The Dalai Lama and Open-mindedness

Have you ever read anything by the Dalai Lama? Listen, if you have not, you need to. The tiger has not yet been disappointed by anything by, or about the Dalai Lama. The man can converse with anyone about anything from an amoeba to quantum physics. He can talk to theoretical physicists and he can talk to a simple tiger. He has read and digested volumes of all kinds of books with all kinds of focuses. He is simply amazing.

Thich Nhat Hanh in Being Peace presents fourteen principles he calls “Mindfulness Training” which may explain why the Dalai Lama is such a scholar. Here is the Second Mindfulness Training principle.

Aware of the suffering created by attachment to views and wrong perceptions, we are determined to avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. We shall learn and practice non-attachment from views in order to be open to others' insights and experiences. We are aware that the knowledge we presently possess is not changeless, absolute truth. Truth is found in life, and we will observe life within and around us in every moment, ready to learn throughout our lives. (Thich Nhat Hanh, Being Peace page 92)

Just how open-minded is “open-minded?” The Jew In the Lotus by Rodger Kamenetz, is a moving non-fiction book that provides a great insight into the mind of the Dalai Lama: The setting of the book is in Dharamsala in the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India in the fall of 1990 where the Dalai Lama had organized a dialog with Jewish leaders. The purpose of the dialog was to understand how Jews have survived persecution after persecution over the last two-thousand years or more. While the book is more about Mr. Kamenetz's spiritual journey of returning to his Jewish roots after watching the Dalai Lama and the proceedings, Mr. Kamenetz describes in detail the person of the Dalai Lama.

Imagine that! A religious leader being open-minded enough to seek guidance from the leaders of another religion!

Now, if you get the chance, read a book by Dr. Daniel Goleman called Destructive Emotions: How Can We Overcome them? This book details a conference with leaders of Western psychologists, neuro-scientists and philosophers and the Dalai Lama. The Dalai and some of his associates demonstrated to these scientists his breadth of knowledge, for one, but more interestingly, he demonstrated a life style that has proven to be effective in mitigating destructive emotions. It is a fascinating book.

Can you think of a leader of a Western religion that could function as a peer on a committee of psychologists and neuro-scientists?

This tiger is impressed and will adopt at least the first two principles of mindfulness training.

The Lion shall lie down with the Lamb

"The lion shall lie down with the lamb." Ever heard that? Well, supposedly it came from the Old Testament book of Isaiah, chapter 11, verse 6.

It was an incorrect quote, though. Let the homely tiger make up his own version, based on real life experience. "The tiger shall surrender the bed to the dogs." He woke up at 2:30 A.M. at the edge of the bed, with nowhere to move. Two dogs had crowded him to the terminus point, with only enough room to breathe. One false move, and the floor would stop the tiger's body, but not before the head would take on a bookcase.

The ugly (homely) tiger growled, knowing there would be no chance for going back to sleep. He surrendered the remaining real estate on the king sized bed to his two dogs, and went on to the office to contemplate the dream that graced his moments of Delta sleep.

In the dream, the tiger was trying to get away from the crowds of people. Crowds? No. Maybe two or three people. To a tiger, that is a crowd. The tiger jumped on a bicycle and pushed down a long winding ramp into the bottom level of a parking garage, where he bumped into a fairy, with wings and the works, who was being stalked by a pudgy (or should I say, "portly") elf. Tiger promised to defend the fairy and turned to confront the elf. Then awareness of the edge of the bed brought the tiger to consciousness in the "real" world.

Read The History Of Last Night's Dream by Roger Kamenetz. Roger would advise the homely tiger that his dream was mocking his aversion to interacting with people. And, my gosh, if the tiger can take on an elf on behalf of a frightened fairy, what is the big deal about hanging out with two or three people?

The homely tiger has no clue!

Have you ever read Byron Katie's Loving What Is? The tiger says, "Read it, or I will anoint you with sweet and sour sauce and have you for lunch."

Well, OK, the tiger isn't that hungry, but if you struggle in a tension filled relationship, take a look at it. Byron Katie has developed an effective method for dealing with pain and anger in relationships.

Like the tiger always says, sometimes: no one can make him mad, no one can make him happy, no one can make him sad without his full participation. The tiger controls his own feelings and moods, etc. Well, discounting hormones and instinct, that is. Even then, a well disciplined tiger can overcome even hormones and instinct if he puts his striped mind to it.

It's part of a realization of who one really is, and the responsibility one has for one's own feelings.

Wisdom comes from many directions. The tiger does not subscribe to any religion per se. He takes wisdom where ever it is. Wisdom is not hidden, especially in our times. We choose to ignore it, usually because of some bias or because we stubbornly hold on to error packed traditions and assumptions. There are passages in the Bible and ancient writings from Eastern traditions urging us not to judge our neighbors. They warn that we will be judged as we judge others. Byron Katie says that what we hate in others, we hate in ourselves. So, when we judge others, we are judging ourselves and we need to look at ourselves to solve the problems we have with others.

Take a look at Byron Katie's website: http://www.thework.com. Study the videos, learn the process, and then give it a try. It's all free on her site. It works grrreat for the tiger. The end result of the process brings the tiger to the point that he understands the person whom he has allowed to offend him, and he has compassion for the person because the homely tiger has the same issue.

When you are at peace with yourself, you will be at peace with your neighbor. Then the lion shall lie down with the lamb.

Be Peace. Be Love.