Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 44-minute youth forum, the Dalai Lama responds directly to five carefully selected questions from young Australians about happiness, conflict resolution, inner peace, suicide prevention, and purpose. He opens with foundational advice on decision-making: study carefully before committing, maintain moderate expectations, persist through failures with self-confidence, and keep an optimistic outlook even when facing obstacles. Turning to global conflict, he argues that recognizing our common humanity beneath religious, cultural, and national differences is essential, and that genuine world peace must begin with inner peace cultivated at the individual and family level. He distinguishes between religion as spirituality—which strengthens compassion, forgiveness, and tolerance—and religious institutions as organizations, and addresses despair among young people by emphasizing the role of childhood affection, healthy family relationships, and long-term thinking in building resilience. The talk is framed as informal and conversational, suited to engaged young adults wrestling with meaning and social responsibility in the new century.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2025-05-02 – 1A – Ask The Dalia Lama Youth Forum Syd – HHDL.mp3
UUID: e7f9c0fc-c9bb-4262-958c-edbf7e680f0b
Teacher: HH Dalai Lama
Collection: Dalai Lama Talks
Date: 2025-05-02
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~3,986
From the Inspire Foundation and on behalf of the Inspire Foundation and in association with the Dalai Lama in Australia 2002, I’d like to welcome you to a very special event, an inspired conversation between young people and the Dalai Lama. This event wouldn’t have been made been possible without the generous support of a number of organizations. Firstly, Dimension Data, who built the website askthedalailama.com, where young people ask their questions. Dimension Data Central, who’ve kindly hosted it. Net Ventures who are beaming this event around the world via the Internet, and the City Recital Hall in the City Of Sydney who kindly made this place available.
Will Anderson will be joining us in a couple of minutes and introducing the Dalai Lama and the young people. But before we, I guess, go on to that, from the Inspire Foundation’s point of view, this is a very big occasion, and we wanted to provide you with a bit of background on how this event came to be. The Inspire Foundation has a simple yet ambitious aim and that is to inspire young people. This event obviously sits very comfortably with us and I know a number of you have received some information about some of the other initiatives that the Inspire Foundation undertakes. The reason that the Inspire Foundation has got involved in this is that we believe that and we know from speaking to young people that the Dalai Lama is an inspirational figure to young people across the world.
But there is a second aim for us which we see as equally important and that is that we know that when provided with the opportunity, young people will be inspirational themselves. So the way that this event came about was that we opened up a website and encouraged young people from across Australia to ask questions of the Dalai Lama. We received a couple of 100 questions and a group of young people who volunteer with our foundation and some of our youth ambassadors, selected the five questions that were broadly representative of the issues that young people in Australia wanted to know about. Those five young people were fortunate enough to be brought here today and will ask their questions in person of the Dalai Lama. But from our point of view, we know that the Dalai Lama is an obviously wise human being and that’s why all of you are here today.
But I’d also ask you to consider the wisdom of the questions being asked. I think in Australia at the moment, we’re definitely at a point where wisdom is required and we quite often don’t encourage young people to take part in those conversations. At the Inspire Foundation, we believe that if you can open up a space where young people can enter into some of those conversations, you’ll be amazed about the inspiration that already exists in the world and in Australia’s young people. On a housekeeping matter, I would ask that obviously everybody stay seated, during the event that please turn off your mobile phones if you haven’t done it already. And also, if people could not take any any photographs, there’s obviously a number of cameras from professional camera crews up here, but if people could not please take any photographs, and a final request, and that is that could everybody please stay seated for a couple of minutes after the event until the Dalai Lama has has left the building.
So if you could please do all that. Have a wonderful afternoon. For the Inspire Foundation, we hope that this will be a first in a series of conversations where we can bring inspirational leaders from around the world and definitely in Australia to continue having a conversation and in dialogue with the inspirational young people who live here. So thank you very much, and I’ll now pass it over to Will Anderson. Thank you.
Hi, everyone. How are you going? Are you excited? I’m so nervous. Good.
I couldn’t be more nervous. I just met the the Dalai Lama backstage, and I had that moment. He was talking about the weather. And and honest to god, this is a true story. I just went, so do you have, like, winter and summer robes?
I’m so coming back as a frog or something in human nature. But thank you all for coming along. It’s wonderful to see so many people here. It is really exciting. I think I think the Dalai Lama taps something in Australians.
It’s something especially we used to have, the the idea of a fair go and the idea of looking for somebody to be inspiring. And it’s it’s it’s a really hard thing to, like, convince people that the world’s okay, isn’t it? I always think how will I act, you know, when I’m older if if I’ve got a kid and they come into my room and they’re like, dad, dad, I heard a noise downstairs. I’m really scared. And I’ll be like, oh, crap.
Crap. I’m scared too, son. Why don’t you go check? Oh, come on. They won’t hurt a kid.
But it’s very exciting to be here. It’s it’s I think the Dalai Lama is like, it’s been amazing when his holiness has been in this country, just the the people who’ve come out and the excitement. But I think we see something in him as Australians that is particularly you know, if he wasn’t from Tibet, then he might be an Aussie. I I think we do. And do you know why?
Did you read in the paper the other day when he said when somebody asked me, they said, your holiness, what is the secret to serenity peace? And he just went, more holidays. How Aussie is that? If you then quoted Don Bradman’s batting average, we would have elected him prime minister. It was fantastic.
As Jono was explaining, there was a lot of young people who hit the Internet for inspire, for this event to ask questions of the Dalai Lama. There’s been five selected, five who had great questions, but also five who were, you know, representative of a lot of the questions that young people wanted to ask the Dalai Lama. So without any further ado, I want you to can we have a big round of applause as we bring those guys out? The people who get a mouse question. Alright.
They gave they gave me a piece of paper so I wouldn’t forget everybody and and who where they’re from. We got Diane Noe, who’s 21 from Saint John’s Park in New South Wales. We have, Tim Goodwin, who’s 18 from, Canberra. We have Shane Connell, who’s 22 from Warners Bay in Newcastle. We have Amina.
That was the one I knew I was gonna get wrong. She’s 25. She’s from Brisbane. And we have Justine McLucas, who’s 21 from Newport in New South Wales. So, yeah, why not?
Ladies and gentlemen, without any further ado, could we please make the sound of two hands clapping as we introduce his holiness, the Dalai Lama. Your Holiness, I’d I’d like to thank you firstly on behalf of everybody for being here. We’re all very excited about it, obviously. You are a very inspirational person to, well, people across the world and particularly young people. We’re gonna get to the five people who’ve got their questions, but if I could first invite you to speak on the subject of happiness in the material world, your theme for this tour.
Brothers and sisters, I am very happy and indeed a great honor to share some of my experience with young people, pride sort of, I think, brothers and sisters, younger brothers and sisters. So I am very happy. I think, according to my own experience, many years I consider myself as a youth. Now I’m no longer there. But this is sort of the true same experiences, excitement, I think very sort of great enthusiasm and with impatience, sometimes little too much expectations, Sometimes without properly think, just you felt, oh, this is should be right.
That kind of a silly attitude. So I think from these sort of experiences, I learned one thing. I think a few points are very important. That is firstly, I think decision not hastily take. But very carefully, you see, look the situation, study, analyze very carefully.
If possible, ask someone, some others of your point. Then, you should not have too much expectation. In reality, things are not easy. Often some obstacles, some sort of hindrance often, you see, come. So too much expectation.
And once you face the obstacles, and sometimes your enthusiasm easily gone. So therefore, less expectation. Then once you make commitment, then you should be firm with self confidence because you already study or analyze very carefully. And the decision out of very, very careful sort of analyze. So therefore, once you decide, you should proceed with self confidence.
Then there’s Tibetan saying, nine times failure, nine times sort of effort. I think that is important. Exactly now we are doing that. Failure, still, without losing determination and self confidence, willpower continue. So I think the optimistic view is very essential.
Due to some problems, then lose self confidence and remain more sort of pessimistic attitude and even easy even things which can you achieve easily, then become difficult because you have no longer sort of inner strength. Without losing determination, hope, and keep optimistic. I always I often mistake these two words, because optimism and pessimism. Right? So so the the right the right right one is I think optimism optimism.
So keep the optimism. Now then even difficult things eventually can materialize. So that I learned. So after all, when you’re getting older, when you look back the past long history, and you feel, oh, I done my best. No regret.
So I want then think the happiness there are, I think, two kinds of happiness. One happiness related with the feeling, sort of pleasure sort of feeling or some comfortable feeling. Another, think, is mainly the satisfaction. Even physically or mentally, you may pass through some difficulties, some pains, but mentally you get satisfaction. So I think that is more important because we have this marvelous intelligence.
I think animals, I think they only I think happiness only on the basis of physical comfort. We human being, this intelligence, if you see some purpose and in order to achieve that sort of goal, sacrifice one’s own sort of leisure time or even passing through some difficulties. In deep insight you get immense satisfaction and you feel fulfilled of purpose of our life. Isn’t it? So then I think I wanted to share with you, I think one important, that is youth.
You are the, I think, people who really make new shape of the twenty first century. Twenty first century just to begin. So remaining this century, you are the main people who really are sort of engaged this century. So you are very, very important. Anyway, I think during the second century, whether during the second century will be more happier one or more disaster one entirely depend on people in this twenty first century.
I think due to mistakes or carelessness in the twentieth century, we suffer. Or in the early period of early part of twentieth century, these leaders or people, I think due to carelessness or due to lack of long-sightedness, the later part of twentieth century, Sometimes the people, you see, suffer unnecessarily. Isn’t it? So therefore, you are very, very, very important sort of part of humanity. So I’m very happy and indeed, great honor to speak with you.
Thank you. Your holy your holiness. Our first question from our our group of young people who were chosen is, from Justine. Your Holiness, the world we live in is riddled with conflict. Color, religion, class, and sexuality are among the issues today’s generation are faced with.
Due to these conflicts, people everywhere have and continue to endure terrible sufferings. How in this world of some 6,000,000,000 people consisting of such diverse cultures and beliefs, can the human race find peace and reconciliation to move forward without suffering? What’s your main point? Without suffering when there are so many different cultures. Perhaps I can answer for that.
Perhaps, irrespective. Right. There are so many different religions, so many sort of nationality, or so many sort of, what should be, political system or economy system, and living different living standards and different sort of education background, but all just same human being. Emotionally, mentally, physically, all born, same human family. I think, now if we think more on that level, then I think we can easily sort of, I think, less important, these differences.
I think our time has come. We should think deeper level as a humanity. We should recognize these religious differences or religion or these things are secondary, then I think this global world, small planet, I think can be more peaceful, more friendly. If we go or if it’s emphasis more on differences, difference is always there. Within one person, there is differences.
Now, example, before my lunch, a person hungry Hunger. After lunch, a person is no longer that hunger person. So difference. Saturday morning, I have one idea, one sort of feeling, one concept. Then more study, more sort of thing, then evening or a completely different sort of idea.
So still, there are differences. But still, the same being, same continuation of the being. A person. A A person. Therefore, no conflict.
But sometimes I think too much sort of contradictory ideas or visions in mind, and you fail to reconcile, then sometimes depressions happen, or even suicide also happens. So at an individual level also, you see, are differences, but we always come generally, we always come overcome overcome because of oneness of the being or self. So similarly, within a family, differences, different professions, different age, different interest, but consider this is also part of my family, this is also part of our family, part of our family. And then some conflicts, some differences, try to solve within the Oneness of the family. Oneness of the family.
So similarly, on national community level, or national level, or international level, we are same human beings. And then particularly in this moment, the economies of the situation heavily interdependent. Australia’s economy is much dependent on the outside, in particular with China. So similar sort of situation in the European continent, in the American economy, and each one, I mean, other heavily independent. And then, environment issue.
Perhaps Australia, is a bit isolated, so maybe less connection. Otherwise, Europe and Asia and North America, South America, all these you see the, I think, environment issue. No matter how one nation powerful, you can’t solve unless they all neighbor work together. So that is the reality. I feel sometimes the world changed, the reality must changed, but our perception Our way of thinking.
Our way of thinking still remains old one. So the reality, this problem or that problem interlinked. But in our way of thinking, this problem, that problem separate. So we deal with this problem, or is it the neglect about the other problem. So therefore, reality heavily So in order to solve this problem, unless we did this, you can’t solve this problem.
I think this is exactly now happening on this planet. So all these, I think, due to lack of realization of oneness. Look, whole group as one entity. One. I think the one Buddhist concept, all human beings, even animals, insects, all we describe as the same, as mother sentient beings.
I think that’s that’s whether practical or not, I think that that kind of the Vision. Vision or view is I think I think good. I think that’s useful on this planet. Next question. Some answer?
Dalai Lama, the next question is from Diane. Hi. Your Holiness, can you please explain, if any, what is the link between world peace and inner peace? In other words, what role does spirituality play in the bigger picture of social justice and social change? The yes.
Certainly, I think peace, a world peace, very much with inner peace. So I believe the true inner peace, genuine world peace can achieve. So then question, how to start inner peace? So therefore, I think world peace must start from individual inner peace, build or make one happy, peaceful individual, then peaceful family, peaceful community. I think leadership.
Sometimes we easily blame leadership. But if we think, I feel the leadership comes from the society. If the society is generally some kind of attitude, some kind of attitude. Habit. Habit.
In the society, some kind of adversity, too much individualistic too much, what should I I think, maybe shortsighted. Then people who come from that kind of society, Of course, next week, that habit will be as a part of his or her life. So therefore, I think change in the society, in the community started from individual, from individual family. I think that is very, very important. Otherwise, now full of hatred, fear and genuine peace, impossible.
Look, in European continent, in the last century, there is some kind of peace there, but that is not genuine peace, but I think some kind of mere absence of war, violence, out of fear. Colossal nuclear sort of weapons, both sides. So nuclear, in some extent, see, I think worked as a deterrent. So I often used to visit the border area. The people, so much fear.
Because just next door, the Soviet sort of army, Soviet sort of nuclear missiles there, so people remain out of fear, constant constant fear. That is just a mere absence of war. So that is not genuine peace. Now genuine peace, I think after that, after sort of change in that kind of atmosphere, now at least between East block and West block, I think now we are not ready to shoot one another. Now they are no longer there.
Then, I think human level, I think more interact or communication. So from that, a more peaceful atmosphere. Now that is I think genuine peace. So therefore peace really filled from heart or inner insight. So sometimes when the Soviet Union collapsed, one time I had the occasion to visit Moscow, through Moscow to Mongolia, in 1979, and still it is a communist totalitarian system there.
So they always, in China also, they always say peace loving nation. Meantime, they prepare every preparation for war. But always they say peace loving nation. One occasion in Moscow, there is one correspondent you see, I am forcefully putting this word peace loving nation in my mouth. I refuse to accept that.
So therefore, you see the genuine peace must come from within. That’s the first part. Second part, the second part. I think religion, spirituality. I think firstly, perhaps I think maybe some connection is to make a distinction.
Religious institution and religion as a spirituality. I think these two things should be separate. Two separate things. So as the religion or spirituality, certainly I think the source of, possibly, inspiration and one, I think, of the effective method to increase human values. Now, look at all Middle East tradition, They always carry the same message, the message of love, compassion.
Love to God, I feel love to God and love to fellow human beings. These two kinds of love. I think the main aim is love to fellow human beings. In order to do that, look to God. If you really truly love God, then you must show love, kindness towards the same creature.
Isn’t it? So therefore, I think the real message is to love towards fellow human beings. So the message of love, compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment, self discipline. All major religions stress all these virtues, all these things. So that means I have the view that all major religions are essentially strengthening basic human values.
So all major religions have a very important role for increasing human values, because I think it promotes human values. Then religious institutions, sometimes religious institutions becoming more like organisation. Some cases act like any other organizations. That is something different. Yes.
That’s all. Your Holiness, our next question is from Shane, who’s sitting here. Holiness, in my involvement with suicide prevention programs, I’ve met a lot of young people that feel that there’s nothing to live for. As a man who always comes across so happy and full of joy, what would you say to those people in need of inspiration? Rather complicated.
I think the different cases are each case is I think different reasons. All as I mentioned at the beginning, the self confidence and I went to some point I mentioned, I think these are relevant. Some too much impatience, too much expectation, never prepared difficulties. Then, when you face life as such, some problems bound to happen, then it comes, it happens, and unbearable. Then you choose death rather than the hardship of life.
And if it’s too much complaint, then not take one’s own life, but blame to the parent. Parent creates your life. That also oppose gently, not violently. Gently, you can complain. I think here, I think some relations, the family or parents, I think the special sort of role or special sort of responsibility, the child the children from childhood provide every human affection.
Kindness, sort of loving kindness and full affection. I think that children who’ve grown up under that sort of atmosphere, I feel much healthier. The children would just live alone and was, I think, occasionally, some beating or some sort of never show genuine love, just provide food, nothing else, lack of human affection, then I think those children who’ve grown up under that circumstances, I think more danger. It’s become violent inside. An act of suicide is a kind of war.
Suicide is a kind of self-violence. It’s it’s a form of violence, even a committing suicide because nobody would commit suicide if the individual feels happy. So therefore, I think that will be, I think, more important, the family. So that also leads another sort of matter, that is marriage, happy marriage, long lasting marriage. What?
Relations. Relations. Relations with not just physical attraction, but with respect to one another. So even some conflict comes, because you, both sides, both partner, sides you should have deep respect of others. So therefore, the conflict can solve on human level, human way, or family level.
So usually, I think the children in that kind of family, I think usually get better sort of positive affection. The family, first of all, marriage not very properly done, then constantly fighting, and parent themselves not much of genuine human affection, then it is difficult to show the affection. I mean, then it is lacking, not sufficient affection to the children. So all these, you see, again, interlinked. Cause and other factors.
Many of these factors are interconnected, so you have indirect causes leading to further conditions which then give rise to some other circumstances? So as I mentioned before, long sightedness. That is very important. Sometimes, especially in modern times, external materials, automatic machines, that is good. But real human life, not that kind of automatic.
So not come easily. By switching on. By switching on. By switching on. So human life Given the the sort of the ease with which we can operate the machines with switches on and off, if we were to try to sort of adapt that onto our human life and try to expect that kind of fast results, this will lead to disaster.