The Dalai Lama's Lesson on Compassion

Traveling to Ladakh to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Siddhartha High School afforded me the opportunity to spend quality time before and during the festivities of July 8th with my friend and teacher, Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Tsetan. I am grateful and relish every moment I spend with Rinpoche and after the celebration I felt my heart re-energized by another trip to see the children at the school and all my Ladakhi family. The last thing on my mind was an opportunity to meet face to face with His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama.  I was a few feet away from His Holiness at the inauguration of the new Gompa(temple) at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in December of 2015. It was a very emotional time watching then Khen(meaning  Abbot in Tibetan) Rinpoche and His Holiness in tears as they celebrated the resurgence of a monastery which is so dear to His Holiness' heart because of the Panchen Lama. I did not fully appreciate the magnitude of what I was witnessing as I was in a state of mind of more bewilderment than deeper introspection in the significance of the events that were unfolding.

All that changed on July 14th when we were told that His Holiness was conducting blessings and that we were to go down that afternoon and register with the Secretary's Office. The emails including us in the outdoor public blessing set for July 18th arrived the next morning and we were excited for this opportunity. Waiting for the blessings to begin afforded me an opportunity to reflect on the compassion, stamina and resilience of His Holiness who turned 90 on July 6th, as more than 200 people were there to just be in his Darshan, his spiritual presence. I took with me two objects, a green mala I had bought for my grandson and a Lion's Roar magazine special issue commemorating his recent birthday.

Approaching him as we were in line, I observed how present he was with everyone. He listened attentively and was totally focused with whoever was in his line of sight. When I was led by two attendants by the elbows before him, I had no idea what to do, so I looked straight down to the ground. Someone said move closer and look up. What I saw was bushy eyebrows and the most peaceful eyes with an endless depth in which one could both lose and find themselves. I cannot describe his face because my focus was on his eyes, then his outstretched hand. I took his hand with mine that held the green mala and placed it to my forehead. Why? I do not know, I got lost in the moment and it seemed like a good idea. 

The monk who is his secretary told his Holiness that I was giving him the magazine, The men on both my sides held it for him as he chuckled, His Holiness then reached out and placed his finger on the word compassion and looked straight in my eyes. No words were exchanged but to me, the message was very clear. I was blessed to have spent those few minutes with him and also for a reminder of why we are here.

For me, the commitment to the children of Ladakh to help support them in their foundational education is an act of compassion. Knowing the importance of the educational opportunities that are provided for children at the Siddhartha School and seeing the results as young adults I knew as children are flourishing and using their skills affirms that Khensur Rinpoche's vision is alive and thriving! May we all continue to support, in whatever manner we can, the children of the Siddhartha School and all those who work for their benefit.

Finally, this lesson on Compassion also extends to why I spend time in the facilities with people who are incarcerated and also engage in the wellbeing trainings with judicial officers, parole officers, probation officers and the myriad of other professionals who work in correctional settings. The healthier we are in our own lives, on a level of physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual, the easier it will be to access the wisdom and compassion we need to be of benefit and meaningful support to others. As we thrive by overcoming our challenges , those around us become aware of the possibilities and we can serve as inspiration and also motivation as people see the potential of what is possible in life. #dalailama #beencouraged #thriving #flourishingasaspiritualbeing #dothework #emotionalintelligence #beaware #increaseawareness #flourishing #humangrowth #discoveryourpotential #visionquest #connectwithyoursoul #developthemind #developtheheart #thrive #flourish #stateofmind #awareness #thrivingnotsurviving #beaware #mindfulliving #mindfullife #mindfulmoments #mindfulness #karma #fourdoorsofspeech #share #shareyourstory #authenticity #beauthentic  #ubuntu