He was identified and recognized as the 14th Tongkhor Rinpoche by His Holiness The Dalai Lama when he was just two-and-a-half years old. Siling Tongkhor Rinpoche was enthroned at Sera Mey Monastic University in Mysore. Rinpoche is currently focusing on development of his own spiritual progression and is often invited to teach and speak at a number of dharma centers and international conferences on Buddhism, compassion and humanity.

In a freewheeling interview with Ritwik Mukherjee of The Statesman, he delves at length on wide-ranging issues like growing social and religious tensions, consumerism, food habits, concept of Shunya and Shunuyata, and much more.

Q. Why is it that India, which had once shown the path to peace, nonviolence and tolerance to the rest of the world, is now often troubled by religious strife, communal tension, social unrest and intolerance?

A: It is true that in ancient India, despite our differences and even foreign invasions, we maintained mutual respect and fundamental human kindness. We did not lose our way even in the darkest times. Today’s crisis is not about new conflicts, but about how modern tools amplify old divisions. Social media, algorithms and AI, designed to maximize engagement, often spread fear and mistrust faster than truth and understanding. What were once manageable differences have become digital wildfires of suspicion. Buddha’s wisdom remains relevant, ‘Do not believe something just because you heard it, even from someone you respect’. We must investigate, verify, and acknowledge that our personal views may not reflect the complete truth. The irony is striking in an age with unprecedented access to information and connection, we are losing the art of respectful disagreement that our ancestors mastered centuries ago. The solution lies not in using modern tools to silence those we disagree with, but in combining our traditional wisdom of tolerance with critical thinking for the digital age. True power lies not in our capacity to destroy, but in our wisdom to show restraint.

Q. What is your take on the belief that all religions have a common source or origin and they converge into one?

A: As a Buddhist practitioner, I view religion differently from those who believe in an omnipotent Creator watching over us from above. Rather than seeing all faiths as branches of one divine tree, I understand religion as human constructs, each born from the unique needs of its community. Think of religion as a social framework, carefully designed over generations to nurture harmony and understanding. Like different gardens tended by different gardeners, each religion grew from local soil, shaped by local needs, yet serving a universal purpose supporting human flourishing. The genius of religious systems lies in their dual approach: offering both the gentle hand of love and the firm guidance of moral force. Through promises of ultimate freedom be it moksha, nirvana, or heaven religions help maintain social order. Yet beyond mere control, they provide genuine pathways to inner peace through meditation, spiritual practices, and understanding the retributional force of karma. While some may exploit faith for personal gain, this does not diminish religion’s core value. At its heart, each faith tradition offers tools for communities to thrive and individuals to find meaning.

Q. What is the fundamental difference between religion and spiritualism? Do you think people often mistake one for the other?

A. Allow me to use the metaphor of thirst to understand religion and spirituality. Imagine being thirsty. What you truly need is water – pure, life-giving water. But how do you bring this water from its source to your lips? You need a vessel – perhaps a clay pot, a glass, or even modern pipelines. Each container serves the same purpose but differs in design, material, and method of delivery. This simple metaphor explains the relationship between spirituality and religion. Spirituality is like water – the essential element that quenches our inner thirst. Religion, in all its diverse forms, represents the vessels we use to access this spiritual nourishment. Just as different cultures have developed various ways to carry and store water, humanity has created different religious traditions. Each tradition comes with its own philosophies, practices, and disciplines, shaped by local wisdom and needs. Why so many religions? Simply because we cannot all live at the water’s source. We need these carefully designed systems-these vesselsto bring spiritual wisdom into our daily lives.

Q. Has consumerism got anything to do with the growth of violence, intolerance and drifting people away from the path of peace?

A: Absolutely! Modern capitalism has mastered the art of feeding our ancient habitual cravings. Like adding fuel to fire, it transforms our simple wants into desperate needs. We’ve created a world where even those who could sleep on beds of gold still eye their neighbor’s silver. It’s a powerful symbol of our times – where having more hasn’t made us more content, only more hungry. The mathematics is simple, yet we complicate it: we’ve confused accumulation with fulfillment, possession with peace. Even nations, just like individuals, fall into this trap. The most powerful still seek more power, the wealthiest still hunger for greater wealth. And that unrestrained desire drive us away from our fundamental values.

Q. Sadhana, Tapasya or renunciation cannot be practiced by one and all, in the strictest sense of the term. Can it be?

Does spiritualism refrain one from acquiring wealth? A: This is such a good question, I love it! The Buddha’s wisdom on wealth is often misunderstood. He never condemned prosperity – rather, he illuminated the Middle Way, teaching us to navigate between the extremes of destitute poverty and excessive opulence. Wealth, in Buddhist understanding, is like a well-crafted tool – its value lies not in its mere possession, but in its skillful use, material resources can become instruments of compassion and positive change. The key lies in seeing wealth as a means to an end, not the end itself. Consider His Holiness the Dalai Lama – a perfect modern exemplar of this principle. His book royalties generate significant funds, yet this prosperity is used to nourish communities and uplift the underprivileged. This demonstrates the Buddha’s practical wisdom: it’s not the possession of wealth that creates attachment, but our relationship with it.

Q. What is the real concept of ‘Shunya’ or ‘Zero’? Why is it so important?

A: Ancient India gave birth to two transformative concepts: Shunya (zero) and Shunyata (emptiness). Though similar in name, they serve distinct yet equally profound purposes in human understanding. Zero, developed by the mathematician Aryabhata in the 5th century, represents both absence and presencea number that signifies nothing while being something itself. This seemingly paradoxical concept revolutionized mathematical thinking and remains fundamental to our daily calculations. Shunyata, first taught by the Buddha during his second Dharma Talk in Rajgir, describes not nothingness but the absence of inherent existence. This principle reveals that all phenomena are inter-dependent (Pratityasamutpada). Consider a car: what we call “car” is actually a collection of ‘non-car’ parts-tires, engine, chassis, seats. Remove these components, and no car remains. The car exists only through its relationship to these ‘non-car’ parts.

Q. What is the importance of food in one’s spiritual journey?

A: What we eat becomes part of us. When we consume harmful substances, or obtain food through means that harm others, we affect not just our bodies but our spiritual path. The way we nourish ourselves shapes our spiritual journey or life.

Q. All these intolerances – do they come from the society to individual or the other way round? Which way do they move- micro to macro or macro to micro?

A: As we live in samsara, each thought leads to an action, and each action to consequences. This creates a cycle of suffering that returns us to where we began. To break free from this cycle of Moh-Maya and misery, we must transform our negative thoughts and mindset into positive ones.

Q. What is the practical way out to stay calm in stressful family and professional lives, which is very common these days?

A: We know our loved ones are inherently good, yet we become agitated when triggered by their actions. In these moments, remember they too are under the influence of illusion, just as we are. Shantideva, the 8th century Indian philosopher, offered a clear insight: When someone strikes us with a stick, we get angry at the person, not the stick that caused our pain. Yet if we blame the person for controlling the stick, we must recognize that the person themselves is controlled by ego, ignorance, and anger. Therefore, direct your displeasure at these true causes of harm, not at the person themselves. This is a good practice to train and curb one’s negative emotions.

Q. What should be the role of an ideal Guru or religious preacher?

A: An ideal guru is like a lit lamp igniting an unlit one. They foster growth in both their students and themselves. Eventually, a true teacher helps students become independent, and must be ready to free them from the influences of the teacher even. While scriptures describe many qualities of a teacher, humility stands foremost. Even while sharing knowledge, a teacher must never abandon humility.