“The human mind is both the source and, if properly directed,
the solution to all our problems. Those who attain great learning
but lack a good heart, are in danger of falling prey to the anxieties
and restlessness which result from desires incapable of fulfilment.
This is why, I say material knowledge can easily be a source of
negative thoughts and feelings. Conversely, a genuine
understanding of spiritual values brings peace.”

– His Holiness the Dalai Lama

• Student Interface

The Foundation sponsors annual inter-college and inter-school interactions and debates on contemporary issues such as the ‘Relevance of Nonviolence in South Asia’, ‘Sustainable and Transformative Development’, ‘Social Will and Political Action’, and ‘Tolerance and Coexistence’. This forms part of the efforts of the Foundation to facilitate a discourse among the next generation of leaders, on issues of multiculturalism, pluralism, secularism and universal responsibility.

Indo-Tibetan Forums for school and college students are also organized across India. The annual Interschool Program provides one such forum where Indian and Tibetan youth come together to share their rich heritage and understand the enduring ties that link the two ancient cultures. The program brings together students from the two communities for a week. Through film screenings and discussions, students are educated about their cultures. Theater, group exercises and sports activities allow them to learn more about each other, and to build bonds of trust and friendship.

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• Gurukul

In keeping with the rich Indian tradition of Gurukul, this project enriches formal education processes by facilitating inspirational contact with masters of different spiritual traditions, particularly Tibetan Buddhism. The participants, mainly university students,live in Tibetan monasteries and nunneries where they learn about Tibetan culture, art and philosophy.

Participants have privileged access to teachers of ancient Buddhist traditions of Tibet. By observing at close quarters the teachers’ way of life, students envision new definitions of success, achievement and fulfilment.

Gurukul is held annually for a month in Dharamsala (North India). In Dharamsala, home of H.H. The Dalai Lama and Headquarters of the Tibetan Government in Exile, participants receive an extended introduction to Tibetan culture and religion by actively engaging in the daily activities of Tibetan life in the monasteries and nunneries, and with the communities in exile. They have the privilege of an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The Foundation is exploring possibilities for extending this program to Bylakuppe (South India). The students will, as part of this program, spend a month among the largest Tibetan community in exile.

Gurukul participants with His Holiness the Dalai Lama

“Attending Gurukul was one of
the wisest decisions I have made
in my life.During the
programme I realized that
everywhere we go people are the
same. They need love,
education, some fun and yes,
freedom.”

– Garima Bhalla
College student, New Delhi

Through discourses, lectures, films and other learning media, Gurukul participants gain insights into the innovative ways in which a community in exile copes with displacement and strives to keep its traditions alive.

Gurukul participants:

• Live in Tibetan monasteries and nunneries.
• Take classes in Tibetan Buddhism at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives.
• Learn Tibetan Handicrafts such as wood carving, thangka painting and appliqué.
• Interact with Buddhist masters and Tibetan officials.
• Experience traditional dialectic debates and spiritual chanting.

Students also have the opportunity to give something back to the community. They are encouraged to teach English to monks, nuns and refugees from Tibet, and volunteer with service and welfare projects.

“The month I spent in Dharamsala with
the Gurukul project seems to have cast a
gentle halo on all my past years and
all my years to come. In an entire
life too taken up with the rage of living,
if this certain month invested my life
with a tender sanctity, I can say with
conviction that those 30 days were
no mere interlude.”

– Srila Nayak
College student, Orissa

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• Tibetan Heritage

Tibetan Heritage is an ongoing series of workshops and visits intended to introduce people to important elements of the unique heritage and culture of Tibet. Participants of all ages spend a week in Dharamsala, together exploring cultural institutions, attending lectures and engaging with monks and nuns on issues related to Tibetan culture and religion. The program provides a context for different generations to meet in a joint discovery of growth and renewal while encountering Tibetan heritage and art.

Sessions introduce participants to basic Tibetan Buddhist mind training techniques and precepts of Tibetan Buddhism. The group visits the different Tibetan institutions in and around Dharamsala and discovers ways in which the heritage of Tibet is being preserved. Participants have the opportunity to attend lectures, film screenings and performances in the evenings. The group may also have the unique privilege of a meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Karmapa Lama during the program.

“After two weeks of returning to Delhi, I still carry within me a sense of calm equilibrium and I go about the days
peacefully. For which I thank you, because it has changed my attitude...... or, at least, made a beginning…”

– Ms. Geeti Sen
Art Critic and Editor
India International Center Quarterly
New Delhi

“May the Buddham, Dhammam and Sangam of the Tibetan civilization
continue to enrich our world. I am highly privileged to have been invited to share
this treasure, which in the words of Tibetan brothers and sisters is “for the
benefit of all beings”.

– Mr. Karan Sawhney, Director
Peace Initiatives, New Delhi

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• Indo - Tibetan Friendship & Understanding

Foundation organizes exhibitions, multimedia installations and intercultural workshops as part of its efforts to strengthen historical ties between Indian and Tibetan culture and facilitate a deeper dialogue between women and men, across different generations, in the two communities.

A recent initiative is Exile Web, an exhibition of paintings by young Tibetan artists in India. Exile Web portrays the jigsaw that is the life of the Tibetan community living in exile. It represents the effort of five well-known Tibetan contemporary artists to decipher the puzzle of exile using their canvases to express their feelings.

Tibetan artists with Mr. Tempa Tsering
(Representative of HH the Dalai Lama in
New Delhi), Ms. Raji Ramanan
(Projects Officer, FUR), Mr. Shakti Mehra
(Artist & Sculptor), Ms. Arpana Caur
(Contemporary Painter) and Mr. Rajiv Mehrotra
(Trustee & Member Secretary, FUR)

"Art is my
guide into the heart of

the Tibetan culture. My art

interprets the
root of humanity

which is compassion and

tolerance.”

– Mr. Sonam Lhundup Tibetan Artist

A central goal of the Foundation is also to create spaces for dialogues between Indian and Tibetan youth. Among others, the methodology of theater is used to empower young women and men, training to be educators, artists, activists and performers. The most recent initiative of the Foundation employed the tool of “theater of the oppressed” – a methodology that is naturally accessible for communities caught initiatives is to empower Tibetan and Indian youth with the life skills to deal with conflict within their homes, communities and nations.

The Foundation also uses the methodology of Inter-Cultural Conflict Transformation Workshops to foster dialogue and build relationships between the next generation Indian and Tibetan leaders. The Foundation collaborates with various Indian and Tibetan organizations to facilitate such dialogues and trainings. A recent partnership with the Tibetan Center for Conflict Resolution, Dharamsala, brought together Indian and Tibetan youth leaders with a purpose to:

• Strengthen the historical relationship between Indians and Tibetans;
• Enable the participants to become “role models” for nonviolence and compassion in their communities;
• Facilitate coexistence between the Indian and Tibetan communities and celebrate their diverse traditions.

In this context, the Foundation Workshops introduce young leaders to the field of peacebuilding with a focus on the diverse ways in which they can practice “active nonviolence” and coexistence, and reduce violence-promoting behaviour in their communities.

“The Dalai Lama’s Foundation for Universal
Responsibility is helping make real the vision of
one of the great spiritual masters of our time,
inspired as he is by my grandfather,
Mahatma Gandhi.”

– Ms. Ela Gandhi

Peace Activist & Former Member of Parliament South Africa

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