The explanation you give in the first part of your newsletter was fascinating and heavily underlines the idea that our own thoughts and our reactions to those thoughts are what distress us in certain situations.
And a particular thanks for the explanation of Tibetan culture/greeting in respect of this week's story on the Dalai Lama. I saw such swift and unkind condemnation on social media. I'll refer the naysayers to this newsletter.
Thank you, David, for the explanation of the Dalai Lama interaction with the young boy. The Tibetan cultural habit of sticking out the tongue is not known by most people in the Western world, and there should have been explanations in our main newspapers and news magazines along with the reporting of the incident!
Thank you so much for this precious teaching. I would like to remember and pray at this instant for our precious Guru Lama Zopa Rinpoche. According to Khandro La his sudden passing is also due to taking obstacles from His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
I am so very sorry to hear about the passing of Lama Zopa, Ayelet. I didn't know about this before I read your message. What an extraordinary contribution he made to the wellbeing of so many people - and also animals. I particularly loved the importance he placed on treating animals with kindness.
Thank you David for both very lucid explanations. Unfortunately social media has become an increasingly strong tool in a world where misinformation is rife and people are eager to jump to the wrong conclusions. We must all do everything we can to combat this and your insightful thoughts and teachings are a beacon of light
I am reeling from the news which I was only told about yesterday by someone who treated it as if it were a joke. I feel devastated for the set back this will be to the movement of loving kindness in the west. Yet another reason for me to feel ashamed to be a westerner. I struggle to understand how deliberately unkind humans can be toward each other anyway but this takes it to a whole new level fit me. I am labelling it true wickidness. I know many of the people around me who know my regard for His Holiness will be itching to 'bring me back to reality', to say 'see, here's proof he's just an ordinary human being'. I can't understand why the CCP are so focused on wanting to bring down a philosophy that teaches us how to make the whole world a better place for every single creature in it. I will take some time to process it (as well as find some responses to the comments I know I'm going to receive about this) and I thank you once again with so much heartfelt gratitude David, for providing context to this situation.
Many thanks Leesa. I am so sorry you feel that there are such unsupportive people around you as their are limits to how we can affect their karma - as every Buddha must know!
Leesa - simply that our ability to help others is limited by their own karma. We can try all we like, but if they don't have the karma to be helped, we can't succeed.
Ahhh ok. This makes sense. Everyone is on their own journey or path and where they're at is dependent on the karma they've cultivated within their particular mind stream? Which would also determine how open people are to the philosophy and practice. PS I'm in Perth this week. Staying in the hills and am hyper aware of how close I am to you and to Campersic Road. 😊 I checked once I had my dates booked and saw I'm not going to be here for an open day or any of your talks this time. I'll check first next time! Thank you for taking the time to respond to me. I really am very grateful. Now that I've had a few days to process I'm feeling my sense of equilibrium restoring.
Dearest David, Thank you so much for this writing. I do not watch news and did not know about this incident involving the Dalai Lama until I read your essay. I googled about it before I went on to read your writing and it was so helpful for me to understand the context and difference in the customs of another culture. I have always loved and respected the Dalai Lama and am so grateful for the deeper understanding of what actually happened.
The first part of the article is a profound writing, need to read it many times so I can grasp it.
The video is perfect at this moment. As you said tarnish has been sent to the Dalai Lama all around the world. Today, my son told me the damage was terrible. I hope he is wrong, and we can bring the perspective offered in the video. Thanks so much.
Thank you again...your clear explanation of the sad misinterpretation of His Holiness by those who can only drag everything down is very welcome indeed...some will understand and others, sadly will be unable to. And the sharp clarification of mind itself? Priceless as far as I am concerned!
Thank you once again David as usual very thought provoking. I think it is how we are brought up in this world. We have to learn everything we see from the time we are born. Mommy, Daddy, teddy, ball tree etc. everything has to be labeled and we spend the rest of our life it carry’s on.
Without labels we wouldn’t have much of a conversation. I also know when I fall still and try not to identify a sound it is extremely difficult because those noises are associated with labeled items.
My brother in law is a bird watcher and of course has to identify the various birds by their sound and their looks.
However I realize that it could be called anything it doesn’t really mean anything. If I see a bus I don’t think that’s a bus. Subconsciously my mind just recognizes it.
Thank you for clearing up the confusion about the Dalai Lama. The people of the world are always looking out for the bad things that important people do without knowing the the full context and the special ways and rituals that affect certain groups and here again they label wrongly. He will always be his holiness to me and can do nothing wrong in my eyes. Thank you
Thank you so much, David, for both parts of the post. The first part leads to the second part, I feel. Understanding that whatever we see/experience is labeled by each person based on THEIR experience/THEIR karma is invaluable in seeing reality.
That said, I felt there were 2 things going on about that social media post..... my first thought was that it was all taken out of context, and peoples' responses were coming from THEIR labels of what they saw based on their karma. Why would people assume the worst otherwise?
I thought for sure it was a manipulated image ( which it was). I was sure there was more behind it- tibetan customs, etc. I am glad the video confirmed my initial supposition.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom and teachings. I was confused, but because of my long relationship (from afar of course!) with the Dalai Lama, I couldn't imagine it being other than innocent. Reading about Tibetan cultural norms and the actions that anger the Chinese government helps me to understand where the misinformation originates.
I particularly was moved by the explanation of our life's purpose as being a transformation of mind rather than changing outer circumstances. It is a concept that I continue to integrate more intimately, and your writings help me to do this with affection and compassion for self and others.
David, I am so grateful to you for your explanation , I am sharing as much as I can. I was so sad , and had refused to share any of the videos or comments. I did say to my husband - remember " His Holiness , is not a person that China likes " I am sad still because we live in a place where negativity goes wild , and that people do not take the time to do real research and to damage a reputation like the Dalai Lama , I agree with you it is a real tragedy
Thank you SO MUCH for this about the Dalai Lama controversy --- I would like to share with many but it is so long I'm afraid they would press "delete" before getting to the
explanation. Could you send us a very brief description to share with our non-Buddhist connections? I think that would be very helpful. Namaste
Many thanks indeed Jean. I understand where you're coming from, but I couldn't send a short version of the same material out to everyone. May I suggest that you cut and paste the words under the video into an email to send people? Or just share this article and tell people to scroll down to the video and read what is underneath? I am sorry I can't be more helpful.
Thank you for both parts of this post. As usual, your explication of this particular Buddhist teaching was among the clearest and most understandable I've encountered and I really appreciate the cultural and political context you shared regarding HH, the Dalai Lama controversy. I really didn't know what to make of the media report. Yet another religious leader (it doesn't seem to matter what particular religious tradition) behaving in an all-to-human and flawed way? Or was the report really taken out of context and therefore misleading? I am grateful to learn that in this case, it was the latter. And I am saddened to admit that my mind even considered the former a possibility.
I really do appreciate your kind words about my explanation of labelling Cathy. And your honesty about your mind going to dark places, initially - which probably the reaction of most of us. How fortunate we all are to have one another for support.
The explanation you give in the first part of your newsletter was fascinating and heavily underlines the idea that our own thoughts and our reactions to those thoughts are what distress us in certain situations.
And a particular thanks for the explanation of Tibetan culture/greeting in respect of this week's story on the Dalai Lama. I saw such swift and unkind condemnation on social media. I'll refer the naysayers to this newsletter.
Many thanks indeed, Prue, I really appreciate your kind words.
Thank you, David, for the explanation of the Dalai Lama interaction with the young boy. The Tibetan cultural habit of sticking out the tongue is not known by most people in the Western world, and there should have been explanations in our main newspapers and news magazines along with the reporting of the incident!
I agree, Nancy. Important context has been missing from the reports I've seen.
Dear David
Thank you so much for this precious teaching. I would like to remember and pray at this instant for our precious Guru Lama Zopa Rinpoche. According to Khandro La his sudden passing is also due to taking obstacles from His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
I am so very sorry to hear about the passing of Lama Zopa, Ayelet. I didn't know about this before I read your message. What an extraordinary contribution he made to the wellbeing of so many people - and also animals. I particularly loved the importance he placed on treating animals with kindness.
Powerful, deeply insightful, so clearly explained/expressed.
I intend to read it over and over again …. Thank you for shining the Light where we otherwise miss the essence.
Thank you so much for your warm message, Margaret!
Thank you David for both very lucid explanations. Unfortunately social media has become an increasingly strong tool in a world where misinformation is rife and people are eager to jump to the wrong conclusions. We must all do everything we can to combat this and your insightful thoughts and teachings are a beacon of light
Thanks you for your kind message, Anne. I agree with what you say about social media, which thrives on stoking emotions, often negative ones.
I am reeling from the news which I was only told about yesterday by someone who treated it as if it were a joke. I feel devastated for the set back this will be to the movement of loving kindness in the west. Yet another reason for me to feel ashamed to be a westerner. I struggle to understand how deliberately unkind humans can be toward each other anyway but this takes it to a whole new level fit me. I am labelling it true wickidness. I know many of the people around me who know my regard for His Holiness will be itching to 'bring me back to reality', to say 'see, here's proof he's just an ordinary human being'. I can't understand why the CCP are so focused on wanting to bring down a philosophy that teaches us how to make the whole world a better place for every single creature in it. I will take some time to process it (as well as find some responses to the comments I know I'm going to receive about this) and I thank you once again with so much heartfelt gratitude David, for providing context to this situation.
Many thanks Leesa. I am so sorry you feel that there are such unsupportive people around you as their are limits to how we can affect their karma - as every Buddha must know!
Thank you for responding David. If you have time, are you able to explain what you mean in a little more detail?
Leesa - simply that our ability to help others is limited by their own karma. We can try all we like, but if they don't have the karma to be helped, we can't succeed.
Ahhh ok. This makes sense. Everyone is on their own journey or path and where they're at is dependent on the karma they've cultivated within their particular mind stream? Which would also determine how open people are to the philosophy and practice. PS I'm in Perth this week. Staying in the hills and am hyper aware of how close I am to you and to Campersic Road. 😊 I checked once I had my dates booked and saw I'm not going to be here for an open day or any of your talks this time. I'll check first next time! Thank you for taking the time to respond to me. I really am very grateful. Now that I've had a few days to process I'm feeling my sense of equilibrium restoring.
Dearest David, Thank you so much for this writing. I do not watch news and did not know about this incident involving the Dalai Lama until I read your essay. I googled about it before I went on to read your writing and it was so helpful for me to understand the context and difference in the customs of another culture. I have always loved and respected the Dalai Lama and am so grateful for the deeper understanding of what actually happened.
Many Blessings to you,
Kimberly
How sensible of you to stay out of the fray, Kimberly. I dont watch TV news myself either. I am so glad you found the post helpful.
Dearest David,
The first part of the article is a profound writing, need to read it many times so I can grasp it.
The video is perfect at this moment. As you said tarnish has been sent to the Dalai Lama all around the world. Today, my son told me the damage was terrible. I hope he is wrong, and we can bring the perspective offered in the video. Thanks so much.
As always, with love and respect,
Rossy Cortes
Mexico
My heartfelt thanks for your kind words, Rossy!
Thank you again...your clear explanation of the sad misinterpretation of His Holiness by those who can only drag everything down is very welcome indeed...some will understand and others, sadly will be unable to. And the sharp clarification of mind itself? Priceless as far as I am concerned!
Thank you for your beautiful message, Kate!
Thank you once again David as usual very thought provoking. I think it is how we are brought up in this world. We have to learn everything we see from the time we are born. Mommy, Daddy, teddy, ball tree etc. everything has to be labeled and we spend the rest of our life it carry’s on.
Without labels we wouldn’t have much of a conversation. I also know when I fall still and try not to identify a sound it is extremely difficult because those noises are associated with labeled items.
My brother in law is a bird watcher and of course has to identify the various birds by their sound and their looks.
However I realize that it could be called anything it doesn’t really mean anything. If I see a bus I don’t think that’s a bus. Subconsciously my mind just recognizes it.
Thank you for clearing up the confusion about the Dalai Lama. The people of the world are always looking out for the bad things that important people do without knowing the the full context and the special ways and rituals that affect certain groups and here again they label wrongly. He will always be his holiness to me and can do nothing wrong in my eyes. Thank you
I am most grateful for your very kind message, Peter, written at such a difficult time for you. My heartfelt thanks.
Thank you Penny
Thank you
Thank you so much, David, for both parts of the post. The first part leads to the second part, I feel. Understanding that whatever we see/experience is labeled by each person based on THEIR experience/THEIR karma is invaluable in seeing reality.
That said, I felt there were 2 things going on about that social media post..... my first thought was that it was all taken out of context, and peoples' responses were coming from THEIR labels of what they saw based on their karma. Why would people assume the worst otherwise?
I thought for sure it was a manipulated image ( which it was). I was sure there was more behind it- tibetan customs, etc. I am glad the video confirmed my initial supposition.
Thank you once again for this invaluable post.🙏❤🙏
My pleasure, Marianne. So glad that it has helped clarify things!
Thank you for sharing your wisdom and teachings. I was confused, but because of my long relationship (from afar of course!) with the Dalai Lama, I couldn't imagine it being other than innocent. Reading about Tibetan cultural norms and the actions that anger the Chinese government helps me to understand where the misinformation originates.
I particularly was moved by the explanation of our life's purpose as being a transformation of mind rather than changing outer circumstances. It is a concept that I continue to integrate more intimately, and your writings help me to do this with affection and compassion for self and others.
Thank you for your kind message, buddhamouse - and what a lovely moniker!
David, I am so grateful to you for your explanation , I am sharing as much as I can. I was so sad , and had refused to share any of the videos or comments. I did say to my husband - remember " His Holiness , is not a person that China likes " I am sad still because we live in a place where negativity goes wild , and that people do not take the time to do real research and to damage a reputation like the Dalai Lama , I agree with you it is a real tragedy
My heartfelt thanks for your kind message, Marise.
The whole insanity around the Dalai Lama is, in my opinion, exactly how you called it. Chinese disinformation is rampant on social media.
But here's the thing, and why I knew there had to be more to this story...my son is a pedophile. His Holiness most definitely is not.
Thank you so much for this post.
Thank you so much for your supportive words, Kat, and I am so sorry for the pain you must have experienced. Warmest wishes, David
Dear Kat,
I read your comment and heard your pain, my prayers are for you 🙏
Thank you.
My heart goes out to you, you are brave and kind.
Families are so diverse, a great mystery.
With loving kindness
Thank you SO MUCH for this about the Dalai Lama controversy --- I would like to share with many but it is so long I'm afraid they would press "delete" before getting to the
explanation. Could you send us a very brief description to share with our non-Buddhist connections? I think that would be very helpful. Namaste
Many thanks indeed Jean. I understand where you're coming from, but I couldn't send a short version of the same material out to everyone. May I suggest that you cut and paste the words under the video into an email to send people? Or just share this article and tell people to scroll down to the video and read what is underneath? I am sorry I can't be more helpful.
Thank you for both parts of this post. As usual, your explication of this particular Buddhist teaching was among the clearest and most understandable I've encountered and I really appreciate the cultural and political context you shared regarding HH, the Dalai Lama controversy. I really didn't know what to make of the media report. Yet another religious leader (it doesn't seem to matter what particular religious tradition) behaving in an all-to-human and flawed way? Or was the report really taken out of context and therefore misleading? I am grateful to learn that in this case, it was the latter. And I am saddened to admit that my mind even considered the former a possibility.
I really do appreciate your kind words about my explanation of labelling Cathy. And your honesty about your mind going to dark places, initially - which probably the reaction of most of us. How fortunate we all are to have one another for support.