Drinking in the Presence of the Dalai Lama
I feel so blessed to have spent four days in the presence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I’ve gone to teachings he has given before and many public talks/lectures but this was the first time I’ve seen him in dialogue with others and it was a real gift. The time he spent in conversation with BKS Iyengar was especially precious. His Holiness was in Delhi to preside over the Mind & Life Conference on “Contemplative Science: The Scientific Study of Contemplative Practice on Human Biology and Behavior.” The event was co-sponsored by the National Institute of Advanced Studies, The Foundation of Universal Responsibility of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Central University of Higher Tibetan Studies, Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, New Delhi. This meeting in Delhi was a landmark event because up until now Mind & Life focused on substantiating and understanding research behind Buddhist based contemplative practice but this conference attempts to broaden contemplative science research by examining practices in the Yoga, Jain and Vedanta traditions. This dialogue brought together leading researchers and Gurus from these traditions as well as Buddhist contemplatives like Ven. Mathieu Ricard and the discussion was not only stimulating but incredibly special for me because before I began studying Buddhist contemplative practice I studied Yoga and Vedanta and still incorporate them into my personal spiritual world-view. Throughout the conference His Holiness commented that Indians were the “Guru” and Tibetans the “Chela” (student). It was fascinating to examine the similarities and differences between these traditions and also learn about the research that has been done and continues to be done on contemplative practice including the impact of compassion practice on the brain, mindfulness and attention. The conference aim was not to seek scientific support of religion but to see if these practices can be presented in a secular way with research backing them up to help society. The Dalai Lama stressed that the problems we face are our own creation based on our views and attitudes. We need to promote a mental attitude that makes a difference and deepens our understanding. He drew from his personal practice of meditating on both sunyata and bodhichitta because a fuller picture of both of these can transform one’s mental states. His Holiness also spoke about two levels of happiness, one concerning this life and the other concerning the future life—secular ethics he believes are necessary for a happy life. These secular ethics must be founded on a philosophical outlook of interdependence.
