His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, gives one sermon annually in the main temple's court, right in front of the entrance to his residence in the Tibetan exile community Dharmsala, in northern India.

Scarcely 200 km of Himalayan mountain ranges separate the small town at 1,900 meters elevation in the 5,000-meter Himachal Pradesh range from the homeland, Tibet, which the young Dalai Lama left with thousands of his people at age 24 in 1959, following the Chinese military occupation of the country.

Even though about 1,200 foreigners gather for it, the original purpose of the 10-day seminar in the first weeks of March is to refresh, reinvigorate and deepen the practice of the Tibetan laymen, lamas and rinpoches, who come from exile settlements in India, Nepal, Ladakh, Switzerland and other countries which host the Tibetan diaspora. Few were able to come from Tibet.

This spring, the Dalai Lama chose "The Jewel Ornament of Liberation" by Gampopa (1074-1153), one of the most important Tibetan Buddhist masters and a leading disciple of the great teacher Milarepa, to be the theme of his discourse. In his introductory sermon, the Dalai Lama reminded the audience not to absorb the masters' prescriptions passively, but to actively relate everything said to one's own experience and check its validity. Thus reproaching lazy believers, he triggered the process of questioning one's own motivations and called for alertness in the days to come.

The Dalai Lama's presentation in Tibetan was translated into Russian, Chinese, French and English and broadcast on the FM band. Most foreigners followed the two-hour morning and afternoon sessions with earphones on transistor radios. Participants brought their own cups to receive the smoky buttered tea served from scalding kettles during each lecture by the local monks. In the evenings, monasteries scattered in the hills around Dharmsala, such as Tushita Monastery, hosted gatherings to discuss in English and other languages the ideas which had been presented, with experienced Western lamas as guides.

Spiritual practice is not a matter of choosing the right religion or converting to Buddhism. His Holiness recommended that foreign listeners deeply investigate the possibility of transforming one's mind within the religious environment one was born into. If determined to advance, one can gain insight by monitoring one's habitual attachment to negative thought, conflicted emotions and a worldly way of life, and choose to release those bonds in any of the world's spiritual systems.

If, however, a person concludes after careful observation that the disposition of his or her mind demands practicing Buddhism, one should not hesitate to do so.

The sermon continued with the image of the lama, or spiritual teacher, as a doctor and the dharma as a medicine. The latter allows the disciple to clearly see the choices he or she can make in life and leads to cultivating habits which clean negative thought from the mind and nonvirtuous actions from one's karma.

The value of being born a human, with the chance to accumulate merit through virtuous thought and action, is a unique opportunity not realized by many. The Dalai Lama commented on Gampopa's teaching, reminding the listeners that reincarnation as an animal or a ghost or a human of low condition is much more likely than being born as a human to whom all paths are open. A nonvirtuous use of this life will certainly lead to rebirth in another realm, and many eons might pass before one has the chance again.

The sessions began March 8 with the chanting of sutras to commemorate the unprovoked invasion of Tibet by Chinese troops 40 years ago. The Dalai Lama took the opportunity to point out that the spirit of nonviolence does not content itself with mere abstinence from violence. Being nonviolent is not a passive act, but the active practice of compassion and positive, virtuous action.

In this context, the difference between nirvana, personal liberation, and the enlightenment reached by bodhisattvas was clearly explained. By serious practice, a person might be able to free him or herself from conflicted emotions and negative thoughts, reaching personal liberation. The one who seeks true enlightenment, however, renounces voluntarily his departure into nirvana to remain or return in the world as a bodhisattva to assist all those whose suffer to liberate themselves.

Dharmsala offers plentiful facilities for research on Tibetan Buddhism. The reference library and museum is open to the public. Courses in Tibetan are offered by senior monks. The Noburlinka Institute, situated half an hour away by car, offers lodging and access to rare books for invited researchers. The Tibetan Children's Village, with funds from UNESCO and SOS programs, ensures education in Tibet to about 2,000 children up through high school. Those who do not continue to university can be trained in Tibetan crafts traditions at the same school; carpets and quilts made there are sent all over the world and the income supports the school.

The seminar is scheduled to be held again next year. The dates, which are fixed according to the lunar calendar, are announced on the Dalai Lama's home page and through his office. Early booking of rooms is recommended, since the number of hotels in Dharmsala is rather limited.