Words of Wisdom from His Holiness, The Dalai Lama

I had another one of the experiences that will stay with me for the rest of my life, something I never thought I'd be writing about. 

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to attend a presentation by the Dalai Lama. Over the course of a few days, he presented his teachings on interdependence and "The Path," the Initiation of Avalokiteshvara (I had to Google that one), and finally a public talk on the source of genuine happiness.  Dalai Lamas are said to be the manifestation of the Buddha of Compassion, present in human form to grant us with their wisdom, love, and integrity. Tension Gyatso, the current Dalai Lama, truly appeared that way: love, respect, and positivity in the form of a joyful, yet powerful, man. 

I attended the public talk with a few friends (and 12,000 others), which started off with an introduction by Richard Gere (!!!), who has practiced Buddhism for years. (Check out this interview he gave on his Buddhist learning- it was pretty interesting!) It was clear that though he's known and worked with him for a long time, he was still in awe of his teacher.  He shared a poem by Rumi that I had heard before, but that really resonated in this moment. It was funny because he read it from his phone, looking it up as the translator repeated his words in Italian, and at first we thought he was texting during his own speech!

Come, come, whoever you are

Wanderer, Worshiper,

Lover of Leaving.

It doesn't Matter.

Ours is not a caravan of despair.

Come, even if you have broken

Your vow a thousand times.

Come, yet again, come, come.

I add that here as well because it opened the talk with a reminder of the "atmosphere of inclusiveness" that the Dalai Lama projects. The message he delivered was a reminder that all 12,000 people listening to him speak were a part of his community of respect and compassion, and though we make mistakes, we always have the potential to rejoin that community. 

His English was slightly broken at times, but he delivered his message passionately and with good humor. "Basically, we are the same human being; mentally, emotionally, physically, we are the same." All of us have the same desire for a happy, problem-free life, and while we all have the right to achieve that, we don't always know how. Happiness comes from our mentality, though many of us try to gain our happiness from materialism, which is not enough. Physical comfort is not enough, either; our inner values are what bring us happiness. 

When facing a problem, most of us start with the ability to look at it from only one side, and with that perspective, the situation can seem overwhelming. Mental peace come from our ability to look at a situation from all angles, and to assess that situation realistically. In this way, which must be learned and honed through practice, we can gain a better understanding of how best to approach the situation troubling us. He said, "In order to fully utilize our intelligence, we should be calm," but stressed how anger and attachment make it difficult to remain calm, and therefore reduce our abilities to properly use our intelligence. 

Part of our barrier in the search for happiness is a self-centered attitude. 

When we focus only on ourselves, it gives way to distrust, suspicion, and anger. It can create a tightness inside of us that only loosens as we take others' happiness into consideration. He mentioned the loneliness that comes from the idea of being Tibetan, Buddhist, or the Dalai Lama. Out of seven billion people on Earth, he is the one and only Dalai Lama. But with this attitude, there is too much stress on himself as an individual, and that is a lonely way to live. However, in looking at himself as just another human being, he suddenly gains seven billion brothers and sisters; it removes the barriers of nationality, race, and religion, and creates a sense of oneness. There is joy in place of fear, distrust, and frustration. It's our duty as humans to recognize this in ourselves and in each other; we are the same. We have the same basic needs: food, water, and shelter. We have the same basic desire: happiness. 

The first thing that struck me about the Dalai Lama was the depth of his laughter. This came often, but was funniest when his translator was trying to speak. Every few minutes, he would pause and allowed the translator to speak to the mostly Italian crowd. It was strange because he would say such powerful and moving things, but the applause was always delayed until after it was said again in Italian. At one point, he interrupted and said, "Sometimes I feel hot, then I use this," and dropped a wet towel across his head, which remained there for most of his presentation. After saying it though, laughter that seemed to come from the deepest place rolled out of him, and as he let his translator move on, he continue laughing to himself. He was full of such joy and had the most wonderful sense of humor!

After he finished chuckling, he adopted a more somber attitude. 

While we were enjoying a peaceful and friendly atmosphere, it is important to remember that at this same exact moment, on the same exact planet, there are people so full of fear and anger that they are killing each other. 

Most of the anger and most of the fear that results in violence stem from differences that don't really matter- secondary differences such as nationality or religion. These are secondary because at the fundamental level, what matters is that we are all human. A quote that stuck with me was, 

"We need more effort to create a sense of oneness." 

If we can see each other as humans first, then when we recognize differences, we'll be able to approach them with the understanding  that we are all the same. If we can respect what matters to others, then what matters to us will be respected in turn. The fact of the matter is, we don't have an alternative; this is our reality and we need to accept it. Problems are solved through dialogue, but that will only happen through respect and understanding. 

When we ignore our oneness, we begin to see that destroying others is our victory, but that doesn't work anymore. He stressed that in ancient times, communities could be independent and self-sufficient, but that isn't possible in the world we live in today. Our success depends on the success of others, and their success depends on us. Violence, and the concept of "we" versus "they" is outdated. This is meant to be a century of peace and dialogue. Here is my purpose of sharing this post today: His Holiness gave each listener a mission. We're only 16 years into this century. We need to make the effort to understand reality and build this century into the century of peace and compassion. That is our common task. He encouraged us to share this message with our friends, and encourage them to share with theirs. Basically from one person to ten people to a hundred thousand, "we can contribute to changing the world through a change human perception." 

After such a passionate and important message, he began walking around the stage, stopping at one point in front of one of the Italian politicians. We saw him kind of tickling him, and then tapping under the man's chin until he smiled. As he giggled his way back to the podium, he stopped the translator again, saying, "Sometimes the people remain more serious. I smile and they do not return the smile. Then I do this (referring to tickling the man), and that way they're laughing and laughing... I love that." He was just so silly and funny, in addition to being so wise. I love him. 

After sharing his first commitment to the promotion of a sense of oneness in our world, he moved onto his second commitment: religious harmony. In his mind, the major religions have spent the past two thousand years promoting the same values of compassion, love, forgiveness, and tolerance. The varied climates and cultures create a necessity for there to be differences; there is a different mental disposition due to lifestyle, so it make it necessary for a difference in philosophy. This is true even within one religion. In Buddhism, for example, followers have developed their own philosophies, with ideas stemming from the same teacher (Buddha). Despite these differences, we need to recognize the commonalities between world religions, and in that way can find genuine harmony. 

I'm trying out a quote poster maker with some of my favorite things he said-- It's my first try, don't judge :)

 He also spoke on terrorism related to religion, stressing that the moment terrorism is acted in the name of faith, the terrorist removes themself from their faith. A Buddhist of commits violent acts in the name of Buddhism is no longer Buddhist. He used the word "jihad" as an example, referring to the fact that in Islam, the "greater jihad" (not the "lesser jihad," which is the term most of us relate the word to-- Google it) refers to the inner combat of our own emotions, the combat between anger and compassion, constructive emotion with destructive emotion. He shared that even as a Buddhist monk, he carries that inner combat with him every day, and that is the "Greater Jihad." The moment it becomes physical or violent, it would take him from his beliefs and remove him from his faith. 

Finally, His Holiness discussed his third commitment, which was to maintaining Tibetan and Buddhist culture. After four centuries of the Dalai Lama's traditional involvement in Tibetan politics, he voluntarily gave up not only his own, but future Dalai Lamas' political responsibility. He believes that the responsibility of himself and others in his position should be the preservation of the peaceful, nonviolent, and compassionate culture he loves, as well as the ecology of his region. It was a subject that mattered so much to him, affecting his own country, but his words impact us all, no matter the situation we feel the same passion for. I feel that in the current global climate, all I can do is try to infuse the love and understanding I learned during these few hours into places I have control, such as my classroom, and do my best to make what difference I can. 

"Change doesn't come from the government. When you think about the problems that humanity is facing, then for me, just one human being, the problem can seem too big, and one individual cannot do much. But instead think: we must do something. The change must start from one individual. After all, humanity is a combination of individuals. We can't think we're helpless, we need to try to make our contribution."

Light vs. Dark

"Miss Streisel, can I share today?" For me, every day starts with at least three small voices asking that same question, and my answer is typically, "Of course, about what?" But when the response on November 16th was, "I want to share about Paris," I momentarily froze. 

While it was weighing heavy on my mind, I didn't expect to be confronted with the idea of discussing terrorism with my 8-9 year old students so early in the morning the Monday after the attacks in Paris. I was still confused myself (and still am), so being the authority on how to address this with children was intimidating. I wasn't sure who knew what, or how to comfort them when it is clearly a terrifying and awful subject. However, they knew about it so our 20 minute Morning Meeting routine was focused on world events.

I'm not sure if this would be fitting in every classroom, but in mine it was. 

We began with just the question, "Raise your hand if you know what happened in Paris this weekend," and every one of their hands went up. To be honest, I had mixed feelings: relieved that I didn't have to be the one to tell them, saddened that they are aware of the darkness we face in our world at such a young age. The next question was on how they were feeling. Sadness, worry, fear, sympathy, anger... They couldn't understand why someone would want to hurt others so badly. They were worried because their dad's were supposed to travel to Paris for business that weekend, or their Thanksgiving break was meant to be spent there. They were worried that Milan would be next. One of my girls is half French, and she shared that her father's family lives in Paris, and then her eyes filled with tears and she didn't want to share more (we have since talked, and her family is fine). 

Finally, the question I worried about most came up: why did the terrorists attack?

 I wasn't sure myself, and didn't want to go down that path. One of my Italian girls, the one who had asked to share in the first place, blurted out, "I know! It's because in our religion, we have a lot of freedom, and in theirs they don't, so they are mad at us for being so free." A boy, who had been very quiet (which is VERY strange for him) burst out, "NO! That's not what it is! They have NO religion! They have no religion at all! They wouldn't do this if they had any religion, so they are NOT religious people!!!" He was clearly incredibly passionate and visibly upset. This was from one of my three Muslim students (I have three boys, one from Iran who was completely new to English this year, one from Libya, and one from Saudi Arabia- this one was a sweet, energetic 8-year old Saudi boy). The students all nodded solemnly at his words, agreeing silently that no matter their beliefs, they knew that these people could not be associated with a religion that people we know and love also follow. They were a separate entity. 

At a separate point, my boy from Libya nervously asked me if it was the Muslims who did it, clearly worried if his religion was "wrong." The fact that such a sweet boy, who loves soccer, Pokemon, and playing UNO with his best friends from Russia, Japan, Bulgaria, and Italy should even have that concern is heartbreaking.

Since then, my students and the rest of our community have tried to figure out what to do with ourselves. 

They want to express what they know, and the pain that they have. They want to reach out but don't really know how to do it. After recess, one of my girls (the one whose family is in Paris) told me that she felt a little better because all of her friends and her (who follow different religions)  had spent recess praying in a circle for peace. At certain points throughout the day, students have "Quiet Time" or "Daily 5" time, and they have choices during those periods on what activities that want to do- our classroom is covered in posters and poems about peace, love, and Paris because that is how they want to spend that time, and my one girl has done her best to teach her classmates to say, "We love you, Paris" in French. They desperately need to do something with their feelings and confusion, and they're doing their best to put it into words, pictures, and actions.

The novel we're reading as a class fits in perfectly, and it's solely because these children are looking for an explanation. 

We're reading the "Tale of Despereaux," the story of a little mouse who loves music, reading, and a princess, which are very un-mouse things to love, a rat who wants to find light, though rats are meant only for darkness, and a girl who has never once been asked in her entire life what she wants, but dreams of becoming a princess. As a class we have latched onto the idea of light vs. dark; when the world touches us with darkness, we must reach out with light. We've also been very moved by the downfall of Chiaroscuro (the rat), who has no idea that rats aren't meant for the light or that rats  are awful creatures, until he hears the tone of the princess's voice when she calls him a rat and begins to see himself as a terrible thing. Any explanation, any rationalization we can find for actions that have no rationale is comforting, as it gives them something to understand when it is completely un-understandable.

The students at my school are so lucky that they are constantly faced with those who are different from them. 

I was slightly annoyed earlier this year when I recieved my class list, because I have a heavily Italian group of students- 11 out of 18. But that's a very privileged annoyance, and speaks to who our school is- a big draw of our school is that it's a very international community. But even with 11 out of 18 being from the same country, these kids are friends with people from all over the world. Their best friends speak another language at home than they do, eat food that's totally different, have traditions that are unlike their own. Last year, the 'cool' thing for my Italian boys was to eat kimchi, a Korean dish that they'd tried at one of their friends houses, and that they'd beg their moms or nannies to make. My boy from Iran has become very popular in class because though he knows only a teeny bit of English now, the kids have realized that he is hilarious and sweet, and they love him and work to communicate despite the language barrier. Being different is the norm, and is valued. If you can grow up not only tolerating differences, but with a curiosity and appreciation for them, a desire to know about them, I can only imagine what this looks like in adulthood and when moving forward in changing the world.

Anyways, I'm going to end with a note I found on one of my girl's desks the other day. Try and read all of those tiny bits, because it's a letter to the Earth and is beyond beautiful.

My Failed Attempt to Describe Rome

Colosseum!

Please excuse the rambling tone of this post. Too much to say to make sense...

Ethan knows what's up

It blows my mind that I can say things like, "For the second half of White Week, I visited Rome again." 

Rome. Just for a few days. For the second time. Is this real life? Honestly, it doesn't feel like it. Anyways, for the second half of White Week, my parents and I went to Rome. I remember loving it while studying abroad. That had been my first time in Italy, and I remember setting a goal to eat pizza, pasta, and gelato during each day of my stay. Obviously, I succeeded.

After searching out someone "Safe" to let hold my phone, we finally found a family to take
a picture of the three of us.

Our hotel lounge... so posh

This time was different. 

The more I travel, the more I discover about myself. Maybe it's not even a travel thing, but a growing up thing. This time, I found that I enjoy taking things slow (kind of). The way my parents travel is perfect. They stroll. They meander. They pause and truly appreciate everything. They're in no rush, but somehow manage to see all the major sights, as well as "experience" the city they visit. They will open the door to any church they pass just to see how it compares to the 1,123,413,412,341,324 other churches and cathedral's they've wandered into. They enjoy everything- we spent a good hour checking out a store that sold all different pastas, oils, and spices and truly loved it!

View from the steps of the Vittoriano!

Rome is really just magical. 

I know that I used the same descriptor for Florence, but Italy is special like that. Every turn is something new and interesting, and every view stops you in your tracks. Rome is the perfect city; it's big with lots to do, has tons of character, and an incredible history. There wasn't a dull second, but at the same time we never felt rushed. We accidentally took a wrong turn and ran into the Trevi Fountain on three different occasions, and had coffee sitting on the Spanish Steps on two of our mornings. On the way to the Colosseum one day, we came upon the Vittoriano- I had know idea that the stunning building was even a sight to see, let alone one we'd want to stay at for so long. Of course, the Colosseum and Forum were unbelievable. I don't even know why I'm writing this post because there are no words to describe how it feels to stand before such magnificent history.

Dad and I on the Spanish Steps

On our last day, the one day of rain during our time in Rome, we toured the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican. I had been to the Sistine Chapel before, but not to the Vatican. As much as I loved it before, we took a tour this time and having a guide made a huge difference. He gave history and background to many of the paintings and artists, giving us something to search for in the stunning and overwhelming amount of art there was to take in. After going to Alfred for five years, I have immense respect for artists. Seeing how much effort and heart goes into one beautiful painting or sculpture (or one of the many other beautiful pieces I've seen my friends create over the years) just had me in awe of everything I saw. Last year, two friends had a poster of Michelangelo's depiction of God giving life to Adam on their wall- just the hands almost touching (a lazy tip touch, if you will... their words, not mine), and seeing it in real life... incredible. My Mom kept saying that awesome had taken on a very different connotation and was unusable now, but that it really was awe-inspiring.

Best travel buddies ever

At the Forum

The Vatican itself was beyond words. 

I fully intended to take pictures (and sneaky taking them like I did a few years ago in the Sistine Chapel), but it just is... astounding, amazing, mind-boggling... I'm actually on Thesaurus.com right now trying to find the word that actually describes the feeling of being in the Vatican, but there isn't one. Michelangelo's Pieta (I can't figure out how to add an accent over the 'a' in Blogger!) brought me to tears. While I'd seen pictures of it before, it's such a heartbreaking piece of artwork, which I guess I'd never realized.

Mama and I at the Trevi Fountain

I feel much closer to God after my trip. I've always been of the opinion that church doesn't do it for me; I've felt more connected to God while praying in my bed or while driving than in a church, but it was very different in the old, grand cathedrals. Rome (including the Vatican and all of the other incredible cathedrals we visited) made me feel small, but not in a bad way. I mean that it made me want to be more, do more, and see more. I want to be better than I am, but not in a self-deprecating way; I just want to do the very best I can with this life I've been blessed with. The ancientness and fascinating history of the Forum and Colosseum, the beauty of all the art, the grandeur of the Vatican, and the wonderful company of two of the best travel companions I could ask for... The world has so much to offer and so much to see. I need to experience it all. 

On a lighter note, I've discovered my new travel uniform- I hate pants and from now on am only bringing dresses, tights, boots, and sweaters. No pants ever.

Tossing a coin into the fountain is a promise to come back- I'll be back for sure!

My sneaky picture- breaking the rules!