Yesterday I was overjoyed to secure some tickets to see the Dalai Lama. He will be making several appearances in Louisville this coming May. For many people, including me, the Dalai Lama is a rock star. By anyone’s standards he is the most well-known and influential Buddhist in the world and he has been a major influence in my personal life. I consider it a great honor to see him and hear him speak. This is actually the second time I will be seeing the Dalai Lama. I saw him back in the 1990’s at Berea College in southern Kentucky. He was there because there was a large contingent of Tibetan students attending the college. The Dalai Lama is certainly the most famous holy man I have seen in my life. However, I have also been in the company of lesser known but still deeply spiritual men and women. One trait I thought they all had in common was a deep sense of humor. I believe people who are truly holy and deeply spiritual are also very humorous people. Such people, including the Dalai Lama, do not take themselves too seriously. You can’t be holy and pompous at the same time. The first time I saw the Dalai Lama he came out on the stage all serious like. He began to speak in Tibetan. After a few minutes he started laughing out loud. I feel certain he knew that everyone in the audience was having the same basic thought which was “Are you kidding? I came here to listen to the Dalai Lama and he’s going to give his talk in Tibetan”? The audience realized he was putting them on and the joke was on them. He then gave the rest of his talk in English. The week of the Dalai Lama’s visit I will be bridging the gap between East and West. I will see the Dalai Lama on a Sunday and the following Saturday my son will be ordained a Catholic priest.
1 comment:
I am excited for your son. We need new additional priests. I am sure you have had a great influence on him. I wish him much success!
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