Yesterday, along with many of thousands of others here in Ann Arbor, I sat and listened to two hours of teachings from His Holiness, The Dalai Lama. Much of what H.H. taught was quite detailed and a bit esoteric, and thought I can’t admit to understanding every aspect of his teachings, it was wonderful to be in his presence, albeit in a college basketball arena. The last time I saw H.H. speak was some 20 years ago when I still lived in Bloomington. Back then the Dalai Lama was not the media superstar he’s become today. There was no real security back then, no massive crowds, but the kind heart and wonderful laugh is the same from 20 years ago.
Without going into too much discussion on what H.H. said, I will pass along a paragraph from a sheet that was handed out to all attendees of all of his teachings. They are beautiful and well worth reading…
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In conclusion, those who, like myself, consider themselves to be followers of Buddha, should practice as much as we can. To followers of other religious traditions, I would like to say, “Please practice your own religion seriously and sincerely.” And to non-believers, I request you try to be warm-hearted. I ask this of you because these mental attitudes actually bring us happiness. As I have mentioned before, taking care of others actually benefits you.