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Last week from his residence in Dharamsala, India, the Dalai Lama engaged in a dialogue with nearly 1,000 police officers in the United Kingdom. The dialogue, which took place online on 8 July, was held with members of the London Metropolitan Police under the theme “Developing Compassion During Uncertain Times.”
During the discussion, the Dalai Lama told the police officers that “it’s because we have neglected our inner world and an idea of inner peace that we now see a crisis in society.” He continued: “And you need to have a sense of compassion for those who are causing trouble. If there is no other way to restrain the violent, you may have to adopt tough measures, but not at the cost of losing your own peace of mind. Sometimes people think of compassion as a sign of weakness. I consider it a sign of strength.”
Responding to a question about the particularly sad scenes that many police encounter in their work, the Dalai Lama responded: “You mustn’t let the sight of violence make you demoralized. You have to be determined to bring about change. Destructive emotions are a result of ignorance, but with determination it can be overcome.”
During the discussion, the Dalai Lama told the police officers that “it’s because we have neglected our inner world and an idea of inner peace that we now see a crisis in society.” He continued: “And you need to have a sense of compassion for those who are causing trouble. If there is no other way to restrain the violent, you may have to adopt tough measures, but not at the cost of losing your own peace of mind. Sometimes people think of compassion as a sign of weakness. I consider it a sign of strength.”
Responding to a question about the particularly sad scenes that many police encounter in their work, the Dalai Lama responded: “You mustn’t let the sight of violence make you demoralized. You have to be determined to bring about change. Destructive emotions are a result of ignorance, but with determination it can be overcome.”
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