Our conversation with the Dalai Lama
A group of 85 members from 1880 and their immediate family, including Singaporeans, Americans, Australians, Britishers, Indians, Canadians, Chinese, French, and Swiss, visited His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala on March 27th 2019.
As His Holiness entered the room he greeted the entourage, paying particular attention to the children in the front row. He suggested that if people like them, belonging to the 21st century, made an effort to change things through education, a more peaceful and compassionate world might emerge after one generation or so.
He pointed out that young children care little for differences among them and are simply happy to play together. It is often only as they grow older and begin their education that they learn to observe distinctions. Education would do better when it pays more attention to basic human values and cultivates the innate sense of compassion we all have.
He believes that we can all benefit from cultivating warm-heartedness. Those who are more compassionate tend to be more peaceful. “If that’s how you are, even when you receive bad news, it doesn’t upset or irritate you. To maintain peace of mind, we need to tackle our disturbing emotions. Just as we learn to look after our physical health, we have to learn to look after our minds too. If you’re physically fit but your mind is distressed, you will be unhappy. Alongside physical hygiene I recommend we cultivate emotional hygiene as well.”
“Since my childhood, I’ve been learning how to tackle my emotions. It is the nature of this world to be full of problems. What really helps is being able to maintain a peace of mind. One way to do this is to be concerned about others and to remember their kindness. I regard my fellow beings as wanting a joyful life on a daily basis as I do. If you think of others as being like you, it’s easy to feel close to whoever you meet. That’s why, as a human being, I’m committed to promoting compassion as a true source of happiness.”
In our journey of understanding happiness, we might contemplate the existence of emptiness within self. When asked how we should relate to that, His Holiness explained that emptiness is not nothingness. When we investigate nothingness, it is a destination. The self is a combination of the physical and the mind, which is a continuation of moments: past, present, and future. Yet, what is “now”? There is a big gap between appearance and reality. The current moment is also relative to the previous second and the next millisecond. When the current moment passes, the present becomes the past. As such, we do not exist independently but are dependent on other factors around us.
It is therefore essential for us to remember the oneness of the human race, and of the whole world. Mankind has placed too much emphasis on different nationalities and races. “Among all 7 billion human beings and even among the 85 of you — everyone has a different face, and yet we were all born the same way. We are social animals, just like dogs, or cats… maybe not cats. Individual happiness depends on the community in which we live.”
The Dalai Lama concluded his session by saying, “I dedicate my body, speech, and mind to the welfare of others, so I’m happy if it may have been of benefit to share my thoughts with you.” Perhaps that is how we reconcile being different yet being one. When we respect others with compassion, even with divergent perspectives and beliefs, we start inspiring one another towards personal and communal growth.
Adapted from the original article here.
Watch the livestream here.
