a religious practice and we practice it everyday in different forms, he said. The address was webcast live on the Internet.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama addresses the International Mindfulness Congress in Hamburg, Germany, on21 August 2011. Photo/Tibet Bureau Geneva

The mind is both the creator of peace and trouble said His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Buddha said thorough investigation and experiment is important. Objective investigation requires a calm mind.

He said Mindfulness is watching your mind and concentrating on one particular subject. Another aspect is 24 hours watching your mind including during ones dreams and being aware of yourself, your responsibilities and duties. First step of Mindfulness is concentrating on breathing – focusing one subject. This helps to calm the mind.

During the panel discussion His Holiness the Dalai Lama said that thepresent educational system is materialistic oriented. This is quite understandable. About thousand years ago, when separate educational institutions started, moral education or internal values or ethnics weretaken care by the church. Today education focuses more on brain development.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama with panelists at the International Mindfulness Congress in Hamburg, Germany,on 21 August 2011. Photo/Tibet Bureau Geneva

His Holiness the Dalai Lama said ultimate source of happiness is within us and not money or material things. Of course, money and material things are important but they are not the ultimate source of happiness. Ultimate source of happiness is within ourselves.

Over 30 international speakers – specialist in medicine, psychology and education will address the 4 days International Congress Mindfulness. The congress started on 18 August at the Hamburg Universityand concludes on 21 August.

The Congress was jointly organized by the Tibetisches Zentrum (Tibet Centre) Hamburg and the Centre for Buddhist Studies at Hamburg University.

After lunch His Holiness the Dalai Lama met with the faculty members of the Centre for Buddhist Studies at Hamburg University and their sponsors. He expressed his appreciation for their work.

While addressing the members of the media in the morning, His Holiness spoke about his first two commitments in life – promoting humanvalues and religious harmony. He said that all religions have the same aim to bring inner peace even though there might be difference in the philosophy.

He emphasized that the media have the responsibility to promote humanvalues and religious harmony. Therefore, media people are very important and have a special role to fulfill.

He further said that media should carry out thorough investigations. “You should have long trunks like elephants, with which you can smell from the front and back. And if you catch wind of something, then you must report on it honestly, unbiased and objectively,” he said.

Members of the Tibetan community welcome His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his arrival at his hotel in Hamburg, Germany, on 21 August 2011. Photo/Tibet Bureau Geneva

Responding to a question about His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s decisionto devolve his political authority to the elected Tibetan leadership, he said he was happy and proud to implement what he believed in.

He said that in 1951, he assumed the formal political leadership of the Tibetan people. In 1952, he established a reform committee in Tibet.Due to Communist Chan’s interference it wasn’t successful.

Since coming to India in 1959 as a refugee, the following year in January 1960 the Tibetan democracy was implemented. In2001, the Tibetan people directly elected leadership. Since then His Holiness the Dalai Lama lived as semi-retired. In 2011, His Holiness said he handed over the political leadership to the directly elected Tibetan leadership.