Buddhist ethical teachings from …show more content…
The Dalai Lama is a model for Buddhist living, articulating the significance of perpetuating world peace, and imparting wisdom to adherents to assist them in the pursuit of inner peace to reach Nirvana. The Dalai Lama acts under the principle of Ahimsa, pali for non- violence, whereby his holiness aims to reach peacefully diplomatic solutions for conflict. In 1987, the Dalai Lama proposed a Five-Point Peace Plan[11][12] in response to the forceful exile of the tibetan people from their land. The plan propose a concrete framework of negotiations on the future status of Tibet and of relations between the Tibetan and Chinese people, opposing acts of violence to resolve the civil conflict. The Dalai Lama’s actions to promote peace over violence is a reflection of Ahimsa outlined in “comparing others with oneself, one should neither strike nor cause to strike. All tremble at the rod. Life is dear to all” verse 129 of the Dhammapada[13].The Dalai personifies the teachings of peace and violence within our modern day diplomacy, and consequently emplifies buddhist living to adherents. The Dalai lama embodies Vipassana, the Pali word of wisdom or insight and imparts this wisdom to adherents to understand its placement at the core of Buddhism and its ability to bind all the teachings of the Buddha together. The Four Noble truths [14] [15]outline Dukkha the existence of suffering, Samudaya the arising of dukkha, the cessation of dukkha through Nirodha, and Magga the path leading to the cessation of dukkha. The Dalai Lama clarifies the meaning of the four noble truths, accentuating the anicca impermanence of life, where an individual continue in the samsaric cycle[16] with dukkah, until one embodies sila follow the path eightfold path to reach Nirvana. However, as stated in BUDDHAGHOSA, 5th century India, “[Nirvana] can only be