The morning with HH the Dalai Lama --5/09/07

[Jim Warren]

It is with great respect and and honor that I mention the privilege that allowed me to be in attendance this morning to hear His Holiness the Dalai Lama speak to a relatively small audience.

Through study early on in my life with Trungpa Rimpoche, I've been of later years more of no nonsense Basho school of Buddhist practice: chop wood,carry water.
Yet today, in the same room with this man, tears streamed my face and I knew not why. I am not usually given to such reactions. I can only say this person carries with him a truly magnificent spirit, and it can reach out and touch you.

In his remarks he mentioned 9/11 and it was apparent he is painfully aware of the suffering that has transpired with those events and the aftermath including the on going war.
His message here was such an uplifting experience: Know that your "enemy" was created by the same forces that created you, learn to separate the violent act even from the person who may be committing it and work to help them regain balance and see it is equally harmful to themselves as well.

This person, carrying the weight of his home country and against the forces who would just as soon see him not around http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?article=Dalai+Lama+cancels+Brussels+visit+on+request+of+Belgian+government&id=16486 is truly a remarkable example of living compassion, lightness and spontaneity.
EX: He was asked what advice he could give to rearing children in the world today and he, a lifelong monk, replied: "I'm hardly the best person to ask that". After the laughter subsided he said that perhaps if he married and had children he would then be better equipped to offer an opinion.

Truly a remarkable experience. If interested, a viewing of this visit and speech with Q&A will be available and streaming tomorrow @
http://www.smith.edu/its/ets/webcast/dalailama/live_stream.htm

[Monkeyman]

1. He Was Great In Chicago Down to Earth and Real

[Jim Warren]

3. Yes, real

The path of the obvious and right under our nose.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Your words

gave me a sense of the peace and light His Holiness radiates. Thanks for sharing.

[Jim Warren]

4. You get it too

I know that you do.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. Oh yeah

when you've been in touch -- hey, That is still with you, smiling around the edges of your life, always there.

Gate gate para gate para sam gate bhodi svaha

[TahitiNut]

14. Kensho

An experience that touches one's life forever.

Immanuel Kant said ...

Enlightenment is man's release from his self-incurred tutelage. Tutelage is the incapacity to use one's own understanding without the guidance of another. Such tutelage is self-imposed if its cause is not lack of intelligence, but rather a lack of determination and courage to use one's intelligence without being guided by another.

Sapere aude!

[IndyOp]

6. Thom Hartmann was just talking about him a week or so ago...

Hartmann and others were at an extended workshop with His Holiness some time ago and they offered to stand up for a boycott against Chinese goods on behalf of the Tibetan people, to pressure the Chinese government to have mercy.

The Dalai Lama turned them down. If, as a consequence of a possible massive boycott against Chinese goods, if a single Chinese child had suffered, had died because his/her parents lost their jobs -- this would be too great a price to risk.

Ten of thousands of Tibetans have suffered terribly, died of starvation, died crossing the mountains on foot to India, and been tortured and the Dalai Lama could not justify a boycott of Chinese goods because he does not recognize a difference between "Tibetans" and "Chinese" -- all same, all same. Adding to the world's pain in any way is unthinkable.

I've been in the Dalai Lama's presence 3 times. I am lucky to live in Bloomington, Indiana and the Dalai Lama's brother Thubten Norbu lives here. I've heard the Dalai Lama speak in several large, public forums and attended an afternoon of Buddhist teachings at the Tibetan Cultural Center. I do not know enough about Buddhism to have understood his teachings on Buddhism but I basked in his presence nonetheless and was in awe of witnessing his re-unification with a Lama who has known him in many past lives.

His Holiness is returning to Bloomington October 23-28, 2007 -> :D

Tibetan Cultural Center
http://www.tibetancc.com/info/Tcc/Default.aspx?ID=1

[Jim Warren]

9. Like the forest

gives protection to all who enter, offering shade even to the woodcutter.

[bonito]

7. Thanks for posting this

Many times Chopping and carrying becomes my focal point, and I'm reminded as now. :hug:

[Morgana LaFey]

8. Beautiful message. Thank you. nt

[WiseButAngrySara]

10. Thank you so much for posting this. What a lifetime event

for you. I admire him very much.

[Jim Warren]

11. Lifetime event

Yes.
Particularly because he mentioned he was "ready to retire in a few years".

Pretty much an actual quote.

Huh? That kind of threw me.

[WiseButAngrySara]

16. He is not the type to 'retire' in a traditional sense IMO. Maybe

he meant 'retire' from the public arena?

[Jim Warren]

17. Yes, I think you are right,

But it threw me.
Not because I imagined him to be scoping out condos on a golf course somewhere:evilgrin:

More that it is strange to imagine the world without him active in it. Also as to the successor issue....not sure how that will play out.

I know that he has stated his deep wish to withdraw from the active life from time to time and go on extended meditative retreat.

[Forkboy]

12. I'm watching it on PBS right now

Such a fascinating man.

[FloridaJudy]

13. What a privilege!

I look forward to the web-cast.
Thank you for posting the link.

May you be healthy
May you be happy
May you grow in understanding

[Jim Warren]

15. Up and running now 5/10/07

If anyone is interested.

http://www.smith.edu/its/ets/webcast/dalailama/live_stream.htm

[lovuian]

18. I got to see him in Austin

He was awesome