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Dalai Lama gives Glastonbury his verdict on Isis: 'unthinkable' Dalai Lama tells Glastonbury of the need to speak out on climate change
(about 4 hours later)
The Dalai Lama has used his appearance at Glastonbury to describe Islamic State’s violence as unthinkable. The Dalai Lama has endorsed the pope’s radical message on climate change and called on fellow religious leaders to “speak out about current affairs which affect the future of mankind”.
In a speech before hundreds of rain-soaked campers on Sunday morning, the Tibetan spiritual leader stressed the importance of the oneness of the planet’s 7bn people, and made a rare comment on the escalating conflict in the Middle East. The spiritual Buddhist leader was speaking at Glastonbury festival on a panel discussing issues of global warming alongside Katherine Viner, the Guardian’s editor, and the Guardian columnist George Monbiot.
The Dalai Lama, 79, did not explicitly refer to Isis, but told an audience of hundreds: “In this very moment, in some part of the world, like Syria, Iraq, Nigeria and some other places they’re killing, human to human being. Unthinkable. And the worst thing [is] conflict, killing each other, in the name of their faith. Unthinkable.” He praised the pope’s recent encyclical on climate change, which warned of the unprecedented destruction of ecosystems, adding that it was the duty of people to “say more – we have to make more of an effort, including demonstrations”.
Related: It’s not the religion that creates terrorists, it’s the politics | Giles Fraser: Loose canonRelated: It’s not the religion that creates terrorists, it’s the politics | Giles Fraser: Loose canon
He said all major religions carried a message of “love and tolerance and fairness” but that those values were being used by some to create division. The Dalai Lama, who will turn 80 next Monday, called for more pressure to be put on international governments to stop the burning of fossil fuels and mass deforestation and invest more in green energy sources.
He said the real meaning of jihad was not harming others, but to use “constructive emotion” to combat destructive emotions. “I daily use it in my five hours of meditation, this kind of jihad,” he said. He said: “The concept of war is outdated, but we do need to fight. Countries think about their own national interest rather than global interests and that needs to change because the environment is a global issue.
“There is nothing wrong with religious beliefs, but the people who are supposed to be following the religion have a lack of moral principle, lack of conviction. “It is not sufficient to just express views, we must set a timetable for change in the next two to four years.”
“There is no basis to kill. I love my own life. Everyone loves their own life. Everyone has the right to live happily. Once you have a firm conviction in that then suddenly man-made problems will reduce.” The Dalai Lama said individuals also had their own responsibility towards the planet. Speaking about his own efforts, he said he always turned the lights off when leaving rooms and took showers instead of baths – though he admitted taking two showers a day.
Asked later whether music made him happy, the Dalai Lama said “not much”. He said he challenged the view that music could bring inner peace: “If music really brings inner peace, then this Syria and Iraq – killing each other – then through some strong music can they reduce their anger? I don’t think so.” The Tibetan leader went on to call for countries including Russia and the US to scrap their nuclear weapons and criticised Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, for his recent threat to increase the country’s nuclear arsenal.
His three tips for living a health and fulfilled life were for people to keep their inner strength and hope, get plenty of sleep – he has nine hours a night – and meditate for five hours every morning, waking up at between 2.30 and 3am. Monbiot took the opportunity to appeal to Glastonbury to go further with its efforts to be ecologically friendly. He asked: “Why aren’t we calling for Glastonbury to be meat-free and fish-free?”
The Dalai Lama addressed festivalgoers from a modest wooden stage emblazoned with the Tibetan flag in the festival’s Stone Circle. The Dalai Lama also embraced his historic visit to Glastonbury on Sunday with several other appearances, including an early gathering at the hallowed ground of the Stone Circle.
He was introduced on stage by the BBC executive Alan Yentob, and greeted by a rendition of Happy Birthday by those in the crowd. Speaking from a modest wooden stage emblazoned with the Tibetan flag, he made a rare comment on the escalating conflict in the Middle East, describing Islamic State violence in Syria and Iraq as “unthinkable”.
The biggest cheer of his 30-minute speech came when he called for the “demilitarisation of the world”. He said the billions spent on arms would be better used to address the “huge gap between the rich and the poor”. In a speech before hundreds of rain-soaked campers, the Dalai Lama said: “In this very moment, in some parts of the world, like Syria, Iraq, Nigeria and some other places – they’re killing, human to human being. Unthinkable. And the worst thing [is that] conflict, killing each other, in the name of their faith.”
Growing inequality was a “very very serious matter”, not just for certain nations but around the world, he said. “It’s not just morally wrong but also it’s a practical problem,” he said. He said the real meaning of jihad was not harming others, but using constructive emotion to combat destructive emotions. He said: “I daily use it in my five hours of meditation, this kind of jihad.
Asked what he would do if he wasn’t the Dalai Lama, he said he would be a farmer or a tractor driver. “There is nothing wrong with religious beliefs, but the people who are supposed to be following the religion have a lack of moral principle, lack of conviction.’
After the speech, a member of the crowd, Merle Hansen, said his appearance was one of the highlights in more than 30 years of coming to Glastonbury. Asked later whether music made him happy, the Dalai Lama said “not much”. He said he challenged the view that music could bring inner peace: “If music really brings inner peace, then this Syria and Iraq – killing each other – there through some strong music can they reduce their anger? I don’t think so.”
“I thought it was great, absolutely wonderful and perfect timing. It’s so nice to see so many people here. I find it very touching and moving,” she said, describing him as the most talked-about act of Glastonbury this year. The Tibetan leader made his final appearance at the festival during Patti Smith’s afternoon set on the Pyramid Stage, where he was presented with a birthday cake while Smith led the crowd in a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday. She then read a little birthday poem in his honour.
Her partner, Ian Hamilton, holding their daughter Alyana aloft on his shoulders, said: “You have to ask yourself why are people here? They are here because of what he embodies, what he represents, which is love, forgiveness and harmony.” Speaking to Smith and her fellow musicians on stage, the Dalai Lama said: “Most of you have white hair – but the voice and the physical action looks very youthful. So that gives me encouragement myself. I’m now 80, but I should be more active like you.”
Nearby a Tibetan man, clutching a giant flag of his home country, said he had bought a Glastonbury ticket just to see the Dalai Lama. Indeed, his numerous appearances proved to be some of the most talked-about events over the weekend. During the his first Stone Circle speech, a Tibetan man, clutching a giant flag of his home country, said he had bought a Glastonbury ticket just to see the Dalai Lama and driven since 2am to get to Worthy Farm.
“I’m very, very excited. It means a lot to hear him speak. We drove from two o’clock last night, it took a long time. The whole night I couldn’t sleep. It is very exciting to be here,” he said, declining to be named because he feared repercussions from the Chinese authorities. “I’m very, very excited. It means a lot to hear him speak. We drove from 2 o’clock last night, it took a long time. The whole night I couldn’t sleep. It is very exciting to be here,” he said, declining to be named because he feared repercussions from the Chinese authorities.
“He is very peace-loving. That’s why people are here. I’ve seen the Dalai Lama many times in England, India, Belgium. This is my first time [at Glastonbury], that’s why I bought the ticket. It is very expensive but worth it. It is exciting.” Merle Hansen, who was also in the crowd, said the Dalai Lama’s appearance was one of the highlights in more than 30 years of coming to Glastonbury.
She said: “I thought it was great, absolutely wonderful and perfect timing. It’s so nice to see so many people here – I find it very touching and moving.”