Jessica Rinaldi / Reuters
The Dalai Lama during a lecture in Boston on Oct. 14, 2012
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The Dalai Lama has called for a century of compassion and peace in which the gap between the rich and poor narrows and environmental stewardship is a priority.
The exiled Tibetan leader told a crowd of about 5,600 at the Rhode Island Convention Center on Wednesday that peace stems from happiness and that happiness stems from looking beyond yourself.
‘‘We are part of humanity,’’ he said, adding of fellow global citizens: ‘‘Their problem is my problem. Their happiness is my happiness. We have to look to the interests of others.’’
The 77-year-old noted in his remarks he has long lived in a violent world — from the time of World War II and the dropping of the atomic bombs by the U.S. on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the Iraq war.
He called for more global dialogue and for young people to open their minds to new ways of thinking. He said that people must look beyond their families, their community, their city and even their nation.
He said that people can lead good, moral lives without religion, but stressed that secularism should also mean respecting others’ religious beliefs. He referred to closing the gap between the rich and poor as a moral issue, and said that taking care of the planet is important. If he ever joined a political party, he joked, it would be the Green Party.
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