Compassion without Borders
I had the great honor to hear His Holiness the Dalai Lama speak at the University of San Diego yesterday. He is charming and funny--and so wise. At the core of his message, he says that each of us should get to know our own mind, and choose to feel compassion and respect for others, instead of anger, hatred, and fear. By choosing these positive things, our actions bring about happiness in ourselves, and peace in our world. He said that anger and hatred are things that we can choose not to feel, because they come from within, while things that harm us from the outside are not things we can choose. That seems like a good reminder. Yet, he also said that it doesn't mean he doesn't get angry--that we are all human. But we can cultivate a peaceful mind, and that will make us happier than any material possession would. He was asked about the most difficult situations in our present world, and he named several (Syria above all). He says he...