The Glastonbury Festival, held near Pilton in Somerset, England, had a special visitor on the morning of 28 June: HH the Dalai Lama. The visit to the popular arts festival was a part of the Tibetan spiritual leader’s four-day trip to the UK, during which he will also give a public talk titled “Buddhism in 21st Century” in Aldershot on 29 June.
The Dalai Lama with a festival T-shirt to avoid the rain. From Yui Mok/PA
Welcomed by attendees with an early birthday song (he will turn 80 on 6 July), the 79-year-old Tibetan leader enthusiastically described the event as “a festival of people, not governments or politicians” (independent.co.uk). Speaking at the event’s “spiritual zone,” he also gave a short message on tolerance and fairness, and spoke against crimes in the name of religion, saying, “While you are here, enjoy the joyfulness here. But you should remember on this same planet are human beings being killed by human beings. . . . In Syria and Iraq and some other places they’re killing other human beings. Unthinkable. The worst thing is the killing of others in the name of faith” (independent.co.uk). He also reiterated the message of his recent Australian tour, emphasizing the need for moral education in schools and universities.
Later, the Dalai Lama joined a panel to discuss the environment and ending nuclear weapons. He expressed his approval of the Pope’s recent encyclical on climate change and called on other religious leaders to “speak out about current affairs which affect the future of mankind,” adding that people should “say more—we have to make more of an effort, including demonstrations” (theguardian.com). He also said international governments should be compelled to stop deforestation and the use of fossil fuels and to invest more in green energy, and that a timetable for change should be set in the next two to four years.
The Glastonbury Festival is one of the UK’s largest arts festivals, and features movies, circus acts, theater, comedy, and dance performances in addition to contemporary music. The first festival, called the Pilton Festival, was held in 1970, and was hosted by Michael Eavis, the dairy farmer who owns the land. This year marked the 45th anniversary of the hippie-style festival, and attracted more than 175,000 attendees. Well-known performers included Florence and the Machine, Kanye West, Lionel Richie, and Pharrell Williams.
Prior to the event, the Dalai Lama’s representative, Chonpel Tsering, had said: “The visit will offer all those attending the events, and beyond, an opportunity to hear the message of compassion, hope, dialogue and tolerance of this widely respected spiritual and moral authority.” Emily Eavis, Michael Eavis’s daughter and the current festival organizer, said she felt honored that the esteemed leader would be attending, and that his visit was “a special moment for the Festival!” (mirror.co.uk).
His Holiness will visit the UK again in September, a few weeks before China’s president, Xi Jinping.