On Nov. 28, 2025, I met with the 14th Dalai Lama for the first time in 11 years. The year before that last meeting, in 2013, we visited one of India’s approximately 750 leprosy colonies together. His Holiness was moved and surprised me by offering to use his own book royalties to support young people living in the colonies to pursue higher education.

The Nippon Foundation matched his contribution, and the Sasakawa–India Leprosy Foundation (S-ILF) joined as an administrative partner to implement the Dalai Lama–Sasakawa Scholarship in 2015. To date, approximately 260 students have received support through this program to study for a degree in fields such as law, pharmacy, computer science, or hospitality. Many of the graduates have secured well-paying, socially respected jobs that have transformed their family circumstances. They have become role models in their communities.

I had heard that the Dalai Lama had undergone surgery about a year ago in the United States, and so I was concerned about his health. However, he appeared as compassionate and serene as ever. While looking over some photographs I had brought with me, we warmly and peacefully renewed our old friendship.

Considering our respective advanced ages – he is 90 and I am 86 – this meeting was particularly special. It served as an opportunity to engrave in my heart once again my resolve to continue dedicating my full efforts to the mission of eliminating leprosy from the world.