encounter with the dalai lama

well, i was planning to wrote a blog from a long time now, but couldn't write for some or the other reason. but here i am now. what forced me to write this blog was the first encounter with the teachings of the dalai lama. i just randomly searched for him in the youtube, god knows why i did it, and found large number of videos. 

going by the authenticity of bbc and at par channels i watched their interviews with him. the main thing that stood out for me was his way of answering questions. he was very child like and laughed like a child after every answer that he gave. it seems like the impurities of the world has not affected a single bit. for a common man behaving in that way would be embarrassing. he would simply be called a retard that did not learnt the civic values of how to conduct oneself and behave in a society.

it is amazing to see that humans have created a world where there are defined rules and settings, which compel the whole race to be adherent to it. even who has the singlest thought of altering himself would be put right by the constantly screaming society. and then the man thinks that he has civilized himself over the years and is an evolved version of his ancestors. in fact he is more into the spiral trap of rules and regulations, dissolving himself so much that a remotest idea of what he is doing and undergoing has deserted him. what a pity.

of the other videos he talked about the tibet question, of his exile and china's democracy vs communism. i think he was in favour of democracy being the best mode of governance in the world and batted for china accepting it. he loved the concept of freedom and wanted to emulate everywhere in the world. he talked of the middle way for solving the tibet question as a buddhist will expectedly do it going by the buddhist middle path.

englishmen were very keen to have a sneak into his exiled home in dharmasala. after a much ado they finally got the access. they interviewed him there and had surprising insights. could anyone believe that the dalai lama would use treadmill on a regular basis. at least i didn't. wow man. this was part of his daily schedule.

he woke up at 3:30 daily. dis some exercises and then jogged for a bit and then morning rituals with dhyana for about an hour or two. here in this meditation he said he analysed his life and subtle happenings. in this process as being a lama he had to remember all those 253 verses that a lama had to remember (i have only this much of idea about it). he watched television not more than one hour, for daily updates of the world. i say his place looked extremely holy from the inside. very beautiful tibetan pictures and paintings. some mountain views of the himalayas and tibetan temples.

his daily routine included reading books as usual of any great man. in an interview he confessed that as a child he was very shy of books and just wanted to play and play. his favourite books included the ones written during the nalanda university flourishment. those second century writings are his holy books and like textbooks to him. they all have been translated in tibetan from sanskrit and are there in the form of preserved treasure.

in a public lecture he talked about religious harmony, and role of india in it. that open lecture was filled with the foreigners that have come to see him. they looked like the gypsies or the romanians, i couldnt distinguish much of the east europeans. bu they were very excited to listen to buddhist teachings and about the religious harmony. he pointed to the india's religious tolerance since the ancient times and that it still continued apart from minor here and there flashes of tweaks and burst of communalism.

 his concept of respect for the opposing view also emanated from the ancient indian example. the six schools of indian philosophy criticized the concept of charvaka that didn't believed in the theory of god and its existence. he believed in existence itself and being an materialist discarded the concept of god. his theory was severely criticized by all. but all them maintained respect for the person, for he had the brains and thinking and courage to present a divergent viewpoint by the discussion on it, all the other theories got enriched.

the dalai lama was a humble person and repeatedly didn't criticized china in any way. he had no complaints with the US on not pressurizing china. he is always thankful to india for giving him shelter. it is hard to ignore such a personality and his ways of attending. his aura is unique and holiness spills by his side. i wish i could have a chance to meet him and take important lessons of life and inner peace and spirituality. hope that day comes soon.