By Brooke Leister
BOSTON – Whether rich or poor, a scholar or a beggar, everyone desires the same thing — a happy life, said the Dalai Lama, speaking to a sold-out FleetCenter crowd last night.
“We are the same, you and me, physically, mentally and emotionally. There are no differences. We all want a happy life and everyone has the right to have a happy life,” said the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader.
More than 13,000 people attended the 5 p.m. talk titled “A Public Talk for New England,” where the Dalai Lama, 68, spoke on compassion, practices that encourage a peaceful mind, and positive ways to live during difficult times. The Dalai Lama has not been to the Boston area since his 1998 trip to Brandeis University.
After being greeted by a standing ovation, the bespectacled monk dressed in red and yellow robes, settled into a cream-colored armchair. While he addressed the crowd in English, an interpreter occasionally helped translate.
Speaking about compassion, the Dalai Lama, also referred to as His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, said compassion lends itself to a happy life.
“I believe in a warm heart. Compassion is the basis,” he said. Tenets of this include affection and concern for one another. “These are very, very useful for a happy life, therefore I try to promote these values.”
Then, the Dalai Lama paused and scratched his head.
“I think my brain is not working properly — long days, tiredness maybe. (Please) excuse,” he said, as the audience responded with bemused laughter.
This weekend, he also attended a two-day conference titled “Investigating the Mind: Exchanges between Buddhism and Biobehavorial Science on How the Mind Works” at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. The sold-out conference aimed to identify the common ground between Tibetan Buddhism and biobehavioral science.
Once he collected his thoughts, he continued, saying everyone begins with the seeds of compassion. Direct interactions as a child, particularly with our mothers, creates a nature of affection.
“Given this very fundamental fact of life, one could say there is a biological base for human expression of kindness….Experience of affection and love is something that is very natural and embedded in our nature,” he said.
Compassion is also necessary for a healthier life. The greater the degree of compassion, the further people will be from destructive behaviors.
“In our mind, constant fear or suspicion, anger and jealousy eventually affects our health. Self-confidence or compassionate feeling is a sign of introspection,” said the Dalai Lama. “It is very important to reduce fear and suspicion.”
The effects can also be felt globally. The promotion of non-violence ultimately depends on the promotion of compassion, he said.
The Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his nonviolent struggle against Chinese rule. He fled Tibet in 1959 with thousands of supporters after a failed uprising against China. Since then, he has headed a government-in-exile in the northern Indian town of Dharmsala.
“Regardless of how problematic our planet is, I don’t know of another planet out there that is better than ours. That is why I think it is extremely important to take care of our planet, to take care of all humanity,” said the Dalai Lama.
Linda Albright, a high school science teacher from Rochester, N.H, attended the talk to better understand her students, many of whom hail from southeast Asia.
“What struck me was how down to earth and like us he really is. There’s no magic, no mystique — just honesty,” said Albright 39, who attended with her daughter Elena, 13, and friend Sophia DeVito, 14.
Curiosity attracted Elena to the event.
“It’s about having a life here and being happy,” the ninth-grader said of the Dalai Lama’s message.
Pat Gustavson, an educator from Ipswich, was drawn to the Dalai Lama’s message of compassion.
“He didn’t say, ‘This is what you have to do.’ He said, ‘This is my experience,'” said Gustavson, who’s in her 50s.
Geshe Gendun Gyatso, a Tibetan monk living in Chicago, called the talk a blessing.
“It’s a huge blessing because a lot of people are not happy about the war, the economy, losing jobs and all of this tragedy. People are tired of all this suffering,” said the 41-year-old monk.
Of everything the Dalai Lama said, Geshe said the most important was “to reach inner peace and reduce material achievement.”
