Secular Nature of Compassion
The Dalai Lama’s global peace initiatives including dialogues for intergroup harmony are grounded in nonviolence from both Buddhism and Secular perspectives. Nonviolence is rooted in compassion.
Bodhisattva literature (e.g., Gyatso, 1988, 1991, 1999; Shantideva, 1979) theorized about great compassion (Mahakaruna) and great love (Mahamaitri). While the former is defined as altruistic mind wishing all sentient beings to be free of suffering and its root causes, the latter is defined as altruistic mind wishing all sentient beings happiness and its root causes. Firmly believing in these and other altruistic values (e.g. tolerance, respect, and forgiveness), the Dalai Lama promotes them to finding intrapersonal peace and global peace and resolving intergroup issues. Importantly, the Dalai Lama argues that these values are secular in nature and, therefore, can be cultivated by both believers and nonbelievers. In his speech (April 14, 2011) on “the Power of Forgiveness” at the University of Limerick in Ireland, he applauded Richard Moore who befriended the British soldier, Charles Inness, who had blinded him at age 10 by a rubber bullet (www.dalailama.com). Moore never felt anger or grudge against the soldier, and the Dalai Lama calls him his hero and even invited him to speak about his life and forgiveness to the Tibetan children at the Tibetan Children’s Village in Dharamsala, India. The Dalai Lama has inspired scientists from various fields of study, such as neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry, to explore the importance of secular values for the betterment of humanity. Scientific investigations are, for example, conducted at famed universities such as University of Wisconsin, Emory University, and Stanford University in the United States to find correlation as well as causal relationships between compassion and brain and biological systems, and between secular ethics and human well-being (www.mindandlife.org).The Dalai Lama often meets with scientists to exchange scholarship on mind and life matters. In such meetings, scientists and traditional scholars would exchange their radically different perspectives on understanding consciousness, cognition, and emotions to further the cause of human well-being (see Luisi & Houshmand, 2009). The Dalai Lama has explored parallels between Science of Mind in the Nalanda Tradition of Buddhism and science in his book The Universe in a Single Atom (Lama, 2005). The John Templeton Foundation presented the 2012 Templeton Award to His Holiness the Dalai Lama especially recognizing his “long-standing engagement with multiple dimensions of science and with people far beyond his own religious traditions” (see www.templetonprize.org/currentwinner.html, 2012, para. 1). He authored two important books on secular ethics for a better social world: Ethics for New Millennium (Lama, 1999) and Beyond Religions (Lama, 2011). In these books, he persuasively argues that despite material progress there are many social problems such as inequality and corruption across rich and poor countries, and these could be linked to neglecting moral ethics and inner values such as compassion and warm heartedness.
In essence, the nonviolence approach involves introspecting one’s motivation. Introspection is defined as a secondary mental state that enables the mind to spy on itself and aid in generating mindfulness (Rinbochay & Napper, 1981). Meditation and training of the mind essentially requires employing introspection (Tibetan: Shes zhin) and mindfulness (Tibetan: Dren pa). It is contended that positive motivation (e.g., compassion, love, and respect) leads to positive physical and verbal actions including nonviolence, and negative motivation (e.g., antagonistic anger, hatred, and obsessive attachment) leads to negative actions including violence. Tibetan Buddhism discusses threefold approach—listening, contemplation, and meditation (Tibetan: Thos Sam Gom Sum)—for training one’s mind to accomplish universal peace and enlightenment (Gyatso, 1991, 1999; Tsong-Kha-pa, 2000).
It is contended that nonviolent practice enables individuals to act out of compassion without anger and hostility. For example, Palden Gyatso, a Tibetan monk who had been tortured in the communist prison in Tibet for 33 years (see Gyatso, 1997), reported that he had nothing but compassion for his perpetrators and held no anger and hostility toward them. Nobel Peace Laureate Nelson Mandela established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa to bring social justice and peace through nonviolence principle and practice. The Dalai Lama admires and appreciates these peaceful nonviolent practices such as forgiveness, speaking power of truth, and reconciliation.Inspired by the Dalai Lama’s messages of nonviolence and secular ethnics, The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education was established at the Stanford University. It actively engages in scientific research and discussion on compassion and altruism and their effect on people’s emotional and physiological well-being (see ccare.stanford.edu). A special class of teaching in Tibetan Buddhism called “Thought Transformation or Mind Training” (Tibetan: Lo Jong; see Mind Training: The Great Collection, Jinpa, 2006) presents a systematic and pragmatic approach and explanation on cultivating positive states of mind such as compassion, love, and altruism to counteract negative states of mind such as lack of empathy, hatred, and egoism. These core values of the Dalai Lama’s personal practices, and public appearances can further the culture of peace, harmony, and dialogues as recognized by the UNESCO. As discussed below, the culture of peace and nonviolence are central to the Dalai Lama’s MWA to resolve Sino-Tibetan conflict.
Middle Way Approach
We need multiple perspectives to understand and manage conflicts of all kinds. Conflict research offers insights into three approaches to conflict, namely, dispositional, situational, and systems approach (Ting-Toomey & Chung, 2012; Ting-Toomey & Oetzel, 2001), and into a wide range of conflict management styles—dominating, avoiding, obliging, compromising, and integrating ( Deutsch, Coleman, & Marcus, 2006), and emotional expression, passive aggression, and third-party help (Ting- Toomey et al., 2000).
Interculturally stated, individuals with individualistic cultural orientation are likely to attach most importance to self-face concern and use dominating and upfront conflict management style, whereas those with collectivistic cultural orientation are likely to use a wide range of conflict styles—avoiding, obliging, compromising, and integrating—due to other- and mutualface concerns (Oetzel & Ting-Toomey, 2003). The MWA is a mutually beneficial approach because it attaches much importance to the mutual-face concerns of both conflict parties and offers middle way solutions to address their main concerns.MWA is profoundly informed by Arya Nagarjuna’s Middle Way Approach Philosophy (MWA-P) and the law of interdependent origination. Subscribing firmly to these fundamental principles of Nalanda Tradition of Buddhism, the Dalai Lama strongly advocates them in his public teachings and talks. In light of this and for a deeper understanding and appreciation of MWA, the underlying MWA principles are briefly discussed first.