CALCUTTA, India - Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, welcomed on Monday a report that lower-caste Hindus were planning to embrace the egalitarian Buddhist faith but said the two religions were "twin brothers."
"Taking Buddhism should not be a result of resentment toward another religion or caste system. Simply in order to be more equal, follow Buddha Dharma (religion), no problem," he told reporters.
He was speaking in Calcutta after returning to India from a controversial trip to Taiwan that aroused the ire of China which accused him of making a politically motivated visit. But he played down the visit, saying it was spiritual.
The Calcutta-based Telegraph newspaper, quoting an official of the All India Confederation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, reported on Monday that a million lower-caste Hindus and tribesmen would adopt Buddhism on October 14.
The date coincides with the 45th anniversary of a similar conversion by India's most renowned backward-caste leader, B.R. Ambedkar. There are an estimated 250 million lower-caste Hindus and backward tribesmen in India.
The Dalai Lama, who has lived in the Indian Himalayan town of Dharamshala since a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959, said Buddhism was attracting followers not only in India, the land of its birth, but in other regions also.
TWINNED RELIGIONS
"Nowadays people are taking interest in eastern thought or ancient Indian thought, particularly Buddhism. So it is alright, it's good. After all, Buddhism and Hinduism, I describe as twin brothers/sisters," the Dalai Lama said.
Asked by reporters whether he was satisfied with the Indian government's handling of a Tibetan boy lama who fled from Tibet across the Himalayas last year, the Dalai Lama replied: "Basically yes.
The Indian government granted the 17th Karmapa Lama, one of the highest ranking monks in Tibet's Buddhist heirarchy, refugee status earlier this year.
"(The decision) means the government of India now permits him to remain in this country with freedom. Very good," he said.
However, Buddhists were still awaiting New Delhi's approval of the boy lama's request to visit Sikkim, a northeast Indian state which is home to the main monastery of the sect he heads, the Dalai Lama said.
New Delhi is widely believed to be under pressure from China to restrict the boy lama's activities.
"It will take time (for his visit), it will take time," the Dalai Lama said.
09:51 04-09-01
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