His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama talks about Archbishop Desmond Tutu in this edited extract from Tutu: The Authorised Portrait (PQ Blackwell) by Allister Sparks and Mpho A Tutu, a biography with interviews and more than 200 images.
When I first met Archbishop Tutu, he told me that once he got the Nobel Peace Prize, that opened the door for him to visit Washington. Later, after I also received the Nobel Peace Prize, it was really confirmed. I also felt I made some sort of impact. Meeting different people became a little bit easier. And those people who invited me also said they invited me not as a Dalai Lama but as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
We had more and more meetings and it became very clear that he’s, firstly, a very, very spiritually minded person. He follows God, in his own way, very sincerely. When we are together talking with an audience, he emphasises faith. I usually do not put emphasis on faith; I usually put more emphasis on secular ethics. Whether we are believers or non-believers, we should be warm-hearted persons. Warm-heartedness is biological. It does not necessarily come from religious faith. But Archbishop Tutu and I are very similar — each one devoted to his own faith.
Emotionally and mentally, we are very close. I call him my spiritual older brother. We are both fully committed to the value of spirituality and we both belong to the camp of people who believe in spirituality.
In age, I’m younger. So, naturally, he’s my elder brother! In front of an audience, he praises me. He gives long praises and then he states: “Unfortunately he is not Christian!” The audience always laughs at this. They understand that he’s saying that he respects different religious traditions. So here, also, we are similar. We each have faith in one form of religion, but respect all religions.
On one occasion in South Africa I had some lengthy discussions about methods to promote harmony among the religions. It has been my practice, since 1975, to meet scholars of different religious traditions and discuss the similarities and Âdifferences between our practices.
When we find differences, we ask, “What’s the purpose?”, since religions have the same intent: the promotion of basic human values. We have different views, different philosophies, but the same purpose. When I have met religious practitioners we find more or less the same qualities in them. They are using different methods or practices, they are of different religious traditions, but they exhibit more or less the same qualities.
People like Mother Teresa and Bishop Tutu himself and many others, through their own Christian faith, really transformed their lives. Their lives were more meaningful. They were more compassionate, more sensible and more responsible. So meeting and speaking to religious practitioners, that’s a second method to promote closer understanding.
Then the third way is pilgrimage. People of different races and different religious traditions can make pilgrimages to one another’s holy sites. People of different faiths can meet and share a message of peace and spirituality.
Archbishop Tutu added another idea. When disasters happen, people from different organisations can come together and help. Since then, on many occasions when I speak of ways to enhance harmony, I add his suggestion.
And, actually, we experienced that in 1959 when large numbers of people from the Tibetan community arrived in India. Many Catholic organisations and Protestant organisations offered us lots of help.
He is always playful, always jovial, always teasing. He is such a nice person. On one occasion, I think in America, a few Nobel laureates were moving from one place to another. In the hall we walked in a procession. I always push him ahead because he is the older spiritual leader. So I was behind him. I pretended to choke him. He turned back. “Dalai Lama, I will inform the police that I need protection!”
We are always teasing each other. In any meeting of the Nobel laureates he always brings a very jovial atmosphere. Of course he can be very serious. But generally, whenever he joins, the atmosphere completely changes. He is an easy-going, open, wonderful person.
He is a freedom fighter but the fight is carried out with compassion, forgiveness and a full commitment to nonviolence. His commitment to reconciliation in South Africa is wonderful. He did not just say nice words, but he actually carried out committed action. I really admire him, and of course Mr Mandela also, for that.
Besides his spiritual practice, his commitment has been a lesson to me. In South Africa he committed the practice and provided the teaching. He made an example to others of forgiveness. He showed the basis for the work of reconciliation and Âforgiveness.
When I have spoken to audiences, I sometimes said: “After democracy was achieved, Bishop Tutu and the black people became the leaders in reconciliation. They carried out this work very sincerely. For black South Africans, once they got the power, it would have been easy to forget about reconciliation. But they did not. This was wonderful.” So I learned.
In the same sort of spirit that Archbishop Tutu implemented reconciliation, we can learn from his experience. In the future we may have that kind of work when the time comes [for Tibet].
I’m his junior, so logically the junior can learn more from the senior. The senior may learn from the junior. I never expect he should learn something from me. He is my friend. Once a person is a very close friend and develops respect, then the other’s problem you feel as your own problem; the other’s happiness you feel is your own.
Politically, in the initial period he did not touch on the Tibetan problem. But then later, at one meeting in New York, he mentioned the Tibetan problem.
He used his moral authority to bring attention to the issue. Then also in Delhi, when he was awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize, he said that the government of India looks after the Dalai Lama and this makes him very happy. He added that the government of India should also Âsupport Tibetan freedom.
We appreciate his support.
Last year, before the World Cup, the South African embassy in New Delhi declined a visa for me. Archbishop Tutu publicly expressed his unhappiness and displeasure about this. He really showed solidarity.
Jointly Archbishop Tutu and [Václav] Havel [former president of the Czech Republic] wrote an article about Liu Xiaobo, which I think appeared in the Guardian. It was a very strong statement.
I heard about it through the BBC, although I didn’t see the article itself. It is very helpful to have someone like him, someone with moral authority, to make clear what is wrong and what is right.
That’s very important. I think spiritual leaders should do more. They should speak out.
Politicians and leaders of government have to take into consideration various other factors: the economy and many, many things, but spiritual leaders are supposed to stand firm on moral principle. Even if there are some immediate consequences, it doesn’t matter.
On this planet everybody says, “Peace, peace, peace.” Even North Korea says, “Peace, peace, peace.” But reality is just the opposite.
The United Nations is supposed to be the highest world body, but sometimes it looks like a trade centre: “If you do this, I will do that.” Someone must make clear that right is right and wrong is wrong fearlessly, truthfully, honestly.
Although Archbishop Tutu is retired, whenever there is an issue of humanity, I think he must speak. His voice is important. He should stand firm as he has done.
He should stand firm. It’s very important. And also [the fact that he is] a black person from the African continent is very helpful.
Maybe it’s a little selfish of me. If some Europeans make a statement then the Chinese communists say, “Oh, it’s Western imperialist anti-Chinese forces speaking!” They can easily dismiss it.
South Africans suffered a lot under white colonials, under apartheid. When he speaks strongly, it is difficult to say that he’s the instrument of Western anti-Chinese forces.
I guess the Chinese may try to say that Archbishop Tutu is the instrument of Western anti-Chinese forces. After all, they described me as an instrument of Western anti-Chinese forces.
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual leader of Tibet and its former head of state. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989