Mukilteo Musings

Powerhouse

I goofed big time. The tickets for these events went long ago and I wasn't paying attention. You know? Sometimes we need to pay attention. So I wasn't there but I have been trying to follow the visit of the Dalai Lama to Seattle by reading my papers and checking websites. His visit has generated discussions--even with friends on the street when we walk dogs. The theme of the event has been "Seeds of Compassion" and many young people and children have had the opportunity to be involved and to gain some insight on what it means to love one another. Today was a panel discussion including religious leaders of many faiths, Christianity, Buddhism, Judism and Islam, all together in one room. Some pictures and quotes of what stupid me missed taken from the King5 website:

http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_041508SOC_dalai_lama_continues_tuesday_JM.678fe0a6.html


Two Nobel Peace Prize winners laughing together--The Dalai Lama and Bishop Desmond Tutu.

"The Dalai Lama and South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu joined other spiritual leaders at the UW for a discussion on inspiring compassion in youth.

They were asked what happened when they were children to open their hearts to the world. Archbishop Tutu recognized an Anglican priest in his South African hometown.

"(He) made a ghetto urchin like me feel so important and special," said Archbishop Tutu. "I was in hospitals 20 months with tuberculosis and this white man, this important white man, used to come and visit me in the hospital at least once a week."

The Dalai Lama said his mother taught him compassion by being very kind to her own children and others.

The two appeared comfortable and at ease, laughing and even joking with one another during the session.

Tutu said of His Holiness, "We see here an incarnation of goodness. How can you, 50 years into exile, maintain this bubbling joyousness? And I've said actually, he's quite mischievous too, and I've said to him 'Shhh… the cameras are on us. Try to behave like a holy man.'"

Try to behave like a holy man??!! LOL!

UPDATE: Here is another wonderful gem from Tutu in Wednesday morning's Seattle Times.

The young people asked — and took part in answering — questions about overcoming anger, not being hard on yourself if you make a mistake and keeping a loving heart in the face of destruction.

Tutu said anger was not necessarily a bad thing. "It'd be awful if we didn't get angry when you see someone, for instance, violating a child. ... If you were to be indifferent if you heard children are being killed in Darfur, I would get worried about you."

He said he gets angry with God sometimes. "I mean — mmmmgh," he said, shaking his fists. "How can you? How can you let this, that and the other thing happen?"

But God is incredible, he said, and has given people freedom so they can choose their own way.
When people mess up, God "picks you up, dusts you off and says: 'Try again,' " Tutu said.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004351882_dalailama16m.html