World must emulate Indias spirit of non-violence: Dalai Lama

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has said the world must emulate Indias tradition of non-violence and peace.

New Delhi, Dec 5 : Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has said the world must emulate India's tradition of non-violence and peace.

Inaugurating the Ahimsa Paryawaran Sadhna Mandir (Non-violence environment meditation temple) here on Tuesday, he said that in the 21st century, the concept of 'Ahimsa' (non-violence) is more relevant than ever.

"Non-violence is very relevant to today's world. Therefore, India's central old tradition must be more active now. This tradition should be a model for the entire planet. They must show it to others," he said.

The Ahimsa Paryawaran Sadhna Mandir, is the first temple of its kind, which imbibes an underlying spirit of brotherhood common to all religions and faiths.

India from the time of Gautam Buddha, the founder of Buddhist religion, to Mahatma Gandhi, who earned India its freedom through his campaign of non-violence, is a country rooted in 'Ahimsa', the Dalai Lama said.

The current Dalai Lama - the 14th - was born into a farming family and identified at the age of two after passing tests, including identifying his predecessor's rosary from among several others.

He fled Tibet in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule and has been living in India ever since, heading a 200,000-strong Tibetan exile community from the northern town of Dharamsala.

He now campaigns for greater autonomy within China, but Chinese leaders accuse him of still seeking independence for Tibet, which they see as an integral part of their territory.

ANI