The 11th Panchen Lama Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, one of the two most senior living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism, prayed for the long lasting preservation of the Dharma on Earth and the wellbeing for everyone at the Third World Buddhist Forum on Thursday morning.

"Aiming at both getting self enlightenment and enlightening others, Buddhism has prospered for thousand years, and is now an important component of the world religion," the 22-year-old Panchen Lama said in a keynote speech delivered?to over 1,000 monks and scholars.

Buddhist Doctrines are the essence of the "science of the mind", which can benefit spiritual growth, cultivate morality, dissolve human conflicts and mental sufferings, and bring global peace, he said.

Increasing Greediness in people's hearts has unbalanced the eco systems, contaminated the environments, caused natural disasters, spread epidemics, induced wars, and hence endangering all sentient beings now and in future. While people are searching for the remedy, the "science of the mind" stands out as a path leading to harmony of the nature, peace in world, concordance in societies and affection in families, he said.

In religion, Dharma means law or natural law and is a concept of central importance. For many Buddhists, the Dharma most often means the body of teachings expounded by the Buddha. The word is also used in Buddhist phenomenology as a term roughly equivalent to phenomenon, a basic unit of existence or experience. Buddha was a spiritual teacher from India on whose teachings Buddhism was founded.

The visit to Hong Kong is the first public appearance of Panchen Lama outside Chinese mainland.