Bhubaneswar: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama was honoured with the 10th KISS Humanitarian Award at the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) here on Tuesday. The award citation recognised his "concern for the oppressed human beings all over the world in need of compassion". Saswati Bal, President, KISS, and Achyuta Samanta, founder, conferred the award on the Nobel Peace laureate before an audience of 27,000 students and a host of dignitaries.

The Dalai Lama is a beacon of hope, aspiration and inspiration for millions across the world, the award citation said, while noting his struggles and sacrifices. The spiritual leader called for making this century a century of compassion and peace. "The previous century was marred by violence. There were World Wars in which atom bombs were also used. Brains of brilliant scientists were utilised for destruction. Let the 21st century be a century of compassion and peace," he said. "Peace does not come from outside, rather it comes from inside.

We need to destroy our anger, aggression and jealousy. Anger and violence always bring disaster and creates a fearful atmosphere. World peace can be achieved only by inner peace." Deliberating on the role of education, the Dalai Lama said: "Existing modern education is inadequate as it focuses on material value and fame. Secular education should include moral education.

Research is now going on to figure out how best to do it... "India is the most populated democratic country and an ancient civilisation. This country has produced most brilliant people, including Buddhist masters. Buddhism has come from India. Modern world lacks moral principles and knowledge to tackle our destructive emotions. "Ancient Indian psychology was very advanced and still very relevant to deal with this problem. You should feel proud of your rich history, heritage and traditions," he told the students. (IANS)