MUNDGOD, December 24: His Holiness the Dalai Lama today said that the Tibetans must ensure the preservation of the precious tradition of Nalanda university, the foundation of the Tibetan Buddhism.

Wherever I go I keep telling people that the Tibetan Buddhism is based on the Nalanda tradition. But today if we ask ourselves who are the real guardians of the tradition it is difficult to answer, he told a gathering comprising of Gaden Tripa, former and serving abbots, teachers and administrators of the monastic universities.

He said though there are a few million Tibetans the actual custodian of the tradition of Nalanda are the few thousand monks studying the five major treatises (shungchen kaboe nga) in the monasteries, learning centres and other institutes which have done quite well for the last over 500 years.

The Tibetan leader said that it would be a mistake to just ignore our own drawbacks and pretend everything is going well. We have this habit in our community of not talking about our wrongdoings and ignore them as if to cover a stinking spot by dust. That is wrong, we must talk about our own mistakes while others will talk about our accomplishments, said His Holiness.

If you dont take responsibility at a time when I am getting old and nearing towards my last years then it is pointless to offer long life prayer (Tenshug) or mandala, His Holiness added.

He said the Buddha Dharma is based on truth and reality, not on mere formalities and that those who follow the Buddha Dharma must also be realistic.

Those who offer mandala wish for thousands and thousands of life but the one offering mandala and the one for whom the offering is made know very well that it is impossible. Then why are we fooling ourselves?

So if I have to worry about what might happen to the Dharma after I am gone then it is a matter of great sadness. So you must take responsibly to come out with ways to best preserve the tradition, said His Holiness.

He said that the real progress over the years should be evaluated in terms of the Tibetan peoples knowledge of the Nalanda tradition and not in terms of expansion of monasteries and building structures or ritualistic things.

The Gaden Tripa, abbots of monasteries, monastic administrative staff, and teachers will meet here tomorrow to discuss ways to improve the status of Buddhist Studies in the monasteries.

Read more from the original source:
Dalai Lama tells monastic community to be true custodians of Dharma