Life lessons (and more) from Dalai Lama
By DARPAN MAJUMDAR There are times when you wonder what is the mayhem all around. Why this pace, which makes you dizzy? Is being slow or taking it slow, a crime? But you almost snap back if someone calls you slow, as it usually never means praise. Come to think of it, our response mechanism is deeply entrenched in the vicissitudes of our subconscious mind, which tells us, ‘If you need to be accepted by society, you better be swift.’ So I need to know at what rate I want to operate in life, to define my quotient. I observe myself, trying to fathom the balance I am trying to achieve. I love to think on those terms - observation and curiosity come naturally to me - and it no doubt helps in the kind of work I do, where I have to unearth insights and dig into human behaviour. Observing people and their peculiarities have always intrigued me. I meet a lot of interesting people on a regular basis for work and otherwise too. I read books from Desmond Morris to Nicholas Nassim Taleb to get a better understanding of human behaviour. One thing I have realized is that to understand the outside better, one certainly has to understand the inside (read inner self) first. As someone has rightly said, if you are really seeking something, the world conspires to lead you on to that path. Well, that’s what happened when I got to know about the teaching by His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Namgyal Monastery in Mcleodganj, while partnering as a communication consultant for the International Buddhist Film Festival called ‘The Inner Path’. I wanted to learn, and more importantly, unlearn a lot. I wanted to spend time with myself before and after the teachings. I wanted to ruminate on the thoughts received from the Dalai Lama, the monks and all the people I interacted with during my stay. Those three days at the teaching gave me a great opportunity to meet people from diverse backgrounds, both professionally and geographically, but all seemed to have one thing in common - they were all ‘seekers’! On Day 1, the Dalai Lama looked at me when he was going to his seat. Day 2, he blessed me from his place when I was sitting in the audience. Day 3, he touched and blessed me. The whole experience was also about how everyone was willing to give love and care and derive so much more joy than the recipients. Life was fulfilling when people understood the concept of giving. The essence of it all can be captured in the words of a Belgian lady named Marleen Reynaert I met there. She runs a beautiful shop selling thangka, artefacts, scrolls, etc. She spoke to me about her Buddhist practice and peace, and her words still resonate in my mind: “Think of every thought as if it were for the whole world to share. Speak every word as if it were for the whole world to hear; for in reality, it is so. May this bring you light within and without, for in reality, the outer is merely a reflection of the inner self.” This thought took some time to form and shape up into words: ”You will find yourself, if you really want to. The doors will open and you shall have serendipity.” I wish you all the best in this journey, this is the real ‘wanderlust’! Feedback: darpan,.majumdar@vivakiexchange.net.in
Strategy Manager, VivaKi Exchange, VivaKi India
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