The Dalai Lama emphasized in Vilnius that solutions to all problems should be violence-free.
"The 20th century became a century of violence, now this 21st century should be the century of dialogue," the Dalai Lama, a laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize, told a news conference.
He warned that challenges will remain due to the swelling population, the gap between the rich and the poor, the limited natural resources and the natural disasters caused by global warming.
"When these problems happen, we, seven billion human beings, must work together. Cooperation is essential. Now the time has come – we must think of seven billion humans as one humanity," said the Dalai Lama.
"Your future depends on me, my future depends on you. That's the reality. European future depends on Asia, the Arab world, Africa, America. That's the reality. So we must think according to that reality," he added.
Speaking about his home country, the Dalai Lama emphasized the need to eliminate reasons that push his fellow countrymen into self-immolation. According to data provided by non-governmental organizations, about 120 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009 in protest of Chinese oppression.
He urged journalists to go to Tibet and look into the reasons causing people to take their lives.
"Of course, these are symptoms of certain causes. I think the best thing is you should go there and (…) investigate," the Dalai Lama said.
“They are facing some serious difficulties (...). So you must investigate. Unless we deal with the causes of these symptoms, just simply some comments will not help much," he added.
In the Dalai Lama's words, it is important to look at the motives while examining a person's choice to set himself on fire.
"Motivation out of hatred, out of anger, then self-immolation is also bad. Self-immolation motivated for well-being of their community and Buddhist tradition, then motivation is sincere, positive. So we cannot say this is violence," said the Dalai Lama who is in Lithuania on his third visit.
Invitation to Tibet
The Dalai Lama also met with Lithuanian politicians on Thursday and invited them to come to Tibet and later tell Chinese officials what they saw.
This was his answer to the question about the measures Lithuania could take to help Tibet.
"Visit Tibet and then also, if you have an opportunity of meeting high leaders of the Chinese government, tell them what you saw," the Dalai Lama said.
Speaking to Lithuanian politicians, staff of the Seimas office and guests, he emphasized he fully resigned from political duties in 2011 and now remains a spiritual leader only.
As to Tibet's aspirations, the Dalai Lama said the people of Tibet are realistic and want minimum autonomy to the extent that the Chinese Constitution allows, not independence.
Among participants of the meeting with the Tibetan spiritual leader were Lithuanian Parliamentary Vice-Speaker Irena Degutienė, MEPs Vytautas Landsbergis and Laima Andrikienė, as well as Liberal MP Dalia Kuodytė who heads a parliamentary group for relations with Tibet.
After Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaitė privately met with the visiting Dalai Lama in Vilnius on Wednesday, Lithuanian Ambassador to Beijing Lina Antanaviciene was summoned to the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday.
