My
Day With The Dalai Lama
“To
enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring
peace to all, one must first discipline one's own mind. If a man can
control his mind, he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all
wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.” Buddha
I
spent four hours yesterday in the presence of His Holiness the Dalai
Lama. I had ricocheted around about going—there were two events,
one beginning at 9:00 a.m. I knew there would be large crowds, hardly
any parking, lots of protesters, and thus, lots of security. It was
hot—84 degrees—and the afternoon event was outside. I could just read his books again; that would be so much easier. But I was so
very glad that, in the end, I opted for going with my friends, Harry
and Sharon, to both events.
His
message, as always, was a very simple one—we must learn to look at
everyone with the same eyes. We must realize that though there are
secondary differences of ideas, politics, race, religion, wealth,
education, and opportunity, at a primary level, we are all the same.
We are all human beings who desire the same things; to be healthy, to
be happy, and to be at peace. He was, perhaps, the most humble person
I've ever seen. In a panel of highly educated and distinguished
dignitaries, he spoke simply, and laughed at himself. He spoke of the
designation, “His Holiness the Dalai Lama,” as a stumbling block to closeness; that it separates him from others,
when he is simply one human being like any other.
He
talked at length about love; that the primary tenet of every
religion is love. He found it strange that any religion would profess
that the same Creator who created such variety in human beings, and
in the wide world, would make only one true path to God. He said that
as long as a religion is based in love, it is true. He spoke about the love and affection of a mother for her young child as being critical to that child's sense of security as an adult.
He
redefined the meaning of secular—not as freedom from religion, but
as inclusive and respectful of all religions and of non-believers as
well. He espoused public education that teaches children, not only
how to further themselves academically and materially, but how to be
kind and respectful to one another, how to be ethical regardless of
whether or not they are exposed to religious ideas. When he was asked
his stance on gun-control, he said simply that gun control begins in
the human heart.
It
was a great, full day of listening to one of our foremost spiritual
leaders and trying to absorb not only his words but the depth and
breadth of their meaning. It occurred to me at some point during in
the day that what sets him apart is not so much the content of his
words, but his complete lack of ego. Such a profound and simple
lesson for us all about what stands between us and enlightenment.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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