Quote:
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. -- The Dalai Lama took the stage Wednesday with no words, just a wide smile.
The silent entry before 5,000 people at Smith College was enough to elicit giggles and chuckles from the audience.
Maybe it was the playful way he exchanged white scarves with officials who greeted him at the dais. Perhaps it was how he plunked himself onto the seat of honor and hiked up his flowing maroon robe to expose matching socks and brown shoes. Or the odd sight of His Holiness fanning himself with a tasseled mortar board cap as the indoor track and tennis building heated up.
When he did finally speak -- after the welcoming remarks, traditional Tibetan dance routines and his acceptance of an honorary doctor of letters degree from Smith president Carol Christ -- the exiled political and spiritual leader of Tibet kept his half-hour message of peace and tolerance warm, funny and humble.
There was no direct criticism of China for it's rule over Tibet. There was no mention of his canceled trip to Belgium this week because of Beijing's pressure on Brussels to bar him.
Instead, there were hard-to-dispute maxims often delivered in broken English:
-- "Education gives us guidance."
-- "Warm-heartedness gives us proper use of all our knowledge."
-- "Anger, hatred, jealousy -- these destroy our peace of mind."
There was honesty, and even a bit of admonition.
Asked from a list of questions submitted by the audience what is the most important thing to keep in mind while living one's life, he answered: "I don't know."
When the laughs died down, he continued.
"That's a typical Western way of thinking," he said. "What's the most? What's the best? Then the next question is: the cheapest?"
On the topic of how to best raise children, the unmarried Buddhist monk replied: "I'm the wrong person to ask."
Again, laughs. Followed by sound advice.
"Give maximum affection to your children. That's most important," he said, then credited his mother with being his greatest teacher of compassion.
He was born to a Tibetan farming family in 1935 as Tenzin Gyatso and was named the 14th Dalai Lama five years later. As the successor in a line of political and religious leaders dating back to 1391, he was forced into exile in India following an abortive 1959 Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule.
Beijing has for years tried to destroy the Dalai Lama's international clout, despite the Nobel Peace Prize he received in 1989. Both Russia and South Korea have prohibited the Dalai Lama from traveling in their countries in deference to China.
He is now based in Dharmsala, India, and makes worldwide appearances to encourage Tibetan and Buddhist studies and push for nonviolent resolutions to conflict.
His trip this week to western Massachusetts, which includes his address at Smith and a private meeting with local Tibetans, was arranged by Smith and Hampshire colleges and the Western Massachusetts Tibetan Society.
"We can't imagine he is here before our eyes," said 42-year-old Tsering Dolma, who moved to Amherst from Tibet eight years ago. "I'm so very, very happy that he's here."
But she realizes the irony of having to meet her spiritual and political leader far from their home country.
And as she talked about it, she began to cry.
The silent entry before 5,000 people at Smith College was enough to elicit giggles and chuckles from the audience.
Maybe it was the playful way he exchanged white scarves with officials who greeted him at the dais. Perhaps it was how he plunked himself onto the seat of honor and hiked up his flowing maroon robe to expose matching socks and brown shoes. Or the odd sight of His Holiness fanning himself with a tasseled mortar board cap as the indoor track and tennis building heated up.
When he did finally speak -- after the welcoming remarks, traditional Tibetan dance routines and his acceptance of an honorary doctor of letters degree from Smith president Carol Christ -- the exiled political and spiritual leader of Tibet kept his half-hour message of peace and tolerance warm, funny and humble.
There was no direct criticism of China for it's rule over Tibet. There was no mention of his canceled trip to Belgium this week because of Beijing's pressure on Brussels to bar him.
Instead, there were hard-to-dispute maxims often delivered in broken English:
-- "Education gives us guidance."
-- "Warm-heartedness gives us proper use of all our knowledge."
-- "Anger, hatred, jealousy -- these destroy our peace of mind."
There was honesty, and even a bit of admonition.
Asked from a list of questions submitted by the audience what is the most important thing to keep in mind while living one's life, he answered: "I don't know."
When the laughs died down, he continued.
"That's a typical Western way of thinking," he said. "What's the most? What's the best? Then the next question is: the cheapest?"
On the topic of how to best raise children, the unmarried Buddhist monk replied: "I'm the wrong person to ask."
Again, laughs. Followed by sound advice.
"Give maximum affection to your children. That's most important," he said, then credited his mother with being his greatest teacher of compassion.
He was born to a Tibetan farming family in 1935 as Tenzin Gyatso and was named the 14th Dalai Lama five years later. As the successor in a line of political and religious leaders dating back to 1391, he was forced into exile in India following an abortive 1959 Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule.
Beijing has for years tried to destroy the Dalai Lama's international clout, despite the Nobel Peace Prize he received in 1989. Both Russia and South Korea have prohibited the Dalai Lama from traveling in their countries in deference to China.
He is now based in Dharmsala, India, and makes worldwide appearances to encourage Tibetan and Buddhist studies and push for nonviolent resolutions to conflict.
His trip this week to western Massachusetts, which includes his address at Smith and a private meeting with local Tibetans, was arranged by Smith and Hampshire colleges and the Western Massachusetts Tibetan Society.
"We can't imagine he is here before our eyes," said 42-year-old Tsering Dolma, who moved to Amherst from Tibet eight years ago. "I'm so very, very happy that he's here."
But she realizes the irony of having to meet her spiritual and political leader far from their home country.
And as she talked about it, she began to cry.
He will be here until the morning, so Tank want to kidnap him? Careful he has his Mama powers so we need to go Sayan on him. china we be pleased.
