But most people do not understand how to overcome suffering and why it is there. According to him, the only way to be happy is to keep away from self-popularity and self-possession. Self gives more suffering than happiness, he observed.

He said it was very important to realise the significance of human life. Buddhist philosophy speaks of rebirth (punarjanma), and obtaining human birth is very rare. So, he said, one should use every opportunity to use this life to study and apply the Dharma.

Stating that one gets human life after a lot of suffering, he said one should make every effort to achieve as much merit as possible in this life. The Dalai Lama said one of the distinctive features of Mahayana Buddhism is that it says that every human being should treat everyone else with equality.

“Always remain kind to everyone and never harbour ill-will even towards your enemies, even if you have an argument with anyone,” he added.

Later, he administered the five oaths to the thousands of disciples and said it was up to them to receive one of the vows or all five. The vows are not to steal, not to lie, not to take life, not to engage in sexual misconduct and not to take intoxicating substances.