But one must proceed based on a clear recognition of reality, rather than blind over- selfconfidence, which can lead to disaster. Anger, he acknowledged, is a natural response. And there is a heritage of violence in which we are conditioned. But violence only begets more violence. And it can be changed.
Human beings are capable of improvement.
Just as we all have two eyes, we all have the capacity of altruism, the greatest gift. Just as the knife is an inanimate tool, so Chinese invaders of Tibet merely obey impulse blindly, and are human beings deserving of compassion. If this has been the century of violence, the Dalai Lama looks forward to the next as being the century of dialogue. And for three days, he showed himself to be a most superb moderator. Keynote speaker Jose Ramos-Horta underscored this fact when he announced the the recent decision made by a number of Nobel Peace laureates.