Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, March 31: The Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Tuesday urged peace and dialogue amid ongoing global conflicts including in the Middle East and the war between Russia and Ukraine. He voiced strong support for a global peace appeal made by Pope Leo during his Palm Sunday Mass, praising the pontiff’s call for an end to violence and the laying down of arms.
The Pope delivered his message at the Vatican during Palm Sunday celebrations, a significant occasion in the Christian calendar marking the beginning of Holy Week. Addressing thousands of faithful, he urged warring parties around the world to renounce violence and pursue peace through reconciliation and dialogue.
Responding to the appeal, the nonagenarian leader, in a statement issued from Dharamshala, said, “I wholeheartedly endorse the powerful appeal for peace made by the Holy Father, Pope Leo. His call for the laying down of arms and the renunciation of violence resonated profoundly with me, as it speaks to the very essence of what all major religions teach.”
He emphasised that the Pope’s message reflects the shared moral foundation of the world’s great spiritual traditions, including Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism or any other world’s spiritual traditions which advocate love, compassion, tolerance, and self-discipline.
“Violence finds no true home in any of these teachings,” he said, adding that history has repeatedly shown that violence only leads to further suffering and cannot serve as a sustainable path to peace.
Referring to ongoing crises such as conflicts in the Middle East and the war between Russia and Ukraine, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate stressed that lasting solutions must be grounded in dialogue, diplomacy, and mutual respect. He highlighted the importance of recognising a shared human bond that transcends political and cultural divides.
“An enduring resolution to conflict must be approached with the understanding that, at the deepest level, we are all brothers and sisters,” he said. Concluding with a prayerful appeal, he wrote, “I urge for and pray that violence and conflicts may soon come to an end.”
