KJ SIMSR Horizon Dec - 2014 issue Dec 2014 | Page 32

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Living, Loving, Laughing and Dying:
The Buddhist Way
HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA'S VISIT TO SOMAIYA CAMPUS
“This is my simple
religion. No need
for temples. No
need for
complicated
philosophy. Your
own mind, your
own heart is the
temple. Your
philosophy is
simple kindness.”
- His Holiness The
Dalai Lama

His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso
visited Somaiya Vidyavihar from 30th May to 2nd
June 2014 in a program that was conducted in
association with Nalanda Shiksha. In an event that
was the first of its kind in Mumbai, His Holiness
graced our Somaiya Vidyavihar with his presence
and interacted with our students. The event was
attended by Nalanda Shiksha members across
India and received wide media coverage. Samir
Somaiya President of Somaiya Vidyavihar said, “It
is our honor and privilege to host his holiness at
Somaiya Vidyavihar, to listen to him, to have him
impart his wisdom, guide and bless our students,
programs and community and to begin our new
initiatives with his blessings. His holiness is revered
worldwide for his promotion of such basic human
values as compassion, forgiveness and tolerance.
His address is expected to touch on the importance
of these values in advancing peace as well as
promoting individual health, healing and wellbeing.”
On 30th May, Friday, the events started with the
inauguration of a Tibetan festival in the morning at
Somaiya Campus by His Holiness. Dalai Lama
later addressed the students at Somaiya Campus

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December 2014

on introductory teachings of Buddhism: live, love,
laugh and die. The audience reveled in His wit and
wisdom during the speech; His tone, light and
casual.
The Tibetan spiritual leader also inaugurated the
Somaiya School on 31st May, Saturday. He
blessed the school children and spent time with
them. The students performed various cultural
activities during the program. There were more
interactive sessions and a student even asked His
Holiness about the possibilities of a female Dalai
Lama to which he responded, “why not? There may
be a female Dalai Lama in the future.”
2nd June, Monday, His Holiness Dalai Lama laid
the foundation stone to Sanskriti, a centre for
Indian Cultural and Religious Studies in Somaiya
Campus which collates 3 institutes offering
religious courses - Buddhism, Jainism and
Bharatiya
Sanskritipeetham.
Bharatiya
Sanskritipeetham offers more than 15 autonomous
courses including B.A & M.A in Yoga Shashtra. The
new institute will have a new combined bigger
library, a shrine hall and a centre for community
activity.