Dalai Lama Speaks On Need For Inner Peace During Talk At Monmouth

WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ — Monmouth University welcomed the Dalai Lama for a livestream event Tuesday night, during which he spoke about happiness, community and focusing on the present.

Speaking from his residence, the Dalai Lama also answered questions from Monmouth students, staff and faculty.

Monmouth President Patrick Leahy welcomed the Dalai Lama, who said this livestream was the culmination of months of planning.

“We are deeply honored by your presence, enriched by your words, and inspired to lead healthier, happier, compassionate, and more harmonious lives for generations to come,” Leahy said.

Before fielding questions from the viewers watching at home and on campus in the Versailles and Pompeii rooms in The Great Hall, the Dalai Lama spoke about the world’s need to focus on peace and global de-weaponization.

“I feel as human beings, we should be totally dedicated to peace, harmony, and the oneness of 7 billion human beings,” he said.

The questions that the Dalai Lama fielded by the Monmouth community included those about the impact of climate change and the spiritual implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There’s no other way. We have to take care and on a mental level, this new illness part of the changing of the world so according to doctors and nurses, we have to take care, as much as we can,” he said.

Other questions fielded during the livestream included how one incorporates Buddhist principles into Western culture, fostering a sense of community in today’s climate, the most important thing to teach a child, finding inner peace, and the effect of social media on the human condition.

The livestream was the conclusion of a day full of events that celebrated the Dalai Lama’s speaking to the Monmouth community, including martial arts demonstrations, guided meditations and a tree-planting ceremony.