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My Day With The Dalai Lama

You guys!  The Dalai Lama came to Princeton a few weeks ago and I got to see him speak.  I like to think of myself as a buddho-christian so this was an exciting opportunity for me–only 4ooo tickets were available for the event and his last speaking engagement was to over 100,000 people.  Whoa.  Luckily, my sister worked a little magic and…voila!  We were in.  I was beyond excited.

Me and liv

I have always been intrigued by Buddhism; something about this religion’s message always resonated in a deep part of me.  I’ve dabbled in meditation + chanting, and I’m a big fan of Pema Chodron, but I was raised Catholic.  And, well,  sometimes I feel conflict about connecting with the ideas and a leader of a different religion, even as an adult.  Almost like I’m cheating on my religion?  Anyway, I’m getting over it; I just can’t ignore the peace + clarity that the Buddhist beliefs bring me.

And it was even more so after visiting India and Nepal seven years ago.  It’s a long story, but I pretty much ended up on my death bed in the middle of a Nepalese village.  It was a medically freak occurrence that brought me to a precarious state, but the kind people I encountered there saved my life.  Their way of life makes so much sense to me–they believe in compassion, forgiveness and tolerance; they value human lives over things.  I’m convinced their practice of these beliefs is how I made it back home in one piece.

dalai lama signSo when I got home from that trip, I started digging around about Buddhism–I wanted to understand it better.  And the more I dug, the more I liked it.

For example: the Dalai Lama believes that despite philosophical differences, all major world religions have the same potential to create good human beings.  That really resonates with me because, isn’t that what it’s all about?  Individual choice to believe our own way of becoming a better version of ourselves?

We all want to be ‘good human beings’.  And the ability to practice religion is such a precious and necessary component of any culture–multiple and different religions offer a range of perspectives–that’s how we learn and grow.  It’s how we become tolerant, how we learn acceptance.

Suppporters of the Dalai Lama

So armed with this information I’ve gathered over the years, I understandably felt a little buzzed on the day of the Dalai Lama talk.  I was going to see THE man.

The amazing energy of all of the kind, compassionate + devoted people that gathered for the day brought a peaceful, but  intense feeling to the campus.  There were groups from communities all over, showing support and respect for their holy leader.  They sang and danced and dressed in their beautiful robes–I literally got choked up a few times watching them!

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Even though we were in the upper level for the talk, it still felt like a small gathering–you could literally hear a pin drop.  Everyone was in awe of him; I think it was because we all felt like we were in the presence of a living legend.  Regardless of your religion, it’s hard to dispute the fact that the Dalai Lama has had a major impact on humanity + the world as a whole with his teachings.

View of talk

Throughout the talk, he was happy + childlike, which was an amazing surprise; he giggled a lot and was playful.  He got a Princeton baseball hat as a gift when he was introduced, and  he popped it on + wore it for most of the talk.  Such a cool dude.

DL in baseball cap

There were even peaceful protestors outside before and after the event!  They were able to share their truth, too. (SO important.)

Protestors

 So here are a few basic ideas I took away from his talk:

  • Affection and kindness are the answer; no amount of money can create true happiness and inner peace.
  • Compassion and kindness expand the human nervous system.  Anger and hatred shrinks the brain in development. (I’m pretty sure he cited some studies of this)
  • We need more education about inner values–how to develop them within ourselves–and create this secular education of whole heartedness in schools.
  • Trust and fear cannot go together.
  • The real meaning of forgiveness is reacting without anger.
  • Read different views of topics that come up in your life and use critical thinking to come to your own conclusions.  Don’t accept things at face value or how they are presented.
  • Our life depends on hope and the belief that it exists; when you don’t have hope, there is no purpose and it’s easy to give up + believe in the bad.
  • We are closest as a society when we feel we are all the same and are connected.

The levity of his talk stayed with me for days and made me feel really, really good. It was a confirmation that even though it’s not the religion I was born into, I can explore other ideologies when they ring true with me (and not be afraid).  Trusting the path of growing and learning new things can be a wonderful, enlightening experience–peace + joy come in many forms.  And I feel like challenging myself occasionally about what I believe + stand for, helps me grow.

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My Day With The Dalai Lama2018-03-29T20:23:13-04:00

The Secret To Happiness: Let Go of These 5 Lame Beliefs. {Part 2}

letting go and holding on

There are certain beliefs we have that stop us from being ultimately happy.  We don’t even realize where they come from because they are so ingrained into our psyche.  We grow up with these beliefs, (mostly from our parents but also from experiences) and we take them as concrete facts.

We may not even fully buy in to these ideas, but they are so intimately woven into our lives that we don’t see them for what they really are: half-truths.

Lame beliefs hold us prisoner and don’t offer any solace. They delay our growth and happiness.

Let’s let go of these things:

Let go of always wanting more.  We are conditioned to want more, but studies show we are happier with less.  There’s a saturation point for wanting things, both of a physical and emotional nature.  Don’t be a hoarder.

Let go of the fear of the unknown. There’s no magic bullet. You are going to have to figure things out as they come.  But fear is a contagious feeling and it will burrow deep in your heart if you let it.  Trust that things are happening as they should, then take a deep breath and keep moving forward.

Let go of feeling like time is running out.  Time is a man-made construct.  You are the ruler of your time, not the other way around.

Let go of the godforsaken drama.   Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people. (Eleanor Roosevelt)  Don’t buy into someone else’s crazytown just because they’re bored and have nothing else to talk about.  Rise above the triteness and find other ways to nourish your soul.

Let go of needing to know the answers.  Enjoy the process and pace at which your life is moving.  If you knew everything all at once, you’d be overwhelmed and miserable.  Enjoy the unfolding of it all.

Make regular adjustments in your life.  It’s normal to change your mind, you’re entitled to grow and expand and move on.

Let go of those lame beliefs that no longer serve you.

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The Secret To Happiness: Let Go of These 5 Lame Beliefs. {Part 2}2018-03-29T20:23:24-04:00
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