Sức Mạnh Của Lòng Từ
(The Power of
Compassion)
Nguyên tác: His
Holiness Dalai Lama
Tỳ Kheo Thích
Nguyên Tạng
soạn dịch
---o0o---
-ooOoo-
Translator’s note
From the 6th to 16th
of June 2007, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will visit Australia. This is
his fifth trip here to teach the Buddha-Dharma. Everyone here is
anxiously waiting for His arrival. His first four visits occurred in
1982, 1992, 1996 and 2002. In 2002, there were approximately 110,000
people (from cities like Geelong, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra) who
came to listen to his preaching, in order to change and develop their
spiritual lives. It can be said that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the
greatest Buddhist preacher in the modern age and has written many books
on Buddhism, These have attracted many western readers to read about
Buddhism.
This book, published in the year of Lord
Buddha’s 2631st birthday, is a humble gift, offered to His
Holiness the Dalai Lama on the occasion his Australian trip, and this
Vietnamese translation also shares his message of compassion to all
sentient beings in this suffering world.
May the Lord Buddha bless that Tibet regain
their freedom and independence and may His Holiness the Dalai Lama
return back to his homeland in the near future after many decades in
exile.
Nam Mo Amitabha Buddha,
Quang Duc Monastery,
Melbourne, Australia
Buddha’s 2631st
Birthday, the year of fire Pig, 2007
Translator, Ven. Thich
Nguyen Tang
1
TIBET’S LIVING BUDDHA
By Pico Iyer
Dogs bark in the Himalayan night. Lights flicker across the hillside. On
a pitch-black path framed by pines and covered by a bowl of stars, dew
ragged pilgrims shuffle along, muttering ritual chants. Just before
dawn, as the snowcaps behind take on a deep pink glow, the crowd, that
has formed outside the three storey Namgyal Temple, in northern India
falls silent. A strong, slightly stooping figure strides in, bright eyes
alertly scanning the crowd, smooth face breaking into a broad and
irrepressible smile. Followed by a group of other shaven-headed monks,
all of them in claret robes and crested yellow hats, the newcomer
clambers up to the temple roof. There, as the sun begins to rise, his
clerics seated before him and the solemn drawn-out summons of long horns
echoing across the valley below, the Dalai Lama leads a private ceremony
to welcome the Year of the Earth Dragon.
On the second day of Losar, the Tibetan New Year, the man who is a living
Buddha, to roughly fourteen million people, gives a public audience. By
eight A.M. the line of petitioners stretches for half a mile along the
winding mountain road outside his airy bungalow. Leathery mountain men
in gaucho hats, long haired westerners, little girls in their prettiest
silks, all the six thousand residents of the village and the thousands
more. Later, thirty dusty visitors, just out of Tibet, crowd inside and
as they set eyes on their exiled leader for the first time in almost
three decades, fill the small room with racking sobs and sniffles.
Through it all, Tenzin Gyatso, the absolute spiritual and temporal ruler
of Tibet, incarnation of the Tibetan god of compassion and fourteenth
Dalai Lama in a line that stretches back 597 years, remains serene.
In Tibet, he explains later, Losar used to be conducted on the roof of
the thirteen storey Potala Palace, with cookies laid out for the masses.
“Every year I used to be really worried when the people rushed to grab
the cookies. First, that the old building would collapse, and second,
that someone would fall over the edge. “Now,” (the rich baritone breaks
into a hearty chuckle) “now things are much calmer.”
It was twenty-nine years ago last week that the Tibetan uprising against
China’s occupying forces propelled the Dalai Lama into Indian exile. Yet
the spirit of his ancient, fairy-tale theocracy is still very much alive
in Dharamsala, a former British hill station 250 miles north of New
Delhi. Here, attended by a State Oracle, a rainmaking lama, various
medicine men, astrologers and a four-man Cabinet, the Dalai Lama, at
fifty-two, incarnates all he has done since first ascending the Lion
Throne in Lhasa at age four.
Yet even as the “Protector of the Land of Snows” sustains all the secret
exoticism of that otherworldly kingdom reimagined in the West as
Shangri-La, he remains very much a leader in the real world. Since the
age of fifteen, he has been forced to deal with his people’s needs
against the competing interests of Beijing, Washington and New Delhi.
That always inflammatory situation reached a kind of climax last autumn,
when Tibetans rioted in Lhasa, their Chinese rulers killed as many as
thirty-two people, the Dalai Lama held his first major press conference
in Dharamsala, and the U.S Senate unanimously condemned the Chinese
actions. Riots have erupted in recent weeks, but even before that, the
modest man in monk’s raiment had found himself not only the spiritual
symbol linking 100,000 Tibetans in exile to the six million still living
under Chinese rule, but also, more than ever, a political rallying
point. “The Fourteenth Dalai Lama may be the most popular Dalai Lama of
all,” he says smiling merrily. “If the Chinese had treated the Tibetans
like real brothers, then the Dalai Lama might not be so popular. So….,”
(he twinkles impishly) “all the credit goes to the Chinese!”
On paper, then, the Dalai Lama is a living incarnation of a Buddha, the
hierarch of a government-in-exile and a doctor of metaphysics. Yet the
single most extraordinary thing about him may simply be his sturdy,
unassuming humanity. The Living God is, in his way, as down to earth as
the hardy brown oxfords he wears under his monastic robes, and in his
eyes is still the mischief of the little boy who used to give his lamas
fits with his invincible skills at hide-and-seek. He delights in tending
his flower gardens, looking after wild birds, repairing watches and
transistors and, mostly, just meditating. And even toward those who have
killed up to 1.2 million of his people and destroyed 6,254 of his
monasteries, he remains remarkably forbearing. “As people who practice
the Mahayana Buddhist teaching, we pray every day to develop some kind
of unlimited altruism,” he says. “So there is no point in developing
hatred for the Chinese. Rather, we should develop respect for them and
love and compassion.”
The Fourteenth God-King of Tibet was born in a cow shed in the tiny
farming village of Takster in 1935. When he was two, a search party of
monks, led to his small home by a corpse that seemed to move, a lakeside
vision and the appearance of auspicious cloud formations, identified him
as the new incarnation of Tibet’s patron god. Two years later, after
passing an elaborate battery of tests, the little boy was taken amid a
caravan of hundred into the capital of Lhasa, “Home of the Gods.” There
he had to live alone with his immediate elder brother in the cavernous
thousand-chamber Potala Palace and undertook an eighteen-year course in
Metaphysics. By the age of seven, he was receiving envoys from the
President Franklin Roosevelt and leading prayers before twenty thousand
watchful monks; yet he remained a thoroughly normal little boy who loved
to whiz around the hold compound in a pedal car and instigate fights
with his siblings. “I recall one summer day, I must have been about
seven, when my mother took me to the Norbulingka Summer Palace to see
His Holiness,” recalls the Dalai Lama’s youngest brother Tenzin Choegyal.
“When we got there, His Holiness was watering his plants. The next think
I knew, he was turning the hose at me!”
It was at this time too, that the precocious boy first developed his
prodigious gift for things scientific, teaching himself the principles
of the combustion engine and fixing the palace’s generator whenever it
went on the blink. To satisfy his insatiable curiosity about a world he
was permitted to glimpse only through the silk-fringed curtains of his
golden palanquin, the young ruler set up a projector by which he eagerly
devoured Tarzan movies, Henry V and, best of all, home movies of
his own capital. Often, he recalls, he would take a telescope onto the
palace roof and wistfully gaze at the boys and girls of Lhasa carelessly
going about their lives.
In 1950 the isolation of the “Wish-Fulfilling Gem” and his mountain
kingdom was shattered as the Chinese attacked from eight different
directions. Suddenly the teenage ruler was obliged to take a crash
course in statesmanship, traveling to Beijing to negotiate with Zhou
Enlai and Mao Zedong. Finally, in March 1959, when a bloody
confrontation seemed imminent as thirty thousand steadfast Tibetans rose
up against Chinese rule, the Dalai Lama slipped out of his summer
palace, dressed as a humble soldier and set off across the highest
mountains on earth. Two weeks later, suffering from dysentery and on the
back of a dzo, (a hybrid yak) the “Holder of the White Lotus” rode into
exile in India.
Since then, his has been a singularly delicate balancing act, the guest
of a nation that would prefer him to remain silent and the enemy of a
nation that much of the world is trying to court. Undeterred, the Dalai
Lama has organized fifty-three Tibetan settlements in India and Nepal
and set up institutes to preserve his country’s arts, its scriptures and
its medical traditions. In recent years he has begun to race around the
world like a Buddhist John Paul II; lecturing at Harvard, meeting the
Pope and attending to his flock, be they unlettered peasants or the
American actor Richard Gere (a student of Buddhism since 1982). Always
inclined to see the good in everything, he feels that exile has in some
respects been a blessing. “When we were in Tibet, there were certain
ceremonial activities that took up a lot of time, but the substance was
not much. All those exist no longer. That’s good, I think. Also, because
we are refugees, we have become much more realistic. There’s no point
now in pretending.”
Many young Tibetans would like their leader to be more militant. Angrily
noting that there are more than three thousand political prisoners in
central Tibet alone and the Beijing has at least three hundred thousand
troops on the “Rooftop of the World,” they advocate violence. But the
Dalai Lama refuses to be intemperate. “Once your mind is dominated by
anger,” he notes thoughtfully, “it becomes almost mad. You cannot take
right decisions, and you cannot see reality. But if your mind is calm
and stable, you will see everything exactly as it is. I think all
politicians need this kind of patience. Compared with the previous
Soviet leaders I think for example, that Gorbachev is much calmer,
therefore more effective.”
Pacifism however, does not mean passivity. “Ultimately …,” he continues,
“… the Chinese have to realize that Tibet is a separate country. If
Tibet was always truly a part of China then, whether Tibetans liked it
or not, they would have to live with it. But that’s not the case. So we
have every right to demand our rights.”
The Dalai Lama spends much of his time reflecting on how Tibetan Buddhism
can teach and learn from other disciplines. He believes for example,
that Buddhism can show Marxism how to develop a genuine socialist ideal
“Not through force but through reason and through a gently training of
the mind, through the development of altruism.” He sees many points of
contact between his faith and psychology, cosmology, neurobiology, the
social sciences and physics. “There are many things we Buddhists should
learn from the latest scientific findings and that scientists can learn
from Buddhist explanations. We must conduct research and then accept the
results. If they don’t stand up to experimentation,” he says, beaming
subversively, “Buddha’s own words must be rejected.”
Such quiet radicalism has at times unsettled followers so devout that
they would readily give up their lives for their leader. In the draft
constitution he drew up in 1963, the God-King included, against his
people’s wishes, a clause that would allow for his impeachment. Now he
is considering new methods for choosing the next Dalai Lama; adopting an
electoral system similar to the Vatican’s perhaps, or selecting on the
basis of seniority, or even dispensing with the entire institution. “I
think the time has come, not necessarily to take a decision very soon,
but to start a more formal discussion, so that people can prepare their
minds for it.”
In the meantime, the exiled leader will continue to pursue a simple,
selfless life that is close to the Buddhist ideal of the Middle Way.
Neither hostile to the world, nor hostage to it. Buddhism’s supreme
living deity still refuses to fly first class and thinks himself always,
as he told the press last autumn, as a “simple Buddhist monk.” Though he
is one of the most erudite scholars of one of the most cerebral of all
the world’s philosophies, he has a gift for reducing his doctrine to a
core of lucid practicality, crystallized in the title of his 1984 book,
Kindness, Clarity and Insight (Snow Lion Publications). “My true
religion,” he has said, “is kindness.”
It is in fact, the peculiar misfortune of the Chinese to be up against
one of those rare souls it is all but impossible to dislike. Beijing has
felt it necessary to call him a “political corpse, bandit and traitor,”
a “red-handed butcher who subsisted on people’s flesh.” Yet everyone who
meets the Dalai Lama is thoroughly disarmed by his good-natured warmth
and by a charisma all the stronger for being so gentle.
To an outsider, the life of a living Buddha can seem a profoundly lonely
one. In recent years, moreover, nearly all the people closest to the
Tibetan ruler; his senior tutor, his junior tutor, his mother and the
elder brother, who in youth was his only playmate, have died. Yet this,
like everything else, the Dalai Lama takes in the deepest sense,
philosophically. “Old friends pass away, new friends appear,” he says
with cheerful matter-of-factness. “It’s just like the days. An old day
passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful;
a meaningful friend or a meaningful day.”
Source: Sidney
Piburn (1993), The Dalai Lama, A Policy of Kindness, Snow Lion
Publications, Ithaca, New York, USA
A life in the Day: The
Dalai Lama
As told to Vanya Kewley
When I wake at four o’clock, I automatically start reciting the
Ngagihinlab mantra. It’s a prayer that dedicates everything I do, my
speech, my thoughts, my deeds, my whole day, as an offering, a positive
way to help others. Like all monks, I obey a vow of poverty, so there
are no personal possessions. My bedroom has just a bed and the first
thing I see when I wake is the face of the Buddha on a holy
seventeenth-century statue from Kyirong, one of the very few that
escaped the Chinese desecration. It’s cold when I wake, as we are at
7,000 feet, so I do some exercises, wash and dress quickly.
I wear the same maroon robe as do all the monks. It’s not of good
quality and it’s patched. If it was of good material and in one piece,
you could sell it and gain something. This way you can’t. This
reinforces our philosophy of becoming detached from worldly goods. I
meditate until five-thirty and make prostrations. We have a special
practice to remind ourselves of our misdeeds and I make my confession
and recite prayers for the well-being of all sentient beings.
Then at daybreak, if the weather is fine, I go into the
garden. This time of day is very special to me. I look at the sky. It’s
very clear and I see the stars and have this special feeling of my
insignificance in the cosmos. The realization of what we Buddhists call
impermanence. It’s very relaxing. Sometimes I don’t think at all and
just enjoy the dawn and listen to the birds.
Then Penjor or Loga, monks from Namgyal monastery who have
been with me for 28 years, bring my breakfast. It’s a half-Tibetan,
half-Western mixture. Tsampa roasted barley flour and porridge. While I
have breakfast, my ears are very busy listening to the news on the BBC
World Service.
Then at about six, I move into another room and meditate until nine.
Through meditation, all Buddhists try and develop the right kind of
motivation, compassion, forgiveness and tolerance. I meditate six or
seven times a day.
From nine until lunch I read and study our scriptures.
Buddhism is a very profound religion and, although I have been studying
all my life, there is still so much to learn.
Unfortunately nearly all our ancient books and manuscripts
have been destroyed by the Chinese. It’s as though all the Gutenberg
bibles and Domesday books in the world had been destroyed. No record. No
memory. Before the Chinese invasion, we had over six thousand
functioning monasteries and temples. Now there are only thirty-seven.
I also try and read Western masters. I want to learn more
about Western philosophy and science. Especially nuclear physics,
astronomy and neurobiology. Often Western scientists come and discuss
the relationship between our philosophy and theirs, or compare their
work on the brain function and Buddhist experience of different levels
of consciousness. It is an absorbing exchange, for all of us!
I often get up and go and fiddle with things. Change
batteries for the radio, repair something. From childhood I have been
fascinated with mechanical things; toys, small cars, aeroplanes. Things
I could explore with my hands. We had an old movie projector in Lhasa
that belonged to the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. It was looked after by an
ancient Chinese monk. But when he died, no one else knew how to make it
work. So I learnt how to make it go, but it was trial and error, as I
couldn’t read the instructions. I only spoke Tibetan. So now sometimes I
work in my workshop repairing things like watches or clocks or planting
things in the greenhouse. I love plants, especially delphiniums and
tulips, and love to see them grow.
At twelve-thirty I have lunch, usually non-vegetarian,
though I prefer vegetarian. I eat what I’m given. Sometimes thupka soup
with noodles, occasionally momo steamed dumplings with meat and
skabakled deep fried bread with meat inside.
The afternoon is taken up with official meetings with the
Bha’zhag (Tibetan cabinet in exile), or deputies from the Assembly
of Tibetan People’s Deputies. But there are always people coming from
Tibet, with or without the permission of the Chinese. Mostly brave
people who escape over the 17,000ft Himalayan passes.
It is very painful for me. They all have sad stories and
cry. Practically everyone tells me the names of relatives who have been
killed by the Chinese, or died in Chinese prisons or labor camps. I try
to give them encouragement and see how I can help them practically, as
they arrive here destitute and in very bad health.
Very often they bring their children here. They tell me it
is the only way they can learn our language, faith and culture. We put
the younger ones in the Tibetan Children’s Village here or in Mussoorie.
Older ones who want to be monks we send for training in our monasteries
in South India.
Although Tibetans want me to return, I get a message from
inside, not to return under the present circumstances. They don’t
want me to be a Chinese puppet like the Panchen Lama. Here, in the free
world, I am more useful to my people as a spokesman. I can serve them
better from outside.
Sometimes Pema, my younger sister who runs the Tibetan
Children’s Village for orphans here, comes and discusses problems. Like
all monks, I don’t see much of my family; my parents are dead. My elder
brother, Norbu, is Professor of Tibetan studies in Bloomington, Indiana.
Thondup, a businessman, lives in Hong Kong.
Unfortunately my middle brother, Lobsang Samden, died two
years ago. We were very close. He lived and studied with me in the
Potala where we used to get up to all sorts of mischief. Before his
death, he worked here at the medical center. I miss him very much.
At six I have tea. As a monk, I have no dinner. At seven it
is television time, but unfortunately they transmit discussion programs.
And as one is from Amritsar and the other from Pakistan, and I don’t
know Punjabi or Urdu, it’s all talk to me. But occasionally there is a
film in English. I liked the BBC series on western civilization, and
those wonderful nature programs.
Then it’s time for bed and more meditation and prayers and
by eight-thirty or nine I fall asleep. But if there is a moon, I think
that it is also looking down on my people imprisoned in Tibet. I give
thanks that, even though I am a refugee, I am free here; free to speak
for my people. I pray especially to the patron deity of Tibet,
Avalokitesvara, for them. There is not one waking hour when I don’t
think of the plight of my people, locked away in their mountain
fastness.
Source: Sidney
Piburn (1993), The Dalai Lama, A Policy of Kindness, Snow Lion
Publications, Ithaca, New York, USA
3
HIS LIFE
An Interview by John Avedon
JA:
What were your first feelings on being recognized as the Dalai Lama?
What did you think had happened to you?
DL:
I was very happy. I liked it a lot. Even before I was recognized, I
often told my mother that I was going to go to Lhasa. I used to straddle
a window sill in our house pretending that I was riding a horse to Lhasa.
I was a very small child at the time, but I remember this clearly. I had
a strong desire to go there. Another thing I didn’t mention in my
autobiography is that after my birth, a pair of crows came to roost on
the roof of our house. They would arrive each morning, stay for a while
and then leave. This is of particular interest as similar incidents
occurred at the birth of the First, Seventh, Eighth and Twelfth Dalai
Lamas. After their births, a pair of crows came and remained. In my own
case, in the beginning, nobody paid attention to this. Recently however,
perhaps three years ago, I was talking with my mother, and she recalled
it. She had noticed them come in the morning; depart after a time, and
then the next morning come again. Now, the evening after the birth of
the First Dalai Lama, bandits broke into the family’s house. The parents
ran away and left the child. The next day when they returned and
wondered what had happened to their son, they found the baby in a corner
of the house. A crow stood before him, protecting him. Later on, when
the First Dalai Lama grew up and developed in his spiritual practice, he
made direct contact during meditation with the protective deity,
Mahakala. At this time, Mahakala said to him, “Somebody like you who is
upholding the Buddhist teaching needs a protector like me. Right on the
day of your birth, I helped you.” So we can see, there is definitely a
connection between Mahakala, the crows, and the Dalai Lamas.
Another thing that happened, which my mother remembers very clearly, is
that soon after I arrived in Lhasa, I said that my teeth were in a box
in a certain house in the Norbulinka. When they opened the box, they
found a set of dentures which had belonged to the Thirteenth Dalai Lama.
I pointed to the box, and said that my teeth were in there, but right
now I don’t recall this at all. The new memories associated with this
body are stronger. The past has become smaller, more vague. Unless I
make a specific attempt to develop such a memory, I don’t recall it.
JA:
Do you remember your birth or the womb state before?
DL:
At this moment, I don’t remember. Also, I can’t recall if at that time
when I was a small child, I could remember it. However, there was one
slight external sign perhaps. Children are usually born with their eyes
closed. I was born with my eyes open. This may be some slight indication
of a clear state of mind in the womb.
JA:
When you were a little boy, how did you feel on being treated by adults
as an important person? Were you apprehensive or even frightened at
being so revered?
DL:
Tibetans are very practical people. Older Tibetans would never treat me
that way. Also, I was very self-confident. When I first approached Lhasa
on the Debuthang plan, the Nechung Oracle came to further verify that I
was the correct choice. With him came an old, much respected, and highly
realized geshay from Loseling College of Drepung Monastery. He
was deeply concerned whether or not I was the correct choice. To have
made a mistake in the finding of the Dalai Lama would be very dangerous.
Now he was a religious man, not someone in the government. He came into
the tent, where I was in a group audience, and determined that I was
unquestionably the right choice. So you see, though there were certain
very proper old people who wanted to be sure, I apparently put on a good
performance and convinced them (laughter). I was never uneasy in my
position. Charles Bell has mentioned that I was taking it all quite
casually. To go with fear, there’s one thing I remember clearly. One
night I wanted to go visit my mother, who had come with the rest of my
family to Lhasa. I was in the tent of the regent. A very large bodyguard
was standing by the entrance. It was evening, sunset, and this man had a
bad, damaged eye. I remember being scared, frightened then, to go out of
the tent.
JA:
Between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, after you assumed temporal
power, did you change?
DL:
Yes, I changed… a little bit. I underwent a lot of happiness and pain.
Within that and from growing, gaining more experience, from the problems
that arose and the suffering, I changed. The ultimate result is the man
you see now (laughter).
JA:
How about when you just entered adolescence? Many people have a
difficult time defining themselves as an adult. Did this happen to you?
DL:
No. My life was very much in a routine. Two times a day I studied. Each
time I studied for an hour, and then spent the rest of the time playing
(laughter). Then at the age of 13, I began studying philosophy,
definitions, debate. My study increased and I also studied calligraphy.
It was all in a routine though, and I got used to it. Sometimes, there
were vacations. These were very comfortable; happy. Losang Samten, my
immediate elder brother, was usually at school, but sometimes he would
come to visit. Also, occasionally my mother would bring special bread
from our province of Amdo. It was very thick and delicious. She made
this herself.
JA:
Did you have an opportunity to have a relationship with your father when
you were growing up?
DL:
My father died when I was 13.
JA:
Are there any of your predecessors in whom you have a special interest
or with whom you have a particular affinity?
DL:
The Thirteenth Dalai Lama. He brought a lot of improvement to the
standards of study in the monastic colleges. He gave great encouragement
to the real scholars. He made it impossible for people to go up in the
religious hierarchy, becoming an abbot and so forth, without being
totally qualified. He was very strict in this respect. He also gave tens
of thousands of monks ordinations. These were his two main religious
achievements. He didn’t give many initiations, or many lectures. Not,
with respect to the country, he had great thought and consideration for
statecraft, the outlying districts in particular, how they should be
governed and so forth. He cared very much about how to run the
government more efficiently. He had great concern about our borders and
that type of thing.
JA:
During the course of your own life, what have been your greatest
personal lessons or internal challenges? Which realizations and
experiences have had the most effect on your growth as an individual?
DL:
Regarding religious experience, some understanding of shunya
(emptiness: lack of independent self-nature) some feeling, some
experience, and mostly bodhichitta, altruism. It has helped a
lot. In some ways, you could say that it has made me into a new person,
a new man. I’m still progressing. Trying. It gives you inner strength,
courage, and it is easier to accept situations. That’s one of the
greatest experiences.
JA:
On the bodhichitta side, are you speaking about a progressive deepening
of realization or a certain moment associated with external experience?
DL:
Mainly internal practice. There could also be external causes or
circumstances. External factors could have played a part in the
development of some feeling for bodhichitta. But mainly, it has to come
from internal practice.
JA:
Can you cite a specific moment from your practice when you crossed a
threshold?
DL:
Regarding shunya theory, first shunya theory, then bodhichitta feeling…
Around ’65, ’66, in that period. This is really a personal matter. For a
true religious practitioner, these things must be kept private.
JA:
OK. Not asking you about your own deepest experience, but in terms of
the course of your life, the events of your life, how have these
affected you as a man? How have you grown through experiencing them?
DL:
Being a refugee has been very useful. You are much closer to reality.
When I was born in Tibet as the Dalai Lama, I was trying to be
realistic, but somehow because of circumstances, there was some
distance, I think. I was a bit isolated from the reality. I became a
refugee. Very good. So there was a good opportunity to gain experience
and also determination or inner strength.
JA:
When you became a refugee, what helped you gain this strength? Was it
the loss of your position and country? The fact of everyone suffering
around you? Were you called on to lead your people in a different way
than you had been accustomed to?
DL:
Being a refugee is a really desperate, dangerous situation. At the time,
everyone deals with reality. It is not the time to pretend things are
beautiful. That’s something. You feel involved with reality. In peace
time, everything goes smoothly. Even if there is a problem, people
pretend that things are good. During a dangerous period, where there’s a
dramatic change then there’s no scope to pretend that everything is
fine. You must accept that bad is bad. Now when I left the Norbulinka,
there was danger. We were passing very near the Chinese military
barracks. It was just on the other side of the river, the Chinese
checkpost there. You see, we have definite information two or three
weeks before I left, that the Chinese were fully prepared to attack us.
It was only a question of the day and hour.
JA:
At that moment, when you crossed the Kyichu River and met the party of
Khamba guerillas waiting for you, did you assume a direct leadership
capacity? Who, for instance, made the decisions on your flight?
DL:
As soon as we left Lhasa, we set up an inner group, a committee to
discuss each point. Myself and eight other people.
JA:
Was it your idea to make it unanimous?
DL:
Yes. Those who were left behind in Lhasa also established a People’s
Committee. Something like a revolutionary council. Of course, from the
Chinese viewpoint, this was a counter revolutionary committee. Chosen by
the people, you see, within a few days… they set up that committee and
all major decisions were made by it. I also sent a letter to that
committee, certifying it. In our small committee, those who were
escaping with me, we discussed the practical points each night.
Originally, our plan was to establish our headquarters in southern
Tibet, as you now. Also, I mentioned to Pandit Nehru, I think on the 24th
of April, 1959, that we had established a Tibetan temporary government,
shifted from Lhasa to southern Tibet. I mentioned this casually to the
Prime Minister. He was slightly agitated (laughter). “We are not going
to recognize your government,” he said. Although this government had
been formed while still inside Tibet, and I was already in India…
JA:
I’d like to ask you about being the incarnation of the bodhisattva of
infinite compassion, Avalokiteshvara [Tibetan: Chenrezi].
How do you personally feel about this? Is it something you have an
unequivocal view of one way or another?
DL:
It is difficult for me to say definitely. Unless I engaged in a
meditative effort, such as following my life back breath by breath, I
couldn’t say exactly. We believe that there are four types of rebirth.
One is the common type, wherein a being is helpless to determine his or
her rebirth, but only incarnates in dependence on the nature of past
actions. The opposite is that of an entirely enlightened Buddha, who
simply manifests a physical form to help others. In this case, it is
clear that the person is a Buddha. A third is one who, due to past
spiritual attainment, can choose, or at least influence, the place and
situation of rebirth. The fourth is called a blessed manifestation. In
this the person is blessed beyond his normal capacity to perform helpful
functions, such as teaching religion. For this last type of birth, the
person’s wishes in previous lives, to help others, must have been very
strong. They then obtain such empowerment. Though some seem more likely
than others, I cannot definitely say which I am.
JA:
From the viewpoint then of the realistic role you play as Chenrezi, how
do you feel about it? Only a few people have been considered, in one way
or another, divine. Is the role a burden or a delight?
DL:
It is very helpful. Through this role I can be great benefit to people.
For this reason I like it: I’m at home with it. It’s clear that it is
very helpful to people, and that I have the karmic relationship to be in
this role. Also, it is clear that there is a karmic relationship with
the Tibetan people in particular. Now you see, you may consider that
under the circumstances, I am very lucky. However, behind the word luck
there are actual causes or reasons. There is the karmic force of my
ability to assume this role as well as the force of my wish to do so. In
regard to this, there is a statement in the great Shantideva’s
Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds which says, “As long as space
exists, and as long as there are migrators in cyclic existence, may I
remain, removing their suffering.” I have that wish in this lifetime,
and I know I had that wish in past lifetimes.
JA:
With such a vast goal as your motivation, how do you deal with your
personal limitations, your limits as a man?
DL:
Again, as it says in Shantideva, “If the blessed Buddha cannot please
all sentient beings, then how could I?” Even an enlightened being, with
limitless knowledge and power and the wish to save all others from
suffering, cannot eliminate the individual karma of each being.
JA:
Is this what keeps you from being overwhelmed when you see the suffering
of the six million Tibetans, who on one level, you are responsible for?
DL:
My motivation is directed towards all sentient beings. There is no
question, though, that on a second level, I am directed towards helping
Tibetans. If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can
do something about it, then there is no need to worry. It it’s not
fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in
worrying whatsoever.
JA:
A lot of people say this, but few really live by it. Did you always feel
this way, or did you have to learn it?
DL:
It is developed from inner practice. From a broader perspective, there
will always be suffering. On one level, you are bound to meet with the
effects of the unfavorable actions you yourself have previously
committed, in either body, speech or mind. Then also, your very own
nature is that of suffering. There’s not just one factor figuring into
my attitude, but many different ones. From the point of view of the
actual entity producing the suffering, as I have said, if it is fixable,
then there is no need to worry. It not, there is no benefit to worrying.
From the point of view of the cause, suffering is based on past
unfavorable actions accumulated by oneself and no other. These karmas
are not wasted. They will bear their fruit. One will now meet with the
effects of actions that one has not done oneself. Finally, from the
viewpoint of the nature of suffering itself, the aggregates of the mind
and body have as their actual nature, suffering. They serve as a basis
for suffering. As long as you have them you are susceptible to
suffering. From a deep point of view, while we don’t have our
independence and are living in someone else’s country, we experienced a
certain type of suffering, but when we return to Tibet and gain our
independence, then there will be other types of suffering. So, this is
just the way it is. You might think that I’m pessimistic, but I am not.
This is the Buddhist realism. This is how, through Buddhist teaching and
advice, we handle situations. When fifty thousand people in the Shakya
clan were killed one day, Shakyamuni Buddha, their clansman, didn’t
suffer at all. He was leaning against a tree, and he was saying, “I am a
little sad today because fifty thousand of my clansmen were killed.” But
he, himself, remained unaffected. Like that, you see (laughter). This
was the cause and effect of their own karma. There was nothing he could
do about it. These sorts of thoughts make me stronger; more active. It
is not at all a case of losing one’s strength of mind or will, in the
face of the pervasive nature of suffering.
JA:
I’m interested in what you do to relax: gardening and experimenting with
electronics.
DL:
Oh, my hobbies. Passing time (laughter). When I can repair something, it
gives me real satisfaction. I began dismantling things when I was young
because I was curious about how certain machines functioned. I wanted to
know what was inside the motor, but these days I only try to fix
something when it breaks.
JA:
And gardening?
DL:
Gardening in Dharamsala is almost a hopeless thing. No matter how hard
you work, the monsoon comes and destroys everything. You know, a monk’s
life is very gratifying; very happy. You can see this from those who
have given up the robes. They definitely know the value of monkhood.
Many have told me how complicated and difficult life is without it. With
a pretty wife and children you might be happy for some time. In the long
run, though, many problems naturally come about. Half of your
independence, your freedom, is lost. If there is some benefit or meaning
to experience the trouble which arises on giving up your independence,
then it is worthwhile. If it is an effective situation which helps
people, then it is good - The trouble becomes worthwhile. But if it
isn’t, it is not worthwhile.
JA:
But none of us would even be here talking about this unless we have
mothers and fathers!
DL:
I’m not saying that having children is bad, or that everyone should be a
monk. Impossible! (laughter).
I
think that if one’s life is simple, contentment has to come. Simplicity
is extremely important for happiness. Having few desires, feeling
satisfied with what you have is very vital. There are four causes which
help produce a superior being. Satisfaction with whatever food you get.
Satisfaction with rags for clothing, or acceptance of any covering, not
wishing for fancy or colorful attire. Satisfaction with just enough
shelter to protect yourself from the elements. And finally, an intense
delight in abandoning faulty states of mind and in cultivating helpful
ones in meditation.
Source: Sidney Piburn (1993), The Dalai Lama, A policy of Kindness, Snow
Lion Publications, Ithaca, New York, USA
4
THE POWER OF COMPASSION
The Dalai
Lama and Michael Toms
PROLOGUE
His
Holiness Tenzin Gyasto, 14th Dalai Lama in a line of
incarnate Buddhist monarchs dating back to the 14th century,
is a modern spiritual leader who manifests an acute awareness and
concern for contemporary social issues. Born to a peasant family, his
Holiness was recognized at the age of two, in accordance with Tibetan
tradition, as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the 13th
Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is the political, religious, and spiritual
leader of the Tibetan people.
Unlike
his predecessors, his Holiness has traveled extensively in the Western
world, meeting with major religious and secular leaders in Western
Europe, North America, the Soviet Union, and Asia. During his travel
abroad, his Holiness has spoken strongly for better understanding and
respect among different faiths. He has made numerous appearances at
interfaith services, imparting the message of universal responsibility,
love, compassion, and kindness. Since his first visit to the West, his
Holiness’ reputation as a scholar and a man of peace has grown steadily.
Western universities and institutions have conferred peace awards and
honorary doctoral degrees upon him in recognition of his distinguished
writing and Buddhist philosophy, and for his leadership in the service
of freedom and peace.
On
October 5, 1989, his Holiness was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The
Nobel committee states that “the Dalai Lama…consistently has opposed the
use of violence. He has instead advocated peaceful solutions based upon
tolerance and mutual respect.” To Tibetans, the Dalai Lama is the
embodiment of their faith, the symbol of their national identity, and
their hope for freedom. To the rest of the world, his Holiness is a
devoted and highly respected advocate of universal compassion, justice,
and peace.
Shortly
before receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, his Holiness visited Central
America and Costa Rica for the first time and participated in the first
major interfaith gathering ever to be held in Central America. He was a
keynote speaker along with President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica, also a
Nobel Peace Prize laureate, at the “Seeking the True Meaning of Peace”
conference. It was during this conference that I had the rare
opportunity to have a private interview with his Holiness, at a convent
of Catholic nuns where he was staying outside of San Jose, Costa Rica.
MICHAEL TOMS: What are your impressions of Costa Rica?
THE DALAI LAMA: What I have seen of the country itself is very
beautiful. Its people, it seems, are not rushing as in New York and
other places. This country has no military forces, no production of
military equipment. These things, I think, are very important, as
everyone talks about peace and disarmament, trying to reduce arms
production, and arms competition. I really was impressed when they
instituted this practice in the ‘40s. At that time, I saw no one else
practicing this kind of idea. And also, you see, things were very
complicated at that time, in the 1940s and 1950s, during World War II.
So I am very impressed. And I feel that we could learn many things from
this country’s experience.
What do you think Buddhism offers people that live in these times? What
do you think that Buddhism brings to us today?
I
believe that Buddhism, as with any other religion, has some potential to
contribute, mainly through mental peace and by changing our outlook on
life in terms of our neighbors and our environment. So that, I think, is
what Buddhism can contribute. One special significance of Buddhism is
the theoretical explanation of existence. Things are relative. Things
are interdependent. That is a very helpful way to look at the world. For
example, the modern economic structure itself is a very good example of
interdependency, isn’t it? It is heavily interdependent. I was at lunch
the other day with the Archbishop of this country, and he mentioned that
they produce bananas here and sell them to the United States. And this
country buys U.S wheat. It is an exchange; things are dependent on one
another.
Another
aspect of Buddhist philosophy that I think has some special significance
is the idea of things being relative. God is always found somewhere
between black and white or between negative and positive. You cannot
say, “This is my enemy,” and see that enemy as 100 percent negative. Nor
can you say, “This is my friend,” and see the friend as 100 percent
positive. That is impossible. Basically, this is the same situation. It
is that kind of attitude that is very helpful in reducing hatred. I
always say, “Talk to people.” Religious people should not think only of
how to propagate their religion, but also of how much they can
contribute to humanity.
How do you see the connection and the relationship between Buddhism and
Christianity here and in the rest of the Western world?
Generally, the relationship among various religions during the last few
years is much improved- particularly between Tibetan Buddhism and
Christianity. They have a much closer relationship: a much deep
understanding has developed. The present Pope and I have had several
occasions to discuss this. And I’ve also discussed this with many other
important figures in the Catholic and Protestant communities. I think
we’ve developed very positive, close relationships. And that is very
helpful to mutual learning. We have learned many things from Christian
brothers and sisters and they have also learned some new techniques from
us. For example, there is the practice of love and compassion and
forgiveness. There is also a certain Buddhist technique adopted or
utilized that involves concentration, or discipline. It is the Shamata,
the one-pointedness of mind. That practice in Buddhism, in Eastern
philosophy, is still a living tradition. It is something that I think is
useful for some of our Christian practitioners.
In
1968, Thomas Merton came to Asia on his first visit out of the States.
You had a chance to meet with him. He was a Catholic Trappist monk who
was very interested in Tibetan Buddhism. What do you remember of your
meeting with Thomas Merton?
That
was a very pleasant meeting. And also, due to meeting with him, my
understanding of Christianity was expanded, adding to my genuine respect
for Christian practitioners and their contribution to humanity. I
consider Thomas Merton a very strong, solid bridge between East and
West. Since his sudden death, I’ve felt a great loss. I think he made
one big contribution regarding a closer understanding and relation
between Christians in general, and Catholics in particular, and Tibetan
Buddhists.
You have spoken about compassion and love producing an inner courage and
inner peace. Could you explain?
Compassion is a concern for people, for other sentient beings. And it is
not merely a feeling of sympathy and pity, but a desire to do something
to help. That is the kind of compassion that opens one’s mind and one’s
self to others. It automatically develops a feeling that the other is
part of you. And I think that helps. You see, there is no barrier; fear
and suspicion are reduced. That in turn, gives you courage and will.
Many
people feel overwhelmed and oppressed when they look at the external
world and its many problems. They feel unable to do anything. How can
one small individual make a difference in a world with so many problems?
What do you have to say to that?
Today’s problems did not spring up overnight. It could be anywhere from
two years to two centuries that brought these problems where they are
today. So now, the issue is to reduce or eliminate our problems, which
may also take 100 years. It takes time; that’s the nature of change.
Basically, many of these negative things are essentially man-made. If we
do not want these things to exist, we have to make an effort to change
them. No one else is here to take care of them. We have to face them
ourselves. There is no other choice. But the initiative must come from
the individual. First there is one individual, then another joins, then
a third person joins, until there are 100, then 1,000. After all, human
society, human community, means a group of individuals. A big change
will not take place because of one individual effort, but by the
combined efforts of individuals.
How do you see what went on in China in June 1989 in relation to what
has been going on in Tibet? How do you see the future of Tibet relative
to that unrest?
For
the time being, because the Chinese government practices hard-line
policy, it is Tibetan policy, too. But there is something else going on
in China. Something really great, I think, of historical importance. One
thing that impresses me is that although the Chinese people,
particularly the students, are brought up and educated in the communist
society, which is of a violent nature, the people sincerely and strictly
follow Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings of non-violence. That is something
really remarkable. This is a kind of confirmation for me, that
non-violence is much closer to basic human nature, or human spirit, than
is generally credited.
They were
completely nonviolent in their demands for more freedom, more democracy,
and less corruption. That, also, I think, is very beautiful. And
although for the time being they lost, I think they made a great impact
in the Chinese people’s mind and on the world outside, too. Because of
their strong human spirit and sincere motivation, it is only a question
of time, I think, until their wish will be fulfilled. And I pray for
their goal. China is the most populated nation in the world. As a
Buddhist monk, when I pray for all sentient beings, that means a greater
part of my prayer includes China because it has the largest population.
Even small things can have a big effect in that country, because it
affects so many people- more than a billion human souls.
MICHAEL
TOMS: That interview took place with the Dalai Lama in Costa Rica
in June 1989. In October 1989, his Holiness led the chanting during the
performance of a traditional Tibetan Lhasang ceremony designed to heal
the environment. This ceremony was performed atop Mt. Tamalpais in Marin
County just north of San Francisco. There are those who claim that the
earthquake damage to the Bay area was considerably less that it might
have been because of his Holiness’ visit just prior to its occurrence.
I had the
opportunity to ask his Holiness a question at a press conference held
immediately following the Lhasang ceremony. I asked him about the coming
together of East and West and what that really means.
THE DALAI LAMA: As I mentioned earlier, these things are a very
positive change, a positive development. At a certain stage in a
society’s development, an authoritarian, very rigid system may work. An
example of that might be when the Russian Revolution took place and the
Chinese Communist Revolution took place. For a certain period of time,
it worked. But I believe that even though this system or ideology had
the potential to break through the existing system, it has very little
to offer as a new, meaningful way of life. The reason, to me, is quite
clear. These revolutionary movements mainly come from hatred, not from
love.
Of
course, there are advances and a certain kind of love and concern
involved. As far as working-class people and less-privileged people are
concerned, the advances can seem very good. But compare the hate and
energy of power with the energy of love. Compare the force of hatred
with the force of compassion. I think the hatred force may be 60, 70, or
perhaps 80 percent and only 20 to 30 percent compassion. Therefore,
things cannot work properly and now we are seeing people who are
realizing this situation. People are either compelled to change or
compelled to accept things as they are. That’s human history, right?
I
consider the 20th century one of the most important in human
history. Within this century, we’ve gained many experiences, positive as
well as negative. As a result, I think humanity has become more
discerning. When things become so dangerous and delicate and fearful,
that helps develop human awareness. It took the nuclear attack, so
awful, so powerful, to wake up the desire for world peace. After World
War II, many people thought a third world war would inevitably. But
because of the nuclear threat, people developed their awareness. So that
is hopeful.
The
same is true with the environment. We see that it is damaged. The signs
of damage are already there. Again, that helped develop human awareness.
In the religious field also, I feel that human awareness is being
developed. In the name of different religions, human have suffered and
inflicted great misery. By developing an awareness of other religions,
we can open our eyes, our minds, and look with tolerance at the message
of different religions.
EPILOGUE
The Dalai Lama serves as a model of kindness and compassion for each of
us. Here is a man who has lost friends, family and his nation (more than
one million Tibetans have lost their lives since the Chinese takeover in
1959, and this from a nation with less than a population of five
million), yet he still exemplifies the ideals he speaks about.
In
an emerging global society, the Dalai Lama also addresses the importance
of recognizing the sameness inherent in all human beings, whatever their
religion, race, or status in society. It’s clear that this realization
begins at home for each of us. As we are able to practice more kindness
and compassion in our daily life, so too will the world change.
Source: Michael Toms (1998) Buddhism in the West, New Dimensions, Hay
House, California, USA
5
Dimensions of Spirituality
The Dalai Lama
TWO
LEVELS OF SPIRITUALITY
BROTHERS AND SISTERS, I would like to address the topic of spiritual
values by defining two levels of spirituality.
To begin,
let me say that as human beings our basic aim is to have a happy life;
we all want to experience happiness. It is natural for us to seek
happiness. This is our life’s purpose. The reason is quite clear: when
we lose hope, the result is that we become depressed and perhaps even
suicidal. Therefore, our very existence is strongly rooted in hope.
Although there is no guarantee of what the future will bring, it is
because we have hope that we are able to continue living. Therefore, we
can say that the purpose of our life, our life’s goal, is happiness.
Human brings
are not produced by machines. We are more than just matter; we have
feeling and experience. For that reason, material comfort alone is not
enough. We need something deeper, what I usually refer to as human
affection, or compassion. With human affection, or compassion, all the
material advantages that we have at our disposal can be very
constructive and can produce good results. Without human affection,
however, material advantages alone will not satisfy us, nor will they
produce in us any measure of mental peace or happiness. In fact,
material advantages without human affection may even create additional
problems. Therefore, human affection, or compassion, is the key to human
happiness.
THE FIRST LEVEL OF SPIRITUALITY:
THE RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD AND THEIR VALUE FOR HUMANITY
The first
level of spirituality, for human beings everywhere, is faith in one of
the many religions of the world. I think there is an important role for
each of the major world religions, but in order for them to make an
effective contribution to the benefit of humanity from the religious
side, there are two important factors to be considered.
The first of
these factors is that individual practitioners of the various religions;
that is we ourselves, must practice sincerely. Religious teachings must
be an integral part of our lives; they should not be separated from out
lives. Sometimes we go into church or temple and say a prayer, or
generate some kind of spiritual feeling, and then, when we step outside
the church or temple, none of that religious feeling remains. This is
not the proper way to practice. The religious message must be with us
wherever we are. The teachings of our religions must be present in our
lives so that, when we really need or require blessings or inner
strength, those teachings will be there even at such times; they will be
there when we experience difficulties because they are constantly
present. Only when religion has become an integral part of our lives can
it be really effective.
We also need
to experience more deeply the meanings and spiritual values of our own
religious tradition- we need to know these teachings no only on an
intellectual level but also through our own deeper experience. Sometimes
we understand different religious ideas on an overly superficial or
intellectual level. Without a deeper feeling, the effectiveness of
religion becomes limited. Therefore, we must practice sincerely, and
religion must become part of our lives.
THE IMPORTANCE OF A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP AMONG RELIGIONS
The second
factor is concerned more with interaction among the various world
religions. Today, because of the increasing technological change and the
nature of the world economy, we are much more dependent on one another
than ever before. Different countries, different continents, have become
more closely associated with one another. In reality the survival of one
region of the world depends on that of others. Therefore, the world has
become much closer, much more interdependent. As a result, there is more
human interaction. Under such circumstances, the idea of pluralism among
the world’s religions is very important. In previous times, when
communities lived separately from one another and religions arose in
relative isolation, the idea that there was only one religion was very
useful. But now the situation has changed, and the circumstances are
entirely different. Now, therefore, it is crucial to accept the fact
that different religions exist, and in order to develop genuine mutual
respect among them, close contact among the various religions is
essential. This is the second factor that will enable the world’s
religions to be effective in benefiting humanity.
When I was
in Tibet, I had no contact with people of different religious faiths, so
my attitude toward other religions was not very positive. But once I had
had the opportunity to meet with people of different faiths and to learn
from personal contact and experience, my attitude toward other religions
changed. I realized how useful to humanity other religions are, and what
potential each has to contribute to a better world. In the last several
centuries the various religions have made marvelous contributions toward
the betterment of human beings, and even today there are large numbers
of followers of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and so
forth. Millions of people are benefiting from all these religions.
To give an
example of the value of meeting people of different faiths, my meetings
with the late Thomas Merton made me realize what a beautiful, wonderful
person he was. On another occasion I met with a Catholic monk in
Monserrat, one of Spain’s famous monasteries. I was told this monk had
lived for several years as a hermit on a hill just behind the monastery.
When I visited the monastery, he came down from his hermitage especially
to meet me. As it happened, his English was even worse than mine, and
this gave me more courage to speak with him! We remained face to face,
and I inquired, “In those few years, what were you doing on that hill?”
He looked at me and answered, “Meditation on compassion, on love.” As he
said those few words, I understood the message through his eyes. I truly
developed genuine admiration for this person and for others like him.
Such experiences have helped confirm in my mind that all the world’s
religions have the potential to produce good people, despite their
difference of philosophy and doctrine. Each religious tradition has its
own wonderful message to convey.
For example,
from the Buddhist point of view the concept of a creator is illogical;
because of the ways in which Buddhists analyze causality, it is a
difficult concept for Buddhists to understand. However, this is not the
place to discuss philosophical issues. The important point here is that
for the people who so follow those teachings in which the basic faith is
in a creator, that approach is very effective. According to those
traditions, the individual human being is created by God. Moreover, as I
recently learned from one of my Christian friends, they do not accept
the theory of rebirth and, thus do not accept past or future lives. They
accept only this life. However, they hold that this very life is created
by God, the creator, and that idea develops in them a feeling of
intimacy with God. Their most important teaching is that since it is by
God’s will that we are here, our future depends upon the creator, and
that because the creator is considered to be holy and supreme, we must
love God, the creator.
What follows
from this is the teaching that we should love our fellow human beings.
This is the primary message here. The reasoning is that as we love God,
we must love our fellow human beings because they, like us, were created
by God. Their future, like ours, depends on the creator; therefore their
situation is like our own. Consequently, the faith of people who say,
“Love God,” but who themselves do not show genuine love toward their
fellow human beings is questionable. The person who believes in God and
in love for God must demonstrate the sincerity of his or her love of God
through love directed toward fellow human beings. This approach is very
powerful, isn’t it?
Thus, if we
examine each religion from various angles in the same way- not simply
from our own philosophical position but from several points of view-
there can be no doubt that all major religions have the potential to
improve human beings. This is obvious. Through close contact with those
of other faiths it is possible to develop a broadminded attitude and
mutual respect with regard to other religions. Close contact with
different religions helps me to learn new ideas, new practices and new
methods or techniques that I can incorporate into my own practice.
Similarly, some of my Christian brothers and sisters have adopted
certain Buddhist methods- for example, the practice of one-pointedness
of mind as well as technique to help improve tolerance, compassion, and
love. There is great benefit when practitioners of different religions
come together for this kind of interchange. In addition to the
development of harmony among them, there are other benefits to be gained
as well.
Politicians
and national leaders frequently talk about “coexistence” and “coming
together.” Why not we religious people too? I think the time has come.
At Assisi in 1987, for example, leaders and representatives of various
world religions met to pray together, although I am not certain whether
“prayer” is the exact word to describe the practice of all these
religions accurately. In any case, what is important is that
representatives of the various religions come together in one place and,
according to their own belief, pray. This is already happening and is, I
think, a very positive developing harmony and closeness among the
world’s religions. Since without such effort, we will continue to
experience the many problems that divide humanity.
If religion
were the only remedy for reducing human conflict, but that remedy itself
became another source of conflict, it would be disastrous. Today, as in
the past, conflicts take place in the name of religion, because of
religious differences, and I think this is very, very sad. But as I
mentioned earlier, is we think broadly, deeply, we will realize that the
situation in the past is entirely different from the situation today. We
are no longer isolated but are instead interdependent. Today, therefore,
it is very important to realize that a close relationship among the
various religions is essential, so that different religious groups may
work closely together and make a common effort for the benefit of
humankind.
Thus,
sincerity and faith in religious practice on the one hand, and religious
tolerance and cooperation on the other hand, comprise this first level
of value of spiritual practice to humanity.
THE SECOND LEVEL OF SPIRITUALITY:
COMPASSION AS THE UNIVERSAL RELIGION
The second
level of spirituality is more importance than the first because, no
matter how wonderful any religion may be, it is still accepted only by a
very limited number of people. The majority of the five or six billion
human beings on our planet probably do not practice any religion at all.
According to their family background they might identify themselves as
belonging to one religious group or another- “I am Hindu”; “I am
Buddhist”; “I am Christian”- but deep down, most of these individuals
are not necessarily practitioners of any religious faith. That is all
right; whether or not a person embraces a religion is that person’s
right as an individual. All the great ancient masters, such as Buddha,
Mahavira, Jesus Christ, and Mohammed, failed to make the entire human
population spiritually minded. The fact is that nobody can do that.
Whether those nonbelievers are called atheists does not matter. Indeed,
according to some Western scholars, Buddhists are also atheists, since
they do not accept a creator. Therefore, I sometimes add one more word
to describe these nonbelievers, and that is “extreme”; I call them
extreme nonbelievers. They are not only nonbelievers but are extreme
in their view in that they hold that spirituality has no value. However,
we must remember that these people are also a part of humanity, and that
they also, like all human beings, have the desire to be happy- to have a
happy and peaceful like. This is the important point.
I believe
that it is all right to remain a nonbeliever, but as long as you are a
part of humanity, as long as you are a human being, you need human
affection, human compassion. This is actually the essential teaching of
all the religious traditions: the crucial point is compassion, or human
affection. Without human affection, even religious beliefs can become
destructive. Thus, the essence, even in religion, is a good heart. I
consider human affection, or compassion, to be the universal religion.
Whether a believer or a nonbeliever, everyone needs human affection and
compassion, because compassion gives us inner strength, hope and mental
peace. Thus, it is indispensable for everyone.
Let us, for
example, examine the usefulness of the good heart in daily life. If we
are in a good mood when we get up in the morning, if there is a
warm-hearted feeling within, automatically our inner door is opened for
that day. Even should an unfriendly person happen along, we would not
experience much disturbance and may even manage to say something nice to
that person. We could chat with the not-so-friendly person and perhaps
even have a meaningful conversation. But on a day when our mood is less
positive and we are feeling irritated, automatically our inner door
closes. As a result, even if we encounter our best friend, we feel
uncomfortable and strained. These instances show how our inner attitude
makes a great difference in our daily experiences. Therefore, in order
to create a pleasant atmosphere within ourselves, within in our
families, within our communities, we have to realize that the ultimate
source of that pleasant atmosphere is within the individual, within each
of us- a good heart, human compassion, love.
Once we
create a friendly and positive atmosphere, it automatically helps to
reduce fear and insecurity. In this way we can easily make more friends
and create more smiles. After all, we are social animals. Without human
friendship, without the human smile, our life becomes miserable. The
lonely feeling becomes unbearable. It is a natural law- that is to say,
according to natural law we depend on others to live. If, under certain
circumstances, because something is wrong inside us, our attitude toward
fellow human beings, on whom we depend, becomes hostile, how can we hope
to attain peace of mind or a happy life? According to basic human
nature, or natural law, affection- compassion- is the key to happiness.
According to
contemporary medicine, a positive mental state, or peace of mind, is
also beneficial for our physical health. If we are constantly agitated,
we end up harming our own health. Therefore, even from the point of view
of our health, mental calmness and peacefulness are very important. This
shows that the physical body itself appreciates and responds to human
affection, human peace of mind.
BASIC
HUMAN NATURE
If we look at basic
human nature, we see that our nature is more gentle than aggressive. For
example, if we examine various animals, we notice that animals of a more
peaceful nature have a corresponding body structure, whereas predatory
animals have a body structure that has developed according to their
nature. Compare the tiger and the deer: there are great differences in
their physical structures. When we compare our own body structure to
theirs, we see that we resemble deer and rabbits more than tigers. Even
our teeth are more like theirs, are they not? They are not like a
tiger’s. Our nails are another good example. I cannot even catch a rat
with my human fingernails alone. Of course, because of human
intelligence, we are able to devise and use various tools and methods to
accomplish things that would be difficult to accomplish without them.
Thus, as you can see, because of our physical fundamental human nature
as shown by our basic physical structure.
COMPASSION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Given our
current global situation, cooperation is essential, especially in fields
such as economics and education. The concept that differences are
important is now more or less gone, as demonstrated by the movement
toward a unified Western Europe. This movement is, I think, truly
marvelous and very timely. Yet this close work between nations did not
come about because of compassion or religious faith, but rather because
of necessity. There is a growing tendency in the world toward global
awareness. Under current circumstances a closer relationship with others
has become an element of our very survival. Therefore, the concept of
universal responsibility based on compassion and on a sense of
brotherhood and sisterhood is now essential. The world is full of
conflicts; conflicts because of ideology, because of religion, even
conflicts within families. Conflicts based on one person wanting one
thing and another wanting something else. So if we examine the sources
of these many conflicts, we find that there are many different sources,
many different causes, even within ourselves.
Yet, in the
meantime, we have the potential and ability to come together in harmony.
All these other things are relative. Although these are many sources of
conflict, there are at the same time many sources that bring about unity
and harmony. The time has come to put more emphasis on unity. Here again
there must be human affection. For example, you may have a different
ideological or religious opinion from someone else. If you respect the
other’s rights and sincerely show a compassionate attitude toward that
person, then it does not matter whether his or her idea is suitable for
yourself; that is secondary. As long as the other person believes in it,
as long as that person benefits from such a viewpoint, it is his or her
absolute right. So we must respect that and accept the fact that
different viewpoints exist. In the realm of economics as well, one’s
competitors must also receive some profit, because they too have to
survive. When we have a broader perspective based on compassion, I think
things become much easier. Once again, compassion is the key factor.
DEMILITARIZATION
Today, our
world situation has eased considerably. Fortunately, we can now think
and talk seriously about demilitarization, or at least the idea of
demilitarization. Five years ago, or perhaps even as recently as two
years ago, it was difficult even to think about it, but now the Cold War
between the former Soviet Union and the United States is over. With
regard to the United States, I always tell my American friends, “Your
strength comes not from nuclear weapons but from your ancestors’ noble
ideas of freedom, liberty and democracy.” When I was in the United
States in 1991, I had the opportunity of meeting with former President
George Bush. At the time we discussed the New World Order, and I said to
him, “A New World Order” with compassion is very good. I’m not so sure
about a New World Order with compassion.”
I now
believe that the time is ripe to think and talk about demilitarization.
There are already some signs of weapons reductions and for the first
time, denuclearization. Step by step, we are seeing a reduction in
weapons, and I think our goal should be to free the world, our small
planet, from weapons. This does not mean, however, that we should
abolish all forms of weapons. We may need to keep some, since there are
always some mischievous people and groups among us. In order to take
precautions and be safeguarded from these sources, we should create a
system of regionally monitored international police forces, not
necessarily belonging to any one nation but controlled collectively and
supervised ultimately by an organization like the United Nations or
another similar international body. That way, with no weapons available,
there would be no danger of military conflict between nations, and there
would also be no civil wars.
War has
remained, sadly, a part of human history up to the present, but I think
the time has come to change the concepts that lead to war. Some people
consider war to be something glorious; they think that through war they
can become heroes. This usual attitude toward war is very wrong.
Recently an interviewer remarked to me, “Westerners have a great fear of
death, but Easterners seem to have very little fear death.” To that I
half-jokingly responded, “It seems to me that, to the Western mind, war
and the military establishment are extremely important. War means death,
by killing, not by natural death, because you are so fond of war. We
Easterners, particularly Tibetans, cannot even begin to consider war; we
cannot conceive of fighting, because the inevitable result of war is
disaster: death, injuries, and misery. Therefore the concept of war in
our minds is extremely negative. That means we actually have more fear
of death than you. Don’t you think?” Unfortunately, because of certain
factors, our ideas about war are incorrect. Therefore, the time has come
to think seriously about demilitarization.
I felt this
very strongly during and after the Persian Gulf crisis. Of course,
everybody blames Saddam Hussein, and there is no question that Saddam
Hussein is negative; he made many mistakes and acted wrongly in many
ways. After all, he is a dictator, and a dictator is of course,
something negative. However, without his military establishment, without
his weapons, Saddam Hussein could not function as that kind of dictator.
Who supplied those weapons? The suppliers also bear the responsibility.
Some Western nations supplied him with weapons without regard for the
consequences.
To think
only of money, of making a profit from selling weapons, is really
terrible. I once met a French woman who had spent many years in Beirut,
Lebanon. She told me with a great sadness that during the crisis in
Beirut there were people at one end of the city making a profit selling
weapons, and that every day, at the other end of the city, other
innocent people were being killed with those very weapons. Similarly, on
the one side of our planet there are people living a lavish life with
the profits make from selling arms, while innocent people are getting
killed with those fancy bullets on the other side or our planet.
Therefore, the first step is to stop selling weapons. Sometimes I tease
my Swedish friends: “Oh, you are really wonderful. During the last
period of conflict you remained neutral. And you always consider the
importance of human rights and world peace. Very good. But in the
meantime you are selling weapons. This is a little bit of a
contradiction, isn’t it?
Therefore,
since the time of the Persian Gulf crisis I myself made an inner pledge,
a commitment that for the rest of my life I will contribute to
furthering the idea of demilitarization. As far as my own country is
concerned, I have made up my mind that in the future, Tibet should be a
completely demilitarized zone. Once again, in working to bring about
demilitarization, the key factor is human compassion.
CONCLUSION: THE MEANING OF COMPASSION
I have
talked a great deal about compassion without explaining its precise
meaning. I would like to conclude by explaining the meaning of
compassion, which is often misunderstood. Genuine compassion is based
not on our own projections and expectations, but rather on the rights of
the other: irrespective of whether another person is a close friend or
an enemy, as long as that person wishes for peace and happiness and
wishes to overcome suffering, then on that basis we develop genuine
concern for his or her problem. This is genuine compassion.
Usually when
we are concerned about a close friend, we call this compassion. This is
not compassion; it is attachment. Even in marriage, those marriages that
last a long time do so not because of attachment, although it is
generally present, but because there is also compassion. Marriages that
last only a short time do so because of a lack of compassion; there is
only emotional attachment based on projection and expectation. When the
only bond between close friends is attachment, then even a minor issue
may cause one’s projections to change. As soon as our projections
change, the attachment disappears; because that attachment was based
solely on projection and expectation.
It is
possible to have compassion without attachment and similarly to have
anger without hatred. Therefore, we need to clarify the distinctions
between compassion and attachment, and between anger and hatred. Such
clarity is useful in our daily life and in our efforts toward world
peace. I consider these to be basic spiritual values for the happiness
of all human beings, regardless of whether one is a believer or a
nonbeliever.
Source: This teaching was givenby His Holiness Dalai Lama at the
National Tennis Centre, Melbourne, Australia. May 4, 1992, t his
teaching and others in booklet form by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, such
as
A Human Approach to World Peace
(65,000 copies in print),
Compassion and the Individual
(61,000 copies),
The Global Community and the Need for
Universal Responsibility (15,000 copies), and Words of Truth:
A Prayer for Peace in Tibet and Compassion in the World (7,000 copies).
Tens of thousands more copies of most of these booklets are also in
print in many different languages. (Wisdom Publication, 1995).
6
AWARENESS OF DEATH
By Dalai Lama
Just as when weaving
One reaches the end
With fine threads woven throughout,
So
is the life of humans.
-BUDDHA
It is
crucial to be mindful of death, to contemplate that you will not remain
long in this life. If you are not aware of death, you will fail to take
advantage of this special human life that you have already attained. It
is meaningful since, based on it, important effects can be
accomplished.
Analysis of
death is not for the sake of becoming fearful but to appreciate this
precious lifetime during which you can perform many important practices.
Rather than being frightened, you need to reflect that when death comes,
you will lose this good opportunity for practice. In this way
contemplation of death will bring more energy to your practice.
You need
to accept that death comes in the normal course of life. As Buddha said:
A place
to stay untouched by death - Does not exist.
It does
not exist in space, it does not exist in the ocean.
Nor if
you stay in the middle of a mountain.
If you
accept that death is part of life, then when it actually does come,
you may face it more easily.
When people
know deep inside that death will come but deliberately avoid thinking
about it, that does not fit the situation and is counterproductive. The
same is true when old age is not accepted as part of life but taken to
be unwanted and deliberately avoided in thought. This leads to being
mentally unprepared; then when old age inevitably occurs, it is very
difficult.
Many people
are physically old but pretend they are young. Sometimes when I meet
with longtime friends, such as certain senators in countries like the
United States, I greet them with, “My old friend,” meaning that we have
known one another for a long period, not necessarily physically old. But
when I say this, some of them emphatically correct me. “We are not old!
We are longtime friends.” Actually, they are old- with hairy
ears, a sign of old age, but they are uncomfortable with being old. That
is foolish.
I usually
think of the maximum duration of a human life as one hundred years,
which, compared to the life of the planet, is very short. This brief
existence should be used in such a way that it does not create pain for
others. It should be committed not to destructive work but to more
constructive activities, at least not to harm others, or create trouble
for them. In this way our brief span as a tourist on this planet will be
meaningful. If a tourist visits a certain place for a short period and
creates more trouble, that is silly. But if, as a tourist, you make
others happy during this short period, that is wise When you yourself
move on to your next place, you feel happy. If you create problems, even
though you yourself do not encounter any difficulty during your stay,
you will wonder what the use of your visit was.
Of life’s
one hundred years, the early portion is spent as a child and the final
portion is spent in old age, often just like an animal feeding and
sleeping. In between, there might be sixty or seventy years to be used
meaningfully. As Buddha said:
Half of the life is taken up with sleep. Ten years are spent in
childhood. Twenty years are lost in old age. Out of the remaining twenty
years, sorrow, complaining, pain, and agitation eliminate much time, and
hundreds of physical illnesses destroy much more.
To
make life meaningful, acceptance of old age and death as parts of our
life is crucial. Feeling that death is almost impossible just creates
more greediness and more trouble, sometimes even deliberate harm to
others. When we take a good look at how supposedly great personages,
emperors, monarchs, and so forth, built huge dwelling places and walls,
we see that deep inside their minds was an idea that they would stay in
this life forever. This self-deception results in more pain and more
trouble for many people.
Even for
those who do not believe in future lifetimes, contemplation of reality
is productive, helpful, scientific. Because persons, minds, and all
other caused phenomena change moment by moment, this opens up the
possibility for positive development. If situations did not change, they
would forever retain the nature of suffering. Once you know things are
always changing, even if you are passing through a very difficult
period, you can find comfort in knowing that the situation will not
remain that way forever. So, there is no need for frustration.
Good fortune
also is not permanent; consequently, there is no use for too much
attachment when things are going well. An outlook of performance ruins
us: Even is you accept that there are future lives, the present becomes
your preoccupation, and the future takes on little import. This ruins a
good opportunity when your life is endowed with the leisure and
facilities to engage in productive practices. An outlook of impermanence
helps.
Being aware
of impermanence calls for discipline, ‘taming the mind’, but this does
not mean punishment, or control from the outside. Discipline does not
mean prohibition; rather, it means that when there is a contradiction
between long-term and short-term interests, you sacrifice the short-term
for the sake of long-term benefit. This is self-discipline, which
stems from ascertaining the cause and effect of karma. For example, for
the sake of my stomach’s returning to normal after my recent illness, I
am avoiding sour foods and cold drinks that otherwise appear to be tasty
and attractive. This type of discipline means protection. In a similar
way, reflection on death calls for self-discipline and self-protection,
not punishment.
Human beings
have all the potential to create good things, but its full utilization
requires freedom, liberty. Totalitarianism stifles this growth. In a
complementary way, individualism means that you do not expect something
from the outside or that you are waiting for orders; rather, you
yourself create the initiative. Therefore, Buddha frequently called for
“individual liberation,” meaning self-liberation, not through an
organization. Each individual must create her or his own positive
future. Freedom and individualism require self-discipline. If these are
exploited for the sake for afflictive emotions, there are negative
consequences. Freedom and self-discipline must work together.
BROADENING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
From a
Buddhist perspective, the highest of all aims is to achieve Buddhahood
in order to be capable of helping a vast number of sentient beings;
however, a medium level of achievement can liberate you from the painful
round of birth, aging, sickness and death; a lower, but still valuable
level of achievement is the improvement of your future lives. From the
gradual improvement of your lives liberation can be attained. First,
your perspective extends to include future lives; then by thoroughly
understanding your own plight, your perspective deepens to include all
of the rounds of suffering from one life to another, called cyclic
existence or samsara. Finally this understanding can be extended to
others, through the compassionate wish that all sentient beings be freed
from suffering and the causes of suffering. This compassion drives you
to aspire to Buddhahood.
You have to
be concerned with deeper aspects of life that affect future lives before
understanding the full nature of suffering and cyclic existence. This
understanding of suffering, in turn, is required for the full
development of compassion. Similarly, we Tibetans are seeking to achieve
a measure of self-rule in Tibet in order to be of service to the beings
in our homeland, but we are also striving to establish ourselves in a
refugee situation in India. The accomplishment of the former, greater
purpose depends upon our accomplishing the latter, temporary aim.
DISADVANTAGES OF NOT BEING MINDFUL OF DEATH
It is
beneficial to be aware that you will die. Why? If you are not aware of
death, you will not be mindful of your practice, but will just spend
your life meaninglessly, not examining what sorts of attitudes and
actions perpetuate suffering and which ones bring about happiness.
If you are
not mindful that you might die soon, you will fall under the sway of a
false sense of permanence “I’ll die later on, later on.” Then, when the
time comes, even if you try to accomplish something worthwhile, you will
not have the energy. Many Tibetans enter a monastery at a young age and
study texts about spiritual practice, but when the time comes to really
practice, the capacity to do so is somehow lacking. This is because they
do not have a true understanding of impermanence.
If, having
thought about how to practice, you make a decision that you absolutely
have to do so in retreat for several months or even for many years, you
have been motivated by your knowledge of impermanence. But if that
urgency is not maintained by contemplating the ravages of impermanence
again and again, your practice will peter out. This is why some people
stay in retreat for years but experience no imprint on their lives
afterward. Contemplating impermanence not only motivates your practice,
but also fuels it.
If you have
a strong sense of the certainty of death and of the uncertainty of its
arrival, you will be motivated from within. It will be as if a friend is
cautioning, “Be careful, be earnest, another day is passing.”
You might
even leave home for the monastic life. If you did, you would be given a
new name and new clothing. You would also have fewer busy activities;
you would have to change your attitude, directing your attention to
deeper purposes. If, however, you continued busying yourself with the
superficial affairs of the moment; delicious food, good clothing, better
shelter, pleasant conversation, many friends and acquaintances, and even
making an enemy, if someone does something you do not like and then
quarreling and fighting, you would be no better off than you were before
you entered the monastery, and perhaps even worse. Remember, it is not
sufficient to withdraw from these superficial activities out of
embarrassment or fear of what your friends who are also on the path
might think; the change must come from within. This is true for monks
and nuns as well as lay people who take up practice.
Perhaps you
are beset by a sense of permanence, by thinking that you will not die
soon and that while you are still alive, you need especially good food,
clothing, and conversation. Out of desire for the wondrous effects of
the present, even is they are of little meaning in the long run, you are
ready to employ all sorts of shameless exaggerations and devices to get
what you want; making loans at high interest, looking down on your
friends, starting court proceedings, all for the sake of more than
adequate provisions.
Since you
have given your life over to such activities, money becomes more
attractive than study, and even if you attempt practice, you do not pay
much attention to it. If a page falls out of a book, you might hesitate
to retrieve it, but is some money falls to the ground, there is no
question. If you encountered those who have really devoted their lives
to deeper pursuits, you might think well of that devotion, but that
would be all; whereas if you see someone dressed in finery, displaying
his or her wealth, you would wish for it, lust after it, hope for it,
with more and more attachment. Ultimately, you will do anything to get
it.
Once you are
intent on the fineries of this life, your afflictive emotions increase,
which in turn necessarily bring about more bad deeds. These
counter-productive emotions only lead to trouble, making yourself and
those around you uncomfortable. Even if you briefly learn how to
practice the stages of the path to enlightenment, you acquire more and
more material things and get involved with more and more people to the
point where you are, so to speak, practicing the superficialities of
this life, meditatively cultivating desire for friends and hatred for
enemies and trying to figure out ways to fulfill these afflictive
emotions. At that point, even if you hear about real, beneficial
practice, you are apt to feel, “Yes, that is so, but…”. One ‘but’ after
another. Indeed, you have become accustomed to afflictive emotions
throughout your initial, less cyclic existence. But now you have added
on the very practice of superficiality. This makes the situation even
worse, turning you away from what will really help.
Driven by
such lust, you will find no comfort. You are not making others happy,
and certainly not yourself. As you become more self-centered- “my
this, my that, my body, my wealth”- anyone who
interferes immediately becomes an object of anger. Although you make
much out of “my friends” and “my relatives,” they cannot
help you at birth or at death; you come here alone, and you have to
leave alone. If on the day of your death a friend could accompany you,
attachment would be worthwhile, but it cannot be so. When you are reborn
in a totally unfamiliar situation, if your friend from the last lifetime
could be of some help, that too would be something to consider, but it
is not to be had. Yet, in between birth and death, for several decades
it is “my friend,” “my sister,” “my brother.” This
misplaced emphasis does not help at all, except to create more
bewilderment, lust, and hatred.
When friends
are overemphasized, enemies also come to be overemphasized. When you are
born, you do not know anyone and no one knows you. Even though all of us
equally want happiness and do not want suffering, you like the faces of
some people and think, “These are my friends,” and dislike the
faces of others and think, “These are my enemies.” You affix
identities and nicknames to them and end up practicing the generation of
desire for the former and the generation of hatred for the latter. What
value is there in this? - None. The problem is that so much energy is
being expended on concern for a level no deeper than the superficial
affairs of this life. The profound loses out to the trivial.
If you have
not practiced and on your dying day you are surrounded by sobbing
friends and others involved in your affairs, instead of having someone
who reminds you of virtuous practice, this will only bring trouble, and
you will have brought it on yourself. Where does the fault lie? In not
being mindful of impermanence.
ADVANTAGES OF BEING MINDFUL OF IMPERMANENCE
However, if
you do not wait until the end for the knowledge that you die to sink in,
and you realistically assess your situation now, you will not be
overwhelmed by superficial, temporary purposes. You will not neglect
what matters in the long run. It is better to decide from the very
beginning that you will die and investigate what it worthwhile. If you
keep in mind how quickly this life disappears, you will value your time
and do what is valuable. With a strong sense of the imminence of death,
you will feel the need to engage in spiritual practice, improving your
mind, and will not waste your time in various distractions ranging from
eating and drinking to endless talk about war, romance, and gossip.
All beings
want happiness and do not want suffering. We use many level of
techniques for removing unwanted suffering in its superficial and deep
forms, but it is mostly humans who engage in techniques in the earlier
part of their lives to avoid suffering later on. Both those who do and
do not practice religion seek over the course of their lives to lessen
some sufferings and to remove others, sometimes even taking on pain as a
means to overcome greater suffering and gain a measure of happiness.
Everyone
tries to remove superficial pain, but there is another class of
techniques concerned with removing suffering on a deeper level; aiming
at a minimum to diminish suffering in future lives and, beyond that,
even to remove all forms of suffering for oneself as well as for all
beings. Spiritual practice is of this deeper type.
These
techniques involve an adjustment of attitude; thus, spiritual practice
basically means to adjust your thought well. In Sanskrit it is called
dharma, which means “that which holds.” This means that by adjusting
counterproductive attitudes, you are freed from a level of suffering and
thus held back from that particular suffering. Spiritual practice
protects, or holds back, yourself and others from misery.
From first
understanding your own situation in cyclic existence and seeking to hold
yourself back from suffering, you extend your realization to other
beings and develop compassion, which means to dedicate yourself to
holding others back from suffering. It makes practical sense for you,
just one being, to opt for taking care of many, but also, by
concentrating on the welfare of others, you yourself will be happier.
Compassion diminishes fright about your own pain and increases inner
strength. It gives you a sense of empowerment, of being able to
accomplish your task. It lends encouragement.
Let me give
you a small example. Recently, when I was in Bodh Gaya, I fell ill from
a chronic intestinal infection. On the way to the hospital, the pain in
my abdomen was severe, and I was sweating a great deal. The car was
passing through the area of Vulture Peak (Buddha taught here) where the
villagers are extremely poor. In general, Bihar State is poor, but that
particular area is even more so. I did not even see children going to or
coming from school, just poverty and sickness. I have a very clear
memory of a small boy with polio, who had rusty metal braces on his legs
and metal crutches up to his armpits. It was obvious that he had no one
to look after him. I was very moved. A little later on, there was an old
man at a tea stop, wearing only a dirty piece of cloth, fallen to the
ground, left to lie there with no one to take care of him.
Later, at
the hospital, my thought kept circling on what I had seen, reflecting on
how sad it was that here I had people to take care of me but those poor
people had no one. That is where my thoughts went, rather than to my own
suffering. Though sweat was pouring out of my body, my concern was
elsewhere.
In this way,
though my body underwent a lot of pain (a hole had opened in my
intestinal wall) that prevented sleep, my mind did not suffer any fear
or discomfort. It would only have made the situation worse if I had
concentrated on my own problems. This is an example from my small
experience of how an attitude of compassion helps even oneself,
suppressing some degree of physical pain and keeping away mental
distress, despite the fact that others might not be directly helped.
Compassion
strengthens your outlook, and with that courage you are more relaxed.
When your perspective includes the suffering of limitless beings, your
own suffering looks comparatively small.
Source: His Holiness Dalai Lama, Jeffrey
Hopkins (2002) Advice on Dying and living a Better life, Atria Book, New
York, USA.
7
Visiting
His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Dharamsala
By
Steve Lowe - Nguyen Thien Bao
As you may already know, in November 2006,
Venerable Thich Nguyen Tang was honoured to lead a pilgrimage of
51 Vietnamese Buddhist
followers, a group consisting
of people from Melbourne, Sydney & Perth (Australia) and Texas &
California (USA). Between November 7th to 19th,
we visited
many holy sites where the Lord Buddha had significant experiences in his
life. Places such as Lumbini - where Buddha was born; Bodhgaya - the
place Buddha attained enlightenment; Sanarth - where Buddha gave his
first sermon; Kusinagar - where Buddha attended the Mahaparinirvana.
One highlight, of our
pilgrimage in India, was hoped to be an audience with His Holiness the
Dalai Lama, but nothing could guarantee we would be able to see Him. On
November 17th we set out on a 2 day trip to Dharamsala, north
of New Delhi. The first day was easier open roads, but most
of the second day of our trip was spent driving up steep and winding
mountain roads. It was a hard climb, the road often seeming quite
dangerous, with barely enough room for vehicles to pass each other. But,
some how, due to the merit and virtue of practicing Buddhism, our group
arrived safely in Dharmasala at 8pm.
Once there, it became
easier to understand some of the suffering which His Holiness and his
people have been experiencing for so many decades, since 1959. The path
leading here is difficult, so too the life here is hard.
At 9am, the next
morning, November 18th, our group came to visit and pay our
respects by prostrating ourselves before His Holiness. Although His
Holiness had just returned from Japan and many television, radio and
newspaper reporters had interviewed him, he was very happy to give us an
opportunity to see him directly. He asked us to recite
the Heart Sutra for him in Vietnamese. He also read of some of our
Buddhist publications and saw photographs of our monastery in Melbourne.
Venerable Thich Nguyen Tang was most
honored to be able to present to him a publication of ours, authored by
His Holiness, ‘Compassion and the Individual’ which I had
translated into Vietnamese from his original publication’.
“It is a true ‘holy
place’ of India, if we compare with other holy places in India”. They
were a few of the words which
Venerable Nguyen Tang said to
His Holiness, when our group met him. Because Dharamsala is the location
in which His Holiness, the living incarnation of the Buddha, is living,
many hundreds of thousands of people around the world visit and practice
Buddhism here every year. They also come here to share the sorrow and
suffering of the Tibetan people.
Our group donated
US$1,000 and AU$1,000 to this Living Buddha. His Holiness offered every
one in our group a white Katag (scarf) and small golden Buddha statue.
He was particularly careful to make sure all members had the opportunity
take a group photo with him. It was a most wonderful
experience, that day we met His Holiness.
We, the Vietnamese
Buddhist members from Quang Duc Monastery, Melbourne, Australia, wish
that His Holiness enjoys good health, longevity, peace and happiness and
that all of His Buddhist works reach completion. We also pray that his
country will soon get back her freedom and independence and that
His Holiness the Dalai Lama may
safely return back to his homeland in the near future.
Nam Mo
Sakya Muni Buddha
Quang Duc Monastery
History, lineage and
organisation
Vietnamese Australians are the largest single ethnic Buddhist group in
Australia. According to the 2001 census there are a total of 154 833
Vietnam-born people in Australia, 56 664 or 36.6% of whom live in
Victoria. The majority (33 145) of the Vietnam-born in Victoria are
Buddhists, and the 17 Vietnamese Buddhist temples in Melbourne
out-number those of any other single Buddhist group. This study looked
at two Vietnamese temples in Melbourne: Quang Duc Temple and Quang Minh
Temple. These will be described in the next two case studies.
Quang Duc Temple is a
major Vietnamese Buddhist Centre for the northern and western
regions of Melbourne. The temple is named after Most Ven. Thich Quang
Duc, a Vietnamese monk, who in 1963 self-immolated while sitting in the
lotus position as a protest against the oppression of Buddhist priests
and the Buddhist community by the Diem government in South Vietnam.
Quang Duc Monastery incorporates Quang Duc Monastery as well as Quang
Duc Buddhist Welfare Association of Victoria. Ven. Thich Tam Phuong, who
came to Australia in 1987, is the Abbot of the Quang Duc Monastery as
well as a director of the non-profit Quang Duc Buddhist Welfare
Association of Victoria, and Ven. Thich Nguyen Tang is the Vice-Abbot of
Quang Duc Monastery; Ven. Thich Nguyen Tang arrived in Australia in
1998 and was the first Buddhist monk to be granted permanent residency
in Australia based on a religious visa application. In addition to the
abbot and the Vice-Abbot there are two nuns residing at the Monastery.
The Monastery is managed by a committee of 10 who are elected by the
abbot. Quang Duc Monastery has 1000 members who receive the Monastery's
newsletter, which is published once every three months in English and
Vietnamese.
The members of the Monastery are mainly Vietnamese except for a small
minority of around 20 Anglo-Australians. The first Anglo-Australians to
come to the Monastery were local retirees who would come in every day to
help; later they began to attend the meditation classes at the centre
and to study Buddhism. Other Anglo-Australians at the Monastery have
heard about the Monastery through the Moreland City Council, which
provides information about the Monastery in their information booklet as
well as on their website. The Monastery belongs to the Lam Te
lineage of Vietnamese Buddhism.
Quang Duc Monastery
was established in 1990 as an initiative of the local Vietnamese
community who wanted to have a Monastery in the area. The community
members set up a small three bedroom house in the northern suburb of
Broadmeadows, and asked Ven. Thich Tam Phuong to take residence as the
abbot. The house was used for worship, religious education and many
other Buddhist activities. Over time the Monastery community grew, and
it became evident that to meet the needs of its members as well as the
Vietnamese Buddhist community of the northern region a larger place was
needed. In May 1997 the centre purchased a former primary school, in the
suburb of Fawkner, from the Victorian Education Department, on an area
of nearly two acres. This was one of the approximately 200 primary
Schools in Victoria which were sold due to cut backs in education
funding. The Monastery also received approval from the local Moreland
City Council to set up a Buddhist Welfare Centre as part of the complex.
By 2001 plans were made for the construction of a large two story
building. The first level is a multi-purpose community hall, the second
level is a large Buddha Hall which is solely dedicated to religious
practices such as meditation and chanting. The structure of the building
reflects the dual focus of the Quang Duc Monastery on the preservation
of Vietnamese traditions and culture as well as strictly religious
concerns. The foundation stone for the building was laid in 2001 and the
construction was completed and the building opened at the end of 2003.
Activities
Since its inception in 1990 the main objective of the Monastery has been
to serve the local Vietnamese communities living in the northern region
through the provision of a range of activities and services. The
religious activities at Quang Duc Monastery include weekly classes in
Buddhist education, daily recitation of sutras, Buddhist Youth
groups (which, as in Vietnam are modeled on the scouts) and Buddhist
family groups. Regular prayer services are held, which include prayer
for peace and happiness to promote quality of life for all sentient
beings. Morning tea and discussion groups are held every weekend. The
Monastery runs meditation classes for beginners and advance students;
these are very popular and attended by the Vietnamese members and the
Anglo-Australians. Three retreats are held at the centre annually in
July, April (during Easter holidays) and in December; the latter is a
very popular retreat and rotates between Vietnamese Monasteries around
Australia. In 2005 it was held in Queensland, and was attended by 300
people. Other religious activities offered by the Monastery include
marriage celebrations, special prayers for weddings, funerals and
memorial services, and activities and entertainment for the aged
members. The bulk of these activities take place on weekends, when over
200 people attend the centre.
The centre also offers
a range of cultural activities which include Bo De Vietnamese
Language School, children's cultural classes designed to help them
retain their Vietnamese Buddhist tradition and culture, and Kong Fu
classes, which are very popular and attended by around 50 on weekends.
The Monastery also hosts a vegetarian lunch once every three months;
this is both a social gathering and a fundraising event. Ven. Thich
Nguyen Yang emphasized the importance of fostering the Vietnamese
culture and language among the young Australian- Vietnamese members:
The second generation of Vietnamese in
Australia have lost their way, they have lost their culture, they lost
their land. 20% of young Vietnamese people are put in jail; this is a
very high level. So, as Buddhists we would like to do something for the
Vietnamese young generation. We can give them their culture and their
language and this is important, because within the families there is a
lack of communication between the parents and the children. The parents
are busy all the time and don't have time to talk to their children. The
children speak English 24 hours a day and the parents speak Vietnamese
so they can't communicate [...] the Monastery is bringing the families
back together, parents and children attend the Monastery together,
children to do activities and study and parents have other activities
like working in the garden and the kitchen, or pray in the Buddha Hall
for the deceased. These activities are followed by Dharma talks and a
free vegetarian lunch, which gives everyone more opportunity to
socialise.
The major events celebrated at the centre include the New Year
Celebration (Tet), the Buddha's Birthday and the
Parents' Day. The Monastery is active in the area of welfare and
community service. It is involved in the prison chaplaincy program and
visits Vietnamese and other Buddhist inmates once a month. The centre
also makes monthly visits to Footscray Hospital, Sunshine Hospital, St.
Vincent's Hospital and the Royal Children's Hospital to offer prayer.
The Monastery offers monthly tours of the Monastery to primary schools
in the area, which includes an introductory talk on Buddhism and
Vietnamese culture. Quang Duc Monastery offers a one-to-one counseling
service to help community members with family problems, social problems
and, in particular, gambling related problems. It offers temporary
accommodation and a referral service to those in the Vietnamese
community affected by domestic violence, gambling and substance abuse.
Some of these services are provided in partnership with agencies such as
the Vietnamese Women's Association, the Community Health Centre in
Footscray and Centrelink. The Monastery has sought the help of various
government agencies to enhance welfare services to the Vietnamese
community. For instance, employing gambling and financial counsellors,
expanding the temporary accommodation available for homeless people
(which is at present limited to three rooms), employing paid staff to
coordinate the growing number of families and individuals who need
emergency assistance at the Monastery, and the construction of
facilities designated for welfare services and counselling.
Quang Duc Monastery also runs Work for the Dole projects through CVGT
Employment and Training Specialists. The projects which have helped the
participants in gaining a variety of useful skills include the
construction of a garden at the centre and work on a new building at the
centre currently under construction.
The Monastery runs an informal overseas aid program. Ven. Thich
Nguyen Tang, together with other members of the Monastery, have
travelled to Vietnam to deliver food to the poor and the needy.
According to Ven. Thich Nguyen Tang the welfare activities of the Quang
Duc Monastery are a new phenomenon, and involve a shift from the
traditional responsibilities and concerns of Buddhist Monasteries in
Vietnam, which are more narrowly defined and largely limited to meeting
the religious demands and needs of the community.
The Monastery has close association with other Buddhist centres in
Melbourne. The local Sri Lankan Buddhist community uses the facilities
at Quang Duc Monastery to hold children's language and Dharma classes.
The Monastery also takes part in the activities of the Tibetan Buddhist
Society, where Ven. Thich Nguyen Tang has spoken about the Vietnamese
Buddhist tradition. The Monastery works closely with Quang Minh
Vietnamese Buddhist Monastery in planning and coordinating activities
for the Vietnamese community.
By Shiva
Vasi
(source: Profile and Contribution of
Buddhists in Victoria, Buddhist
Council of Victoria, 2006)
(Vietnamese vison)
---o0o---
Tying: Kim Thu - Kim Chi
Layout: Pho Tri
Update : 01-04-2007
