GO LOVE WITH THE DALAI LAMA

This past Saturday I spent the day attending 2 public talks with the Dalai Lama at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA.  There were over 15,000 people in attendance and I was lucky enough to have a media pass which gave me great access.  

He spoke with his usual warmth and humor about the basic conditions we all share as human beings: we all want happiness, kindness, and love and do not want hatred, fear, and anger.  He greeted the crowd as, "My dear human brothers and sisters," and encouraged everyone, whether religious or not, to seek to live a selfless life by putting the needs of others first. Here is a copy of the article I sent in for a local newspaper. HIS HOLINESS THE 14TH DALAI LAMA BRINGS WARMTH, WISDOM AND HUMOR TO A CROWD  OF OVER FIFTEEN THOUSAND AT GILLETTE STADIUM IN FOXBORO, MA

WITH HIS UNMISTAKABLE LAUGHTER AND GOOD NATURE,

THE DALAI LAMA BRAVED THE COOL, WINDY, GREY NEW ENGLAND DAY BEGINNING HIS MORNING TALK BY WRAPPING HIS SAFFRON COLORED CLOAK OVER HIS HEAD TO KEEP WARM.  HE GAVE TEACHINGS ON THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS OF BUDDHISM AS HE SAT HIGH ON A HAND CARVED THRONE MADE ESPECIALLY FOR THE OCCASION.  IT WAS SITUATED BELOW A FIVE FOOT WIDE BY ELEVEN FOOT LONG SILK THONKA, OR BROCADE TAPESTRY, HAND-SOWN IN INDIA BY TIBETANS IN EXILE FOR THE DALAI LAMAʼS  LONG LIFE AND TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE HUNDREDS KILLED IN TIBET SINCE LAST YEARʼS CLAMP DOWN BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.

EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF A STRONG MENTAL ATTITUDE IN THE FACE OF LIFEʼS DEMANDS, HE ENCOURAGED THOSE IN ATTENDANCE TO CULTIVATE COMPASSION, WARM HEARTEDNESS AND LOVING KINDNESS TO OVERCOME  SUFFERING SO PREVALENT IN THE WORLD TODAY.  HE REMINDED THE AUDIENCE THAT THE ONLY THING WE TRULY HAVE POWER TO CHANGE IS OUR OWN MIND BY CULTIVATING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE.  THIS, OF COURSE, TAKES PRACTICE, BUT IT IS WHERE WE BEGIN TO RID THE WORLD OF SUFFERING.  

IN BETWEEN HIS TALKS, THE CROWD WAS TREATED TO LOVELY TIBETAN FLUTE MUSIC, AS WELL AS TRADITIONAL SINGING AND DANCING PERFORMED BY YOUTH FROM THE BOSTON TIBETAN ASSOCIATION.

BY THE AFTERNOON, THE STRONG MAY SUNSHINE GAVE THE DALAI LAMA CAUSE TO DON A NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS BASEBALL CAP.  EVER THE JESTER, THE DALAI LAMA TIPPED HIS CAP A FEW TIMES, DRAWING APPLAUSE AND CHEERS FROM THE HOME TEAM.  THE PARKING LOT WAS FULL OF LICENSE PLATES REPRESENTING EVERY NEW ENGLAND STATE, AS WELL AS A FEW FROM NEW YORK.   

HE FOLLOWED UP THIS ACT BY DELVING INTO THE AFTERNOON TALK FOLLOWED UP ON THE MORNINGʼS THEME.  

AGAIN, GREETING THE GATHERING AS “MY DEAR HUMAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS,” HE SAID IN HIS OPINION TOO OFTEN THE LABELS WE USE TO DESCRIBE OURSELVES AS A MEMBER OF A PARTICULAR NATIONALITY OR  RELIGION FOCUSES MUCH MORE ON A SEPARATE IDENTITY AND DIFFERENCES THAN ON OUR COMMONALITIES. HE WANTS TO FOCUS ON WHAT HUMAN BEINGS HAVE IN COMMON AND WHAT HE BELIEVES ALL HUMAN BEINGS WANT: HAPPINESS.  DURING THIS PUBLIC TALK, ENTITLED THE PATH TO PEACE AND HAPPINESS, HE SPOKE ABOUT THE HARMFUL PHYSICAL EFFECTS NEGATIVE EMOTIONS SUCH AS HATRED, ANGER AND FEAR CAN HAVE ON INDIVIDUAL HEALTH.

  

HE ENCOURAGED ALL IN ATTENDANCE TO EXAMINE THE BENEFICIAL OUTCOMES OF LIVING WITH MORE AWARENESS OF THE CONNECTION BETWEEN A POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE AND PHYSICAL HEALTH.  HE SEES THIS AS THE GROUND TO MOTIVATE EACH PERSON TO DEVELOP INNER PEACE AND HARMONY, AS WELL AS TO DEVELOP A MORE KIND AND COMPASSIONATE WORLD.  TELLING THE AUDIENCE THAT OFTEN THERE IS NOT MUCH WE CAN DO ABOUT OTHER PEOPLES' ATTITUDES, HE SAID, "THERE IS GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE ONE’S OWN APPROACH."  THIS IS THE LEVEL WE SHOULD BEGIN ON, THEN WHEN WE CHANGE OURSELVES, WE CAN FOCUS ON OUR FAMILY, OUR COMMUNITY, OUR SOCIETY, AND THEN THE WORLD.  

NOTING THAT IN TODAY’S WORLD THERE IS MUCH EXTERNAL DISTRACTION, THE DALAI LAMA ADVOCATES INSTEAD OF PUTTING SO MUCH ATTENTION ON THE DISTRACTION OF THE WORLD OUTSIDE  THAT EACH PERSON SHOULD TAKE TIME TO LOOK WITHIN, AT WHAT HE CALLED “THE INNER WORLD.”  HE ENCOURAGED YOUNG PEOPLE TO TAKE TIME TO DEVELOP PEACE AND A QUIET MIND, SAYING THAT THIS IS TRULY THE WAY TO DEVELOP WORLD PEACE.  

DURING THE LAST PART OF HIS TALK, HE RESPONDED TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS.  CHUCKLING AS HE LISTENED TO ONE THAT ASKED, "IN THIS CRAZY WORLD, WHAT CAN WE DO TO CREATE PEACE?"  

HIS REPLY:  THE WORLD IS NOT CRAZY.  WE MAKE OURSELVES CRAZY BY ACTING AND REACTING WITHOUT THOUGHT, WITHOUT PRESENCE OF MIND, INNER PEACE, HAPPINESS, AND KINDNESS.  IF EACH PERSON CULTIVATED COMPASSION, A STRONG MENTAL FRAME OF MIND GROUNDED IN HAPPINESS AND KINDNESS, WE CAN EACH MAKE THE WORLD MUCH LESS CRAZY, MUCH MORE KIND.   

GO LOVE,

LISA