Approaching the San Jose Convention Center last Tuesday, I was welcomed by a crowd of thousands, all convening for a sold out lesson given by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, in compassion and self-awareness.
The air around the crowd buzzed with excitement, as new acquaintances discussed the teachings to come and children ran through the masses playing and laughing. The group was a sea of faces from all different walks of life.
“Only about 1 percent of the world is willing to walk the peaceful path. Fortunately for us, that’s still around 60 million,” said Noah Levine, founder of Dharma Punx Projects for Incarcerated and At-Risk Youth, and Interfaith Gathering panel member.
Before the teaching, the hall of aircraft hanger proportions was flooded with the chanting of Tibetan monks and the energizing feeling of 12,000 people coming together to share, however cliché it may sound, peace and love.
While waiting for His Holiness, I strolled down the long aisles and noticed that every person I glanced at in the crowd looked back at me, making eye contact and smiling warmly. When I took my seat, there was a man next to me covered from neck to ankle in modern tattoos to my right, and a Franciscan friar in traditional garb to my left. Never before had I been in a room filled with so many like-minded individuals.
“We may have different dress and customs but we are all the same person, physically, mentally, emotionally,” the Dalai Lama said. “We all want joyfulness and dread suffering and pain. Happiness is the right of every person.”
After an hour of anticipation, the hall fell silent, and the crowd rose as the Dalai Lama took his seat on a golden throne, looking small on the giant platform. Tibetan monks sat on the floor in front of him with various religious leaders in seats on either side, their faces blurred by the glow of red candles adorning the stage. His presence brought the hands of the audience up in prayer and tears of joy to many eyes.
The Dalai Lama spoke words of wisdom, as he walked us through the steps to living a life of self-awareness and happiness. He said that a calm mind maintains health, helps with our judgment of right and wrong and enables us to utilize true human intelligence.
He was serenely calm throughout, as he talked casually, making jokes and periodically letting out an infectious joyful laugh or quiet chuckle.
Following the introductory lesson, he put on an old red visor to shield his eyes from the bright stage lights, chuckling because he knew it looked amusing. Then, instead of being handed a golden holy text to read the verses, he grabbed the event program to use as a guide. The humble man says he is a simple Buddhist monk, nothing more, nothing less.
The day’s verses came from a passage called “Mind Training,” which are guidelines to deal with the problem of self-centeredness in human nature.
“A self-centered attitude is the key factor in our unhappy society. We must combat these destructive emotions,” he said.
Succeeding the lesson, an interfaith gathering took place with an international panel of religious leaders.
By the end of the gathering, we had recited an Ohlone blessing, listened to Buddhist chants, felt the warm space of the Om in Chinmaya meditation, danced and sang with a rabbi and heard the inspiring testimonies of 10 religious and community leaders. In two hours we were bonded by a new found spirituality, hugging, chatting, and most importantly, leaving with a hopeful outlook for the world.
“We must work together to tell the world that it can be healed and transformed,” Rabbi Michael Lerner said. “You may say we’re dreamers, but we’re not the only ones.”
Each panelist, whether they were Muslim, Buddhist or Christian Mystic, had a similar message: there must be a peaceful uprising where we acknowledge our differences and celebrate our common heritage.
“There is no such thing as a Buddhist ocean, Muslim river, Christian forest or Jewish moon. The wells of all religions flow to one underground river called wisdom,” Reverend Mathew Fox said.
The Dalai Lama speaks at all events free of charge, requiring that all proceeds be donated. The $89,000 profit from Tuesday’s event is being put toward sustainment and support of San Jose’s Gyuto Center, the health and education of 500 monks at the Gyuto Monastery in Dharmasala India, and various Tibetan charities.
The spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, greets an elderly Tibetan woman by embracing her and offering her kind words on Oct. 12. (Courtesy of the office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama)
