The Wisdom of Compassion.

Some people react to the Dalai Lama in less favorable ways. In a washroom in a synagogue on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, I overheard two businessmen exchanging notes about a talk given by the Dalai Lama that they had just heard. They were dismissive. They thought that the talk was simplistic; it didn’t meet their expectations. On another occasion, the Dalai Lama gave a one-day Buddhist teaching in Oslo. I came into the auditorium ten minutes late and saw a couple storming out and demanding their money back.

But I have also met many who were moved to tears by his sheer presence. A few have felt intense joy after they managed to shake his hand as he walked past. Others were surprised by the little nuggets of insight that hit home with unexpected force.

In 2000, I accompanied the Dalai Lama to Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he first met Richard
Moore, the man he called his hero. He gave a speech to a large crowd of Catholics and Protestants, two Christian communities who have been in a state of conflict for many years. He said to them, “When human emotions come out of control, then the best part of the brain where we make judgments cannot function properly. Try to minimize violence, not by force but by awareness and respect. Through di– alogue, taking others’ interests and then sharing one’s own, there’s a way to solve the problems.”

The Dalai Lama then asked the crowd, “Is this useful? If useful, please remember, and eventually implement. If you feel this too idealistic, not practical, then you forget. No problem.”
I thought that was a realistic conclusion to his talk. The Dalai Lama had no illusions that his speech could easily resolve the intractable, generations-old conflict. But he understands that his ability to bring people together, to inspire them to persevere, is a valuable attribute. To bring two communities that have been at war for decades together under one roof, to have a Protestant minister and a Catholic priest standing side by side next to him, was in itself significant.

The wisdom of the Dalai Lama is honed from seven decades of daily spiritual practice and prolonged retreats. He is trained to look at all ideas, including Buddhist teachings, as something offered up for reflection rather than carved in stone. And he is encouraged to retain what is useful and discard what he feels is at odds with reason or experience.

The Dalai Lama’s main message is that our goal in life is to be happy. And he says that the path to happiness is through practicing compassion. He says, “All the people, even if they are hostile, are living beings like me who fear suffering and want happiness. They have every right not to suffer, and to achieve happiness. That thought makes us feel deep concern for the wellbeing of all others. It is the basis of genuine compassion.”

But “compassion,” like “peace,” has become something of a cliché, and many pay lip service to it. Some of its potency and resonance has been lost. This book will focus on the essential nature of compassion, and, at the very least, its power to remind us to do the right thing. The Dalai Lama infuses every moment of his life with compassion, and it is the core message that he wants to convey to the world.

The Dalai Lama’s words point the way to living a happier and more meaningful life. Much of what he says is simple, everyday good sense. Adult or child, educated or illiterate, rich or poor— he asks us all to deepen our compassion as a means to genuine well-being. By his example he shows us how to improve our peace of mind, and he hopes that we translate compassion into tangible action.