The Dalai Lama and Karen Armstrong: Gifts of Peace and Wisdom

September 14 th I had the privilege to join about 100 other religious leaders to enjoy a special audience with the Dalai Lama and prestigious British religious author Karen Armstrong at the home of Kiril Sokoloff just north of Ketchum, Idaho. Upon arriving and having our cars parked by valets, we were welcomed with refreshments and a ceremonial white scarf which we could wear over our shoulder. I’m sure I wasn’t alone in noting the contrast and irony to be in the constant presence of both stern security guards and gentle Buddhist greeters as we gathered in a huge enclosed white tent on a patch of very green lawn. The weather was cool, calm and sunny … a beautiful backdrop for what would be for me, a most beautiful day.

The agenda for our morning included a sacred Native American song from Horace Axtell, (Nez Perce spiritual leader of Nimiipuu Longhouse from Lewiston), a greeting from Governor Dirk Kempthorne, an introduction of Karen Armstrong, a welcome by host, Kiril Sokoloff, a presentation and question/answer time with the (70 year old) Dalai Lama and then further questions and discussion with Karen Armstrong. I wrote copious notes for two and a half hours which I’ll now try to condense into a few pages. I hope you’ll take the time to read this. It is indeed a privilege for me to reflect on what I have received and now attempt to pass on.

The theme on the large banner behind the elevated stage had two large vertical words: Compassion and Healing. A large armchair sat in the middle where the Dalai Lama would be sitting. The leader of the Native American song explained that the song they sang was a traditional song sung daily at sunrise, asking for direction for a new day. The only instrument other than voice was a bell which was rung with careful intention both at the beginning and end of the song.

Following this introduction, Governor Kempthorne explained the invitation of the Dalai Lama and some of the problems that had generated with the Chinese government and also with some local persons. He recalled 9-11 and the importance of ecumenical participation then and now. Honoring the special blessing of children, the governor invited everyone to the purity, simplicity and openness of a child in hearing one another to find connectivity and wholeness.

Karen Armstrong, former Roman Catholic Nun become academic theologian and writer of several books on world religions and religious leaders, then made a brief introduction. She began by saying that the only thing holding us from a closer encounter with God is our ego. “Dethroning ego” allows God to come to the central of our life and bring peace, shalom, balance. She said that in our “lost and broken world” we needed to put aside metaphysical differences and to re-enact the “Golden Rule” which is a common center piece Jew, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian.

Kiril Sokoloff then welcomed us to his home for this special event commenting on a favorite book of his, Bird Song, which describes the experience of an escapee in WWI who, after a heroic attempt at digging an escape tunnel ends up encountering a German soldier face to face. Kiril explained that though enemies, their tearful embrace powerfully pointed to our common human need for forgiveness and compassion.

At this point, the Dalai Lama made a very quiet and ceremonial entrance to the meeting tent. Security guards were with him and took places of observation on both sides of the stage (and elsewhere). They all had discrete, high-tech earphones and unbuttoned blazers. We stood as the Dalai Lama shook hands with people along the sides of the center aisle. He then took the time to shake hands with the entire first row of people in front of the stage. Fortunate to be in the first row, I noted that his hands and handshake were soft and gentle. Bowing and yet looking into the eyes of each person greeted, he smiled with consistent kindness and respect. Taking his place on the center platform we sat down together and he began …

“Spiritual brothers and sisters …” Commenting on the freshness of the air he said that this was the “right time” to think about deeper values. Then he said that the most important factor for our survival and satisfaction as humans is to “learn affection from birth.” He stressed that though traditions differ, all enduring religious traditions are based on good human qualities; all carry the same message: “Love, compassion, self-discipline” … and the like. He affirmed what Karen Armstrong said about the Golden Rule. Affirming it as a core truth we all embrace he continued, “All traditions have the capacity of producing warm-hearted human beings.” And though technologies have advanced we still need our religious traditions to strengthen those good human values. The Dalai Lama then became sad when he noted that there were people who used the “label” of particular religious traditions for their own selfish ends. He said that the common ground of all good religious traditions is to “help humanity” not bring destruction. “Two things are necessary,” the Dalai Lama continued, “To accept one’s own religion and be very sincere in implementing it” and then to “respect the idea that other people are also in the image of God.” The Dalai Lama joked about people who come to the temple to experience contentment and then return home and promote turmoil. He said this was true for all religions, whether Christian, Islam, Jewish or Buddhist, too. (laughter in the crowd here was spontaneous). I was struck with how the sincerity of his concern blended seamlessly with compassionate humor.

Then, after saying that we needed to be more open to each other, he stopped his presentation and asked for questions! In answering questions, the Dalai Lama never mistook a one. He often paused a moment before responding. He had an interpreter by his side when his command of English needed to give way to the translator’s skills to better communicate his thoughts.

Question #1 “Is it possible that the goal of raising compassion and healing actually more of a dream than a reality? In reality, aren’t there many selfish human beings out there, destroying life? Don’t we first have to provide liberty and freedom (by force)?

Dalai Lama: The “mischievous persons” will always be there. Even Jesus had to live with Judas. We accept the reality that we live in an imperfect world. We cannot wait for a perfect world. We need to focus our efforts in working with people of good will.

The questioner then rejoined, “But if good people sit by and do nothing, evil will triumph. What should good men and women do to fight evil?”

Dalai Lama: The majority of society is not evil. We have two responsibilities: Promote common values and seek closer contact with people of differing positions.

Question #2 “Can learning about other people help reduce tensions?”

DL: Yes. Take India for example. Christians, Hindus, Muslims (and he named other religious groups) live together sharing the same values. We need to expand that kind of attitude. “Among Buddhists there are divisions, too. (and he gave examples of various sects that don’t agree) Some of them look down upon others as inferior …(and here he laughed heartily) yes, some do. But we need to come together and exchange … we’re all still followers of Buddha.”

Question #3 “How can we use a ‘strong mind’ for both material goods and inner peace?”

DL: More and more people in our world are coming to see the limitations of the value of material goods and are turning to the importance of inner values. If our basic needs are met, that is enough. “Money, power, a bigger house … No. There are many rich persons who are very unhappy. To have happier days and nights we need to return to the inner values of our religious traditions and promote them.”

Question #4 “Is it hard work to get these religious values?”

DL: The value of life is an innate inner quality but we can forget this important truth.

Question #5 (question posed by an Islamic woman in the audience) “Islamic fundamentalists are causing grief. What can the 99% of us who are peace-loving do?”

DL: The Islamic tradition is very important! I was at the National Cathedral following 9-11 and was grateful for the ecumenical presence at this occasion. Yes, there are the mischievous among all religious traditions – always! But are the Islamic people militant? No. This is wrong. We cannot generalize. Many years ago, there were Islamic persons who came from India to Tibet. One, a watch repairman, repaired my pocket watch. He told me that I needed to think of my watch like an egg in my pocket … with more respect … always aware of it being there. These Muslims, in coming to Tibet, respected the Tibetan culture and became its best promoters. Muslims, as a whole, are very caring, compassionate, peace-loving people.

Question #6 “This is a very difficult time for Muslims in the USA. Can you give a word for them?”

DL: Be a good citizen. Practice self-defense carefully. One is a fool to speak with compassion to a mad dog … (but behave wisely.)

Question #7 “How do you support your people in Tibet while living (in Diaspora) in India?”

DL: There is a special duty in exile. In the 60s, when we began our exile, we talked about the experience of the Jewish people who often lived in exile. We need to learn how to steal their secret of preserving tradition! (with a great smile) There is a part of our traditional values that we can learn to let go of and other parts that need to be retained. Our main effort is to promote education linked with our tradition.

Question #8 “Wars have been needed to fight slavery and now terrorism. Is there a place for using force in fighting evil?”

DL: Violence and non-violence are both methods. The goal is more important than the method. We need to always have within us a concern for the common good of all persons. The whole world is just “we.” The best way is through dialog. Here we need to talk about the concept of evil. Evil, like hatred – an ill-feeling towards others- never becomes positive. We oppose negative action while always providing hope for the actor. I am always against capitol punishment. Very nice people can become very unkind … and the opposite is true, too. Still, out of concern for a person, force can be used to protect that person. The distinction needs to be made between the action and the person. Confession of negative actions is necessary for us all. We can be totally against certain action(s) but always have compassion towards the person.

Question #9 “Do angry thoughts damage the person who is angry?”

DL: “No doubt.” (laughter) People can become angry at the Creator, too. It spills over and becomes very bad for the practitioner! Often “Allah” or “God” is affected by our own sight.

Question #10 (not a question but an affirmation) “Come and be generous to America. Come and spend time here and help us learn the ways of compassion and peace!”

DL: no verbal comment

Question #11 (who introduced himself as a representative of a Native American group) “Why are people not respecting people? Is homosexuality wrong? Are abortions murder?”

DL: We need to make a distinction between believers and non-believers. For a believer, follow your tradition. For a non-believer, is no harm involved? As Buddhists, we believe that homosexual behavior is sexual misconduct. To us, abortion is an act of killing. For society, the legal question is different and must be determined by the nation.

Question #12 “How can we come together when our views (on homosexuality and abortion) are so different?”

DL: As Christians, you believe in a Creator God. As Buddhists, there is no Creator God. Am I a non-believer? In some sense, Yes. But are Buddhists anti-God? No. Theists (believers in God) and non-theists can still come together around the common values we share. A warm-hearted person is possible regardless of the teachings of our particular religious traditions. If Buddhists and Christians can come together then people of other religions can, too. Even the Buddha taught two philosophies which contradicted each other. (laughter) Why did he do this? Because he knew that people have different dispositions. For some, a Creator is important. For others, it is not. Love, Compassion, Forgiveness are still those things that are important for us all. We must look at the purpose of all teaching though it be unique. Is it effective in promoting those good values that bind us together? Six billion people need a variety of approaches. This is the basis for harmony. We need to respect and admire these traditions. “That’s my view. If you agree, support! If you don’t, don’t argue with me!” (laughter by all, the Dalai Lama, radiant)

Question #13 “(from Wood River Songa – Buddhist community member) “Can you help us with our practice of meditation and the importance of a Spritual friend?”

DL: Following one’s own tradition is often safer than trying a new religion which may create more problems than is good. For Buddhists there are three stages: Learning, Reflection and Meditative Contemplation. Learning is the key to emotion … not by prayer but by intellectual analysis. Emotions cause conditions which may be difficult to control. We need to learn the causes of anger. Study is very important. From study comes enthusiasm and real change. Learning is what rightfully transforms emotion. But … “No hurry!”

The Dalai Lama then rose and left, again shaking hands with the front row (: and others along the way. His hands were warm and kind. He gently clasped folded hands with his own. Security guards were close at hand.

People gathered were given the opportunity for a break as Karen Armstrong came up for additional question and answer time. The level of interest in the crowd did not abate whatsoever. Several questions were asked. I didn’t write down the many questions but I tried to write down her comments. Perhaps you can add the questions as you hear her commentary as I’ve tried to relate below. Karen spoke with clarity, passion and an obvious understanding of religious traditions. Here are her views:

“We have a world-wide problem. Things fester and religion can get sucked in and become a part of the problem. For example, only 50% of the British people voted in the last election. They’re getting to a state of hopelessness … a sense that there’s nothing that they can do that will matter. We need better media reports … more complete … not just those that make “cheap points.” We need to put a relentless pressure on the media to give full reports, patiently bringing out the entire picture. We must not give up on our pursuit of knowing what’s going on. We know that the result of giving up means increased immoral and violent behavior.

This is a time for religious practice. You must yourself be the change you wish to be seen in the world. We’re so incurably egotistic, seeking to prop up our sense of self – to survive. In my study of fundamentalism in all religions I found that a common denominator: a deep fear of annihilation. We see today in the Islamic world a backlash from modernization. It’s too rapid. People experience this as an assault to their traditions and values. Pain lies beneath extreme forms of fundamentalism. Americans need to understand European’s fear of nationalism. We would never salute a flag because it harkens to the nationalism wrought by Hitler and other dictators … the cause of two world wars!

From the selective use scriptural texts (Jewish, Christian, Islamic) great danger is possible. We can abuse our religious texts. We can find something to justify anything.

Don’t just look for religion. It is a mistake to do “war on terrorism.” It dignifies the warrior. We need to think of this as rather “criminal behavior.” In studying the history of militant groups it is clear that each time they are attacked they become more extreme. Violence against them confirms their foundational fears of being threatened. The trouble with war is that YOU get damaged by it. As many civilians in Afghanistan were killed as were killed in 9-11. And things are getting worse in Afghanistan. War lords and drugs are returning. It’s the same ol’ mess staring over again.

Terrorism is now within us. It’s a different kind of conflict. Old forms of war don’t work any more. Big guns will not win. We need to look at our own behavior. We don’t quite know what to do any more. We’re used to a quick fix. Not any more. We need to take time to think long and hard. And (speaking to us as Americans) don’t denigrate your allies. Listen to others’ point of view in our new and perilous world. Be careful of doing something when in the dark. Self-criticism is hard to do. We need to evaluate our own behavior first … with truth. And, there are things we’ve done which cannot be undone.”

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My hand wasn’t used to writing so much so my fingers were a bit tired from the exercise. Yet my mind, heart and soul felt blessed by the integrity of this event – it’s obvious intent to unite us and keep us faithful to the good which we have in our religious heritage. As a Lutheran, I was VERY happy to have many of our spiritual values so warmly affirmed. As the Dalai Lama noted, Buddhism is more philosophy than religion. We believe in and worship a triune God in our written word, sacraments and song. Our meditations are not only inspired by Jesus’ teachings but also by his person as Lord and Savior. Furthermore, in our search for guidance we come to God for help and believe that spiritual guidance comes not just from within but also through the empowering of the Holy Spirit in many ways. We also teach that though we are sinners, we are saved by God’s grace. These traditions help us along OUR way. And the Dalai Lama encouraged us to follow that way with integrity and renewed dedication! I believe that the Dalai Lama is hoping that each of us, whether Christian, Jew, Muslim or whatever, can deeply respect and affirm the validity of every person as a precious part of creation and affirm those common spiritual denominators which we share in common. Personally, I was inspired by this gentle and hope-bringing person. The Spirit was very good!

In God’s love, we have nothing to fear. God knows how to sort things out in the end. Even so, a most serious global challenge remains. If the Dalai Lama is right (and here I believe the teachings of Jesus would agree) we need to patiently and intentionally bear our cross by celebrating and promoting everything in life that is good, gentle, caring, compassionate, patient and loving. Though not at all easy, we need to love each actor even though we don’t always like their act ions. The distinction is crucial.

It can seem overwhelming, yet, in the warmth and wisdom of the concluding words of the Dalai Lama, “No hurry.”

I’d be interested in your feedback. Thanks! The PEACE and WISDOM of the Lord be with us!

Pastor Dan