I saw part of a speech that His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama gave about the moral imperative of helping save Tibet from China. It was part of a really cool documentary where a guy got 1 hour and 10 questions to ask the Dalai Lama."If you come to help us, for the moment you will not gain any profit. We have no oil. But the Tibet issue is a moral issue, and your American ancestors, like Lincoln and Jefferson, I think, stood firmly on moral principle. American nuclear weapons and economic power alone, it will not create more popularity. I don't admire your weapons, I really admire your principles - democracy, freedom and liberty. Now your policy, I think, must be guided by these things."
I find the Dalai Lama so inspiring, in so many ways - he is an incredible man, while still a simple monk - as he says. He is amazing - he writes about neuroscience and about happiness. He has become the "rock star" of peace (quoted from the documentary). I mourn for the Tibetan people because their culture is being systematically destroyed, and the world should not allow a beautiful culture like this to be destroyed.
I had the privilege to go and see the Dalai Lama at the Mind and Life Institute 2005 conference. Scientists were presenting their research findings on the effects of mindfulness on psychiatric and medical conditions - the Dalai Lama is fascinated by this subject.
I walked away from that conference feeling like I was floating on air. I was about 30 feet away from where the Dalai Lama was sitting on the stage. As a practicing Buddhist that was an incredible thing for me - to be so close to someone so sacred in my belief system. I still treasure the prayer beads I was wearing while I was in his presence as a sacred relic of an experience in my life.
I pray for His Holiness to have a long life, and I pray for a Free Tibet.
