The
excitement started when I received an email from a friend inviting me to go to
a talk by the Dalai Lama. Of course I knew who he was, but I never thought I
would have the opportunity to meet him in person. When I entered the Royal
Albert Hall I discovered that not only I was sitting in
the fourth row but that I also had a
better seat than Annie Lennox and other VIPs!
After a traditional Tibetan dance, his Holiness the Dalai Lama came onto the stage. He waived to the crowd and started helping the technicians who were removing all microphones and wires after the dance. This simple gesture really impressed me. He then was left alone on stage with only an interpreter who he consulted only very few times when he did not know the right words to use.
I am not sure how to call his talk, definitely not a speech or a sermon, rather a collection of thoughts. He touched on many issues, from his youth and memories of his mother, to the role of Christianity and the compassionate attitude of women. From the importance of inner beauty and the tragic religious conflicts, to the power of the new generations to stand up and be the change, his general health and the respect for non believers. In between these scattered thoughts he would throw jokes and laugh loudly at them. He really seems like a happy, serene man who is very spontaneous and relaxed. His words were very simple and the concepts quite obvious. While at first I thought that perhaps this was because of a language barrier, I came to conclude that actually he spoke in this very accessible way on purpose. I was expecting a more spiritual experience, but I have to say that he did send, among many others, a powerful message to the audience: the importance of human values such as compassion, tolerance and contentment in building a better world. The world for us expats is very small so hopefully all of us will make a positive contribution wherever we live.
After a traditional Tibetan dance, his Holiness the Dalai Lama came onto the stage. He waived to the crowd and started helping the technicians who were removing all microphones and wires after the dance. This simple gesture really impressed me. He then was left alone on stage with only an interpreter who he consulted only very few times when he did not know the right words to use.
I am not sure how to call his talk, definitely not a speech or a sermon, rather a collection of thoughts. He touched on many issues, from his youth and memories of his mother, to the role of Christianity and the compassionate attitude of women. From the importance of inner beauty and the tragic religious conflicts, to the power of the new generations to stand up and be the change, his general health and the respect for non believers. In between these scattered thoughts he would throw jokes and laugh loudly at them. He really seems like a happy, serene man who is very spontaneous and relaxed. His words were very simple and the concepts quite obvious. While at first I thought that perhaps this was because of a language barrier, I came to conclude that actually he spoke in this very accessible way on purpose. I was expecting a more spiritual experience, but I have to say that he did send, among many others, a powerful message to the audience: the importance of human values such as compassion, tolerance and contentment in building a better world. The world for us expats is very small so hopefully all of us will make a positive contribution wherever we live.
by Alessandra Gnudi
To find more about the Dalai Lama:
His new book: Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World, published by Rider, 2012
Visit the FOCUS website www.focus-info.org
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