Thank you Obama for meeting His Holiness!

Okay, the meeting was done in a very private, low profile setting yesterday (Thursday, 18 Feb 2010), but it's still a good sign that Tibetan voice is being heard.

Complete story can be found in Dalai Lama's official page. I can only say... thank you Obama for meeting His Holiness Dalai Lama, and also the Universe for making this happen!

Picture from Dalai Lama.com

HH Dalai Lama is scheduled to meet Mr. Obama

NEWS FLASH:

His Holiness Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibet and inspiration/guru to many people including myself is scheduled to meet President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. sometimes this month, perhaps next week. This move unfortunately has made the Chinese government cranky, and I sincerely hope that Mr. Obama will stick to his plan of meeting His Holiness. As someone who's been in a very close proximity to His Holiness, I can only attest to the beautiful feeling inside of me that resulted from meeting him in person. I hope that Mr. Obama will also have that priviledge, regardless of what Beijing says!

May all beautiful thoughts flow from all directions... Shanti, peace...

News source: Times of India, 13 February 2010.
Pic: Private collection in Sarnath, India, 9 January 2009

The Old Peace Treaty between Tibet and China at Jokhang Temple, Lhasa

A regular reader (if any) of this blog would have known by now that I am very pro Tibet. I am an avid fan of Dalai Lama, and – despite His Holiness’s willingness for possible (or impossible?) autonomy with China – I am still pro Free Tibet. Yet, I do not hate China or the Chinese. I have many Chinese friends, and I am an avid watcher of Chinese/Mandarin/Kantonese movies or DVDs. It’s just… Tibet is more than a political issue to me. To me, it is a spiritual issue. Like Indonesia, Tibet is one of the last citadels for glorious ancient civilisations, and thus deserves a respectful treatment of an independent nation, free to shape its own future without anyone’s interference.




Sadly, it is not what is happening nowadays. Nowadays, my dearest Dalai Lama lives in exile, and he has to fight for the Tibetans from outside Tibet. That did not stop him from writing great books, including Freedom in Exile (1990), which is basically his excellently written autobiography. And from this book, I shall quote several paragraphs of an old peace treaty between Tibet and China in 821-822 AD. The original inscription can be found (if not yet destroyed) at the entrance of Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Tibet. I quote the translation verbatim from Freedom in Exile (pp 42-43):




QUOTE

The Great King of Tibet, the Miraculous Divine Lord, and the Great King of China, the Chinese Ruler Hwang-ti, being in the relationship of nephew and uncle, have conferred together for the alliance of their kingdoms. They have made and ratified a great agreement. Gods and men all know it and bear witness so that it may never be changed; and an account of the agreement has been engraved on this stone pillar to inform future ages and generations.

STOP PRESS! John Howard finally met Dalai Lama!

It seemed that John Howard (and opposition leader Kevin Rudd) listened to all the rants and complaints of the Australians and non-Australians (like myself) who love Dalai Lama upon the leaders' indecisiveness of meeting His Holiness.

Thus, after Rudd finally met Dalai Lama on June 12, John Howard followed the very wise step to meet His Holiness on June 15. No news was out on the result of the meeting, but both leaders did a cute doorway dance together. The meetings were of course applauded by Dalai Lama fans in Australia, for His Holiness is an important figure for the Australians.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark also 'had the opportunity' to talk with Dalai Lama in the lounge of Brisbane airport on June 14. Miss Clark was on her way to Sydney, and the officials said that the meeting was unplanned. However, to me it was delicately arranged to avoid China's anger but also to pay tribute to one of the greatest spiritual leaders of the 21st century. Works for me!

A blessed afternoon with Dalai Lama

I still could not believe my luck today as I saw His Holiness Dalai Lama crossing the stage to the microphone and greeting the audience. I mean, last January I was watching a video about Tibet and Dalai Lama and was thinking of how lucky I would be if I could meet him.
 

And this afternoon in the chilly Melbourne afternoon I saw him. A beautiful soul who becomes the very symbol of peace and hope for this planet. A great leader of a great nation that is not officially recognized by the United Nations (heh…) but continues to strive for a better fate and life of Tibet and the Tibetans. Not only that; he also relentlessly works for a better world by spreading messages of love and peace. A beacon of hope and love that always reminds us that peace and happiness is found within, and you cannot make a peaceful world unless you are in peace with yourself.

Topic of the day in the MC Labour Park, Princess Park Stadium was ‘Universal Responsibility’. Now, as my blog space is limited, I can only spoil myself with a summary of His Holiness’ point of thoughts in this very blessed public speech attended by at least 10,000 people, which I believe were not only local Melbournians. I should first say that Dalai Lama asked us to see him as a human being, not as Dalai Lama. For him, we are also fellow human beings, not people from different cultural, religious, or geographical backgrounds. Then, and only then we can begin our dialogs and understanding.

  

I think it’s rather impossible for me to see him ‘just’ as a human being; but I understand what he meant. And that only made me love him more.

Religion of kindness

I found this very beautiful picture from the Dalai Lama Australia Tour 2007 - it's for free, thus I can post it here. I found it very useful for my inner peace and strengthening my will to do and finish my research (concerning that I still have sub-zero funding now...). Just as well, for I've registered myself for the White Tara Empowerment class in Geelong this June. It's $25, and by the Gods... it worths every cent!

BUT. I failed to get the free ticket for Geelong speech! Whhhaaaahhh!!! My fault, I forgot to obtain it last April - actually, I looked in the wrong page, that was why... That leaves me with the Melbourne non-ticketed speech on June 9, and I have to wake up early to get the best seat! No problem at all!

Your Holiness... I'm coming to you!