Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Monday asked the world to seek inspiration from India which has maintained religious harmony for over 2,000 years, as he prayed for the victims of Orlando shooting that claimed over 50 lives.
"A very serious tragedy in Orlando. So let's start with some silent prayer," the Dalai Lama said at the US Institute of Peace, a US-based think-tank established by the Congress.
Asserting that "genuine practitioners of Islam would never create bloodshed", he asked the world to seek inspiration from India which is home to major religions of the world and people live in harmony.
"India despite problems, has had religious harmony there for 2,000 years," he said.
"If India can maintain religious harmony, why can't the rest of the world?" the Dalai Lama said, a day after an Afghan-origin gunman killed 49 people at an Orlando nightclub in the deadliest shooting in American history. The shooter was also shot dead by police.
"India is an example of live together," he said as he proposed religious leaders from the Middle East to visit India.
The Dalai Lama said that he recently told a group of Hindu leaders that "I am ready to come (go back to Hinduism)" if they address the discriminatory caste system.
He called upon the Hindu religious leaders to work towards this and create awareness to abolish the caste system. He also suggested that India should hold an international religious conference.
The American military power, he said, can crush the enemy, but can't change the mindset of the people.
He cited the example of Tibetan people not changing their mindset despite 60 years of use of force by the Chinese government.
