Life gets distracting. I so easily get wrapped up in to do lists, schedules, meetings, and activities. I get so wrapped up inside my head that I sometimes forget there is a big, beautiful world out there. I have been attending Sangha meditation group more regularly this spring, and it’s helped me realize how much I need to get out of my head and into my heart; how much I need to connect with things beyond myself; how much I need to make time for quiet and space for reflection. I have had a lot to reflect on in these past weeks.
A couple of weeks ago, on April 8th, our school was honored with a visit from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, who came to speak at our school. The energy and anticipation of that morning was tangible. As I stood in the welcoming line holding a khata, a traditional ceremonial scarf, between my hands, I felt as though I might burst with emotion. Every cell in my body felt alive. I made a mental note of this moment, wanting to etch the scene, the sounds, and the sensations into my memory. I felt very present.
The Dalai Lama entered the gym, greeting everyone he passed with gentleness and humility. He acknowledged each person , big and small, and I found tears of joy welling up in my eyes as he passed by me, feeling so moved by his powerful presence.
The Dalai Lama spoke for nearly two hours in the AES gym, providing an inspirational message about compassion and unity sprinkled with moments of humor. He spoke of big issues facing our world today: violence, discrimination, fear and anger, but he did so with a lightness and with an unrelenting sense of hope. He began by addressing the students directly as young brothers and sisters. “The past,” he began, “we cannot change. Future always is a possibility change…You, young people, are the basis of our hope.”
The Dalai Lama spoke on many topics, from the ingratitude of mosquitoes to religious harmony to the decorative nature of Japanese food, but the main theme that ran through his talk was that of compassion. He described compassion as a sense of concern and care for others’ well-being. Years of discussing and meditating on this concept have led him to this conclusion: “Basic human nature is more compassionate.” Our nature is not violent. Our nature is not divisive. And this gives him hope for a better, more peaceful future. “Who going to make new shape for the planet?” he asked. “You. These young people.”
We are social beings. Human beings need each other. We need friendship. We need connection. “One single human being, no matter how powerful, cannot survive without community.” The source of our own happiness and success in life very much depends on our relationships with others, and likewise self-centeredness and selfishness are self-destructive. “Friendship…entirely depends on trust,” he said. “Trust very much based on compassion, taking care of their well being. Then trust will come.”
I found myself thinking of my closest friends, of those friendships that have endured years and distances and feel that regardless of the time that has passed, don’t skip a beat (you know who you are!) Trust is the factor that has kept these friendships strong, and it’s the factor that has caused others to crumble. Feeling lots of gratitude for so many beautiful people and strong relationships in my life.
There are 7 billion human beings on this planet today. It is easy to focus on our differences: of color, of religion, of ethnicity, of wealth, but all of these are artificial categories that we created. “On fundamental level, we are same.” Discrimination is the major source of all of our world’s problems. Only when we begin to see ourselves in others, recognize the interdependence that connects us all, view everyone as one, can we begin to fix the problems that we have created for ourselves. And this sense of compassion for all, of unity as a human race leads to sense of universal responsibility.
Throughout his speech, the Dalai Lama maintained a sense of humility. He told of a recent trip he made to the Mayo Clinic. When asked by the doctors how he would like to be addressed, he told them to simply call him brother. He said there is too much emphasis on titles and status, and these create unnecessary distance. His own title “His Holiness Dalai Lama” suggests a power dynamic that is divisive. “I am just another human being.” We may have different traditions and beliefs, eat different foods, and speak different languages, but we are all human. “We all have same desire: desire for happiness, same right to achieve happy life.”
The Dalai Lama’s laughter is honest and infectious. There were many times throughout the speech he would slap his hands on his knees, lean forward, and let out a big belly laugh at his own joke. He told about the animals at the monastery, elaborating the story of the monastery’s adopted cat with licking gestures and purring noises. After about an hour and a half of speaking, he was motioned to wrap it up. He laughed and spoke of his greatest weakness: “once this mouth open blah blah blah, so now I will stop.” He then proceeded to carry on happily for another 10 minutes to finish his point on religious harmony, then satisfied that he had made his point, clapped his hands emphatically on his lap and announced, “OK, now I will stop.”
Throughout his visit he found ways to connect with students. He told of being a lazy student who dreaded class. “When class start, not very happy. Holiday, ha, very happy! I think most of you same experience, isn’t it?” He laughed, and we all laughed along with him, nodding in agreement. As he left, sporting his newly gifted AES gear, he stopped to shake hands with students, recognizing them as fellow human beings, living his compassion.
Time moves. This day has come and gone and exists only as a memory. “Time is always moving. No force can stop time movement,” the Dalai Lama stated. So make today count. Do what you can to make the world better than it was yesterday. Compassion is a good place to start.
If you would like to hear his speech for yourself, you can watch it here:
julirae 