There are at least three lessons for us to learn from the Dalai Lama's NPPA Speech. The first is his implied message about humbleness and no-self. The Dalai Lama never talked about himself as the Nobel Prize Laureate. Instead, he mentioned the true recipients whom he as a simple monk represented, or accepted the prize for. Who were they, the NPP winners in 1989? The Tibetans, the oppressed, and those who struggle to protect world peace, harmony and happiness for all sentient beings on earth by non-violent means and measures. The absence of the "I" or the "self" in his speech is noticeable from the beginning to the end.
The second lesson is compassion, a sincere wish for everybody to be happy and to live in harmony with one another and with nature. His compassion extends to even the oppressors and the enemies. It is true compassion, for from it we see the interdependence and unity among all sentient beings. The message is clear: despite apparent differences, everything and everybody is fundamentally the same.
Thirdly, humanity must be aware of what is going on in Tibet, and each of us, in our capacity, must take part in humanity's universal responsibility to protect Tibet's endangered environment and culture. That also implies our responsibility to protect our planet and all beings and cultures that exist on earth.
The Dalai Lama pointed out that in the struggle to build world peace and harmony, and to protect the environment, the only possible path for us to take is that of compassion, non-violence, and unity.
