His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s message: We Are One…

I was blessed to see His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama today in Eugene. He’s surprisingly direct and funny. His message was simple: we are one. Problems happen when we forget that. We become self-centered in our attitude. He said there’s too much I, I, I in our attitude. We focus on perception instead of reality. We forget that love and compassion are part of our collective essence. He said we cannot exist in isolation. We are social in nature and we need each other for our very survival. 

So the title of the lecture, “The Path to Peace and Happiness in a Global Society,” was particularly appropriate given the fact that a global society, like it or not, is exactly what we are.   Although it begins with the individual, it doesn’t center there..instead focusing on how each person can extend love and compassion to others. He said it doesn’t even matter if those you are kind to react positively or not. Extending compassion helps our own spiritual development which, in turn, extends to the world. When people feel valued and respected, the world becomes a better place.

His Holiness discussed the need for mothers to give as much attention as possible to their children in their early years. He believes that mothers create balance in their children that cannot be created any other way. He said that male dominance tends to make things worse in the world, and we need feminine energy to bring peace. He cited people under the age of 30 as part of the 21st century and the key to peace in the world. Their ideas are more progressive and balanced than those from the 20th century. And he’s just fine with the idea of a female Dalai Lama. He went on to say that women are a different sort of “hero”, that we perceive problems in ways that men don’t, resulting in a better outcome.

His Holiness spoke of the need to be respectful of other views, including religious views. He said that there are many paths to God and that all paths essentially share the same message. Sometimes when we see others, not as simply our brothers and sisters, but as a particular religion, race, gender, etc., we create an us versus them feeling. Seeing others as fellow human beings fosters genuine respect and appreciation of individual differences instead of allowing them to divide us. Love and compassion toward others is the result.

The problems we have are caused by mankind. The answer is universal: We are one. When we acknowledge that and live accordingly, division ends and unity prevails. We all deserve that.