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At UC-Berkeley, Dalai Lama urges 'peace through compassion'
By Kristin Bender
In his third visit to the University of California-Berkeley since 1994, he left the stage to a standing ovation and wearing a blue Golden Bears visor and his giant, infectious smile. The Dalai Lama talked about "peace through compassion" during his speech, which at times was difficult to understand, despite an interpreter helping him with English words he could not recall. "Sorry," the 73-year-old said at one point. "I've become old. My English also (has) become older." He peppered his talk with personal stories about his gall bladder surgery, a couple caring for two young children on an international flight (he said he flies business class because first class is too luxurious), and how he believes people will live longer if they stop focusing so much on their own problems. "People who use" the words "I, my and mine have a greater risk of a heart attack," he said. "My conclusion is a more self-centered attitude makes our minds become more narrow and then even a small, tiny problem becomes unbearable. There are thousands, millions of people facing similar problems. Don't take oneself as the center of the world. Think of others, then your health will become better. That's my medicine." The spiritual leader said he recently had to have his gall bladder removed— usually a fairly straightforward operation— but his became complicated when doctors discovered his gall bladder was infected and swollen to three times its normal size. Back on his feet in five days, the Dalai Lama said he was surprised to hear his surgeon say he had the body of a man of 60. "Taking care of inner peace is one of the best medications without much money." In talking about compassion, the Nobel laureate said there are two kinds of compassion: biological and that which is learned. Biological compassion can only go so far— a parent caring for small children, and turtles, birds or dogs caring for their offspring are natural cycles of life, he said. "But that level of loving kindness or compassion is limited," he said. "The second level of compassion is beyond the biological factor and" comes about "by using your intelligence." The sold-out talk was sponsored by the American Himalayan Foundation and the Richard C. Blum Center for Developing Economies. Blum, a San Francisco investment banker and philanthropist who is married to U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, founded the American Himalayan Foundation to help the Tibetan people and the center that bears his name to find solutions to global poverty. Blum, UC Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and actress Sharon Stone, who sits on the board of directors of the American Himalayan Foundation, all gave remarks before the Dalai Lama's talk. Josie Grant of Marin said the event was her sixth or seventh time seeing the spiritual leader speak. "He's a spokesman for the world and I think he's a catalyst for world peace, compassion and the Tibetan freedom movement and he needs to be listened to," she said. Some attendees said they camped out 20 to 30 hours in front of the box office to score tickets. Scalpers on Craigslist were selling tickets for $150 Saturday. The audience was about 30 percent students and the Dalai Lama, who answered only three prearranged questions, told young people, "Hope for the best but prepare for the worst."
Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_12230017 |
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Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, struggled with his English and a touch
of the flu Saturday, but he still kept a crowd of more than 6,000 focused and laughing
as he talked about peace through compassion at UC-Berkeley's Greek Theatre.