On April 25th, 2012, Gyaltsen Norbu, the 11th Panchen Lama, delivered a speech for the first time outside of the Chinese mainland. The 22-year-old, the second most senior leader in Tibetan Buddhism, delivered his keynote speech at the third World Buddhist Forum before hundreds of monks, nuns, and scholars in Hong Kong. In particular, he criticized the corrupting influence of materialism:

However, it is a contemporary trend to put “materialistic technology” ahead of the “science of the mind”. “Increasing greediness in people’s hearts has unbalanced the eco-systems, contaminated the environments, caused natural disasters, spread epidemics, induced wars and hence endangered all sentient beings now and in future,” he said.

While people are searching for the remedy, “science of the mind ” stands out as a path leading to harmony of the nature, peace in the world, concordance in societies and affection in families, he said.

Norbu has as seen his profile rise in recent years, including an appointment to the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, but the current incarnation of the Panchen Lama has been a matter of some controversy. While the People’s Republic of China recognizes Norbu as the Panchen Lama, the exiled 14th Dalai Lama, the most senior leader in Tibetan Buddhism, declared in 1995 that it was Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, who has not been publicly seen since.

Read more on the speech here.