with much excitement and anticipation we ventured to memphis on wednesday to spend an afternoon with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
david, t and i had our tickets in hand and waited with thousand of others to go through security. i was amazed at seeing so many secret service agents and thought how cool it was that they got to follow the Dalai Lama around and ensure his safety. on the way to our seats i tried to explain what was going on and what we would see. the best i could do was say we are going to see a monk...as t knows bhante, our local monk whom we offer food. this clued her into the importance and ability to recognize HH when he came onto stage. t pointed and said "there he is." we had first row balcony seats, on the end...right next to an exit. i don't know if i could have hand selected better and more appropriate seats for us. ok...so now i'll get down to the beauty of the talk.
just a little disclaimer...this was my experience, and my inserted thoughts i have tried to italicize to differentiate.
after HH the Dalai Lama came on stage and was warmly welcomed by the audience. he sat down in a large armchair. he laughed his joyous almost boyish chuckle and said "let me sit comfortably." he took of his shoes and crossed his legs up in the chair. in reverence to the space that was about to be created, i quietly slipped off my shoes as well.
after about 10 minutes of straining to hear. a man came on stage and talked with the translator and had HH adjust his microphone. laughter and applause echoed through the auditorium and HH said "everything i've said, you haven't heard?...that's it." humorously joking that the talk was over. he cracked a few more jokes and started at the beginning again.
he began by talking about the american civil rights museum in memphis. that the sites at the museum were sad because of all of the suffering. then he intertwined us all by saying that even though our skin is different and our noses are different that we are all basically the same. we all have the same brain and the same heart, the same ability for unbias love and compassion. and that unbias love is the source of a happy life and physical well being.
he breached the subject of religion. from the Buddhist perspective he simply stated that all different religions have the same potential to bring inner peace and to sustain hope...with a serious practice.
in terms of creating peace in our lives he said that when we think more and investigate more, we learn more. and that one person, no matter how powerful cannot survive alone. we need each other, the whole community because we are social animals. HH claimed that we are in an "age of disaster" that many of our community problems are caused by "we" and "they" thinking. that many of our problems are a result of self-centered thinking which is narrow minded.
in order to create harmony we need love and compassion. that upon realizing that "they" also have the same right to achieve a happy life. that there is too much self-centered attitude which distances us, which creates distrust which leads to fear and results in loneliness and depression. that the basis of distrust is fear. the counter to this is love, compassion and affection. that one way we think of this is in terms of religion...that we truly are brothers and sisters.
he suggested that faith is focused on "I" and that it is self-centered. that what we should do is reduce our self (classic Buddhist principle). he explained the "theory of causality" (which i have come to know and understand as karma). that when i harm someone that i will have to face consequences and that when i create happiness that it benefits myself.
::this might have been my favorite part::
HH spoke of human value. that we all have a universal value and this has nothing to do with religion. he explained that animals experience compassion and they do not have religion. that we have to be compassionate. he said...if you want to see what compassion looks like, look at a mother. that inside us there is too much anger and fear and that it is literately eating our system. that peace and compassion are important for our well being...and mentioned that science has concluded this as well. it is common sense, common experience, and scientific findings that suggest that love and compassion are strength.
if you pay attention when you are happy, you'll have trust and harmony...which leads to feeling more calm, and more happy, and then you have entered into a deeper practice. he stated that when our mind calms, we can see the fact more clearly, more realistically. if there is too much emotion, for example, anger, that we can't see reality. he said that "90% of human suffering is mental obsession." (i believe it!) that unrealistic effort (force) can't achieve a satisfactory response that once we release our effort we open up. it is not possible for anyone to see the whole picture from one angle, instead we have to look from different angles. in order to do this our mind must be calm to create a clear vision.
we need compassion in our daily life. he said that our western definition of secular includes rejection. but that the origin of the word secular is to respect all religions. how we go about creating peace in the world begins with first creating inner peace with our self through prayer an meditation. then we can create peace in our own homes, which will create peace in our communities and that is all we need to do. that when we create inner peace we are making the world a better place.
he claimed that loving one's self is very important. that we can't love others without loving oneself. when self-hatred, self-suffering exist within ourselves and dominate, we can't love oneself. too much worry and anger does not solve problems....it just adds to additional suffering. for example, he said, if you are frustrated with a neighbor, you are bringing suffering on yourself...not the neighbor. that if you don't allow yourself to suffer you may come up with more creative solutions.
{this was the end of the official talk and then moved onto Q & A}
the first question was about stress...job, family, the world we live in. his response was i lost my country. suggestion that we look at our lives through a different angle (which creates gratitude). he said "if the problem can be over come, there is no reason to worry" and "if not...then there is no need to worry anyway."
the next question was from a 9 year-old boy who's dad had just died. HH said to see tragedy as a source of determination and power. that his dad would not want him to suffer...but want him to study hard and be happy.
the funniest question (to me) was how do we as parents teach our children about peace. he said when it comes to children "no experience, zero". that made me laugh. he spoke from his own childhood and said that it was very important that his mother provided maximum affection. that problems seem less when there is a compassionate person around (mother).
in response to a question about war, he said that there are a few mischievous people in every community and we can't think everyone is the same.
after being asked to compare Christianity with his religion he said that there are two basic difference. that Christianity is monotheistic and that Buddhism is non theistic. and that inChristianity there is one life and in Buddhism there is life after life.
the last question was on how to change memphis. and he replied that to give a satisfactory answer he would have to spend more time here and so more studying.
it was the experience of a lifetime and i am ever so grateful to have had the opportunity...the ability to travel, the willingness of my husband to come with and be with our daughter. oh and before we went to the talk we went by the Peabody Hotel so t could see the famous Peabody Ducks. it was very fun. 
and later found out that HH was probably staying at the Peabody...
with gratitude of a fruitful venture,
hillary
