Wrapped in his customary red robes, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama spoke with great humour about the purpose of education in creating meaningful lives to a group of nearly 800 students at the Seymour Centre on Thursday, 13th June.

He said the purpose of education was not only to develop knowledge but also to recognise the importance of human emotion and its interrelationship with the mind. Emotions such as fear and jealousy, His Holiness said, bias the mind.

Yet bringing education and emotional understanding are brought together enables us to reach a deeper level of comprehension and empathy, more connected with reality, rather than appearances. This is education's true purpose.

The unique student event was hosted by The Institute for Democracy and Human Rights (IDHR) at the University of Sydney. It included in the audience nearly180 secondary school students from the University's Compass program.

After an introduction by IDHR's Professor John Keane (see his accompanying account of the event) His Holiness urged that it is the responsibility of the next generation to build a happier world. The 20th century was marred by violence and war, he said, naming the Sino-Japanese war, the Second World War and the sorrow of Hiroshima, the Korean War and the Cold War.

Claiming the world is facing a moral crisis, His Holiness said that while a large proportion of the world's 7 billion claimed to be religious, many had no moral conviction when living outside their chosen places of worship.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama was awarded the Templeton Prize in May 2012 for his commitment to interfaith relations. In 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for the liberation of Tibet.

He has always advocated policies of non-violence, even in the face of extreme aggression. He also became the first Nobel Laureate to be recognised for his concern for global environmental problems.

For further info see: http://sydney.edu.au/arts/idhr/news_e...