MP govt to get inspiration from the Dalai Lama to spread happiness

March 18, 2017;

Times of India, 18 March 2017

BHOPAL: The state government has found a new source of inspiration to promote its much-hyped initiative ‘Happiness department’ in Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso. The Dalai Lama will address legislators and bureaucracy of the state on “how to live a happy life”.

The programme is being organised at the state assembly hall on March 19, where select audience is invited to discuss initiatives by the government to measure gross happiness index of its public. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Speaker Sitasaran Sharma will express their views during the special occasion.

Dalai Lama, who is also the patron of Action for Happiness, a movement of people committed to building a happier and more caring society, had launched a new course in London a couple of years ago to help people discover how to live a happier and kinder life. The course kicked off in September 2015 aims at inspiring people to care less about what they can get just for themselves and more about the happiness of others.

“We have been following Buddhist philosophy for living a peaceful and happier life and His Holiness the Dalai Lama is one of the promoters of peace despite having so many ups and downs in life and struggling silently for the peaceful Tibetan society. His initiatives to live happily in a kinder society are inspiring to a great extent,” said Manoj Shrivastava, principal secretary of culture department, who is organising the lecture.
Quoting the spiritual leader, officials of the Happiness department said in his message Dalai Lama had been inspiring people that “As human beings we all want to live a happy life and be part of a happy society. But in the modern world, we do not give this high enough priority. We must put the happiness of others at the centre of our lives. This is the path to lasting peace and happiness.”
During the programme, the chief minister would put forward the idea behind setting up a separate ‘Happiness department’ in the state. A calendar on ‘Anand Sansthan’ (Happiness department) will also be released during the occasion.
Officials said the programme is open to public by invitation, but majority of MLAs, ministers of BJP government and bureaucrats will attend the lecture as the House will resume for daily business from March 20, a day after the visit of the spiritural leader.
The same day, the spiritual leader is also likely to participate in Narmada Sewa Yatra, government’s initiative to save water and conserve river, said officials.