Dalai Lama On Paris Attacks: Work For Peace, Don't Expect God To Solve Man-Made Problems

Responding to the Friday Paris terrorist attacks that left at least 129 dead, the Dalai Lama, the Buddhist leader exiled from Tibet and a worldwide symbol of compassion, said people should work to foster peace within society, and not look for help from God or governments. People worldwide must make attempts to achieve peace or violence will continue as it did in the previous century, the Dalai Lama said Monday in an interview with the German broadcasting agency Deutsche Welle.

“People want to lead a peaceful lives. The terrorists are shortsighted, and this is one of the causes of rampant suicide bombings,” the Dalai Lama said. “We cannot solve this problem only through prayers. I am a Buddhist and I believe in praying. But humans have created this problem and now we are asking God to solve it. It is illogical. God would say, 'Solve it yourself because you created it in the first place.'”

The Dalai Lama said the violence of the 20^th century has spilled over into the current century and that the violence can be solved only if humans emphasize harmony. He said it is in everyone’s interest to work for peace.

“We need a systematic approach to foster humanistic values, of oneness and harmony,” the Dalai Lama said to Deutsche Welle. “If we start doing it now, there is hope that this century will be different from the previous one.”

The Dalai Lama’s comments come amid mass investigations into the Paris terrorist attacks. Authorities reportedly arrested three people Tuesday in Germany in connection with the attacks, and two safe houses were also found in the Paris suburbs reportedly used by at least some of the terrorists.

More than 20 people have been arrested across France in a series of raids on suspected militants, the BBC reported. About seven people were detained in Belgium after the attacks, but some have been released.