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A Dalai Lama interview...  Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, is the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people and the 1989 Nobel Peace Laureate. Born to a peasant family in 1935, in the northeastern province of Amdo, His Holiness was recognized at the age to two, in accordance with Tibetan tradition, as the reincarnation of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, and a manifestation of Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Question: We’ve both been traveling these last weeks and the most difficult thing that I find on the road is adjusting to each location, each different hotel. I have a tendency to want to drink the alcohol, which, as you said in an earlier interview, is the other way of coping with despair and confusion. Just what are some of your centering rituals and your habits when you come into a new hotel?  The Dalai Lama: I always first inquire to see “what is there.” Curiosity. What I can discover that is interesting or new. Then, I take a bath. And then I usually sit on the bed, crosslegged, and meditate. And sometimes sleep, lie down. One thing I myself noticed is the time-zone change. Although you change your clock time, your biological time still has to follow a certain pattern. But now I find that once I change the clock time, I’m tuned to the new time zone. When my watch says it’s eight o’clock in the evening, I feel sort of sleepy and need to retire and when it says four in the morning I wake up. Question: But you have to be looking at your clock all the time. The Dalai Lama: That’s right (laughs). Question: Did you do a meditation this morning? The Dalai Lama: First I take a bath, then I sit on that bed (in the other room) crosslegged.

Question: And when you go into the meditation, is it similar every morning? The Dalai Lama: Similar, yes. Question: And can you tell me a little bit about what it’s like? The Dalai Lama: (sigh, laugh) Mmmmmm…The first portion is the recitation of a mantra. There are certain mantras aimed at consecrating your speech, so that all your speech throughout the day will be positive. These recitations should be made before speaking. I observe silence until they are finished and if anyone approaches me, I always communicate in sign language. Then I try to develop a certain motivation, or determination, that as a Buddhist monk, until my Buddhahood, until I reach Buddhahood, my life, my lives, including future lives, should be correct, and spent according to that basic goal. And that all my activities should be beneficial to others and should not harm others.  Question: How long does that take? The Dalai Lama: Some ten, fifteen minutes. And then I do a deeper mediation where I mentally review the entire stages of the path of Buddhist practice. And then I do some practices aimed at accumulating merits, like prostrations, making offerings to the Buddhas, reflecting on the qualities of the Buddha. Question: Is there a special visualization going on? The Dalai Lama: Oh, yes. Along with these are some cases of visualization. We call this guru yoga. The first part of guru yoga means dedicating yourself and your practice to one’s own teacher. The second part is deity yoga, transforming oneself into a particular deity. Deity yoga refers to a meditative process whereby you dissolve your own ordinary self into a sort of void and emptiness. From this state your inner “perfected state” potential is visualized or imagined as being generated into a divine form, a meditation deity. You follow a procedure known as the meditation of the three kayas-dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya. These correspond to the experience of natural death, the intermediate state, and rebirth as described in the Buddhist literature. With each different deity, there is a different mandala in my daily prayer. All together there are about seven different mandalas involved. These deity yogas, they involve visualization of mandalas. That takes two hours. Question: You can see the deity very clearly in your mind with your eyes closed? The Dalai Lama: Sometimes very clear, sometimes not clear (laughs). My physical condition makes a difference, I think. It also depends on the amount of time that I have. If I feel that all my prayers must be completed before eight, then it affects my awareness. If I have a whole morning free, then my concentration increases. Question: Do you ever entertain the distractions, invite them into your meditation and let all of these women in bikini bathing suits that you must see here out by the pool come into your meditation? (Note: Interview is taking place in a resort hotel.) The Dalai Lama: As a monk, I have to avoid that experience, even in my dreams, due to daily practice. Sometimes in my dreams there are women. And in some cases fighting or quarreling with someone. When such dreams happen, immediately I remember, “I am a monk.” So that is one reason I usually call myself a simple Buddhist monk. That’s why I never feel “I am the Dalai Lama.” I only feel “I am a monk.” I should not indulge, even in dreams, in women with a seductive appearance. Immediately I realize I’m a monk. Question: One Western writer called Ernest Becker, who wrote The Denial of Death, said “We don’t know anything beyond it. We must bow down to that mystery because there is no way of knowing what is coming next,” and the thing that has always confused me and interested me about Tibetan Buddhism is the extremely complex system of knowledge about after-death states and reincarnation. The Dalai Lama: The most subtle consciousness is like a seed and it is a different variety of consciousness than the consciousness developed by a physical being. A plant cannot produce cognitive power. But in every human being, or sentient beings with certain conditions, cognitive power develops. We consider the continuity of the consciousness to be the ultimate seed. Then once you understand this explanation, subtle consciousness departs from grosser consciousness. Or we say the grosser dissolves into the most subtle mind. There are some cases, very authentic, very clear, where people recall their past lives, especially with very young people. Some children can recall their pas experience. I do not have any sort of strong or explicit doubts as to this possibility. But since phenomenon such as after-death experiences, intermediate states and so forth, are things that are beyond our direct experience, it does leave some slight room for hesitation. For many years in my daily practice, I have prepared for a natural death. So there is a kind of excitement at the idea that real death is coming to me and I can live the actual experiences. A lot of my meditations are rehearsals for this experience. Question: Do you have one predominant fear that you often struggle with, the thing you fear the most? The Dalai Lama: No, nothing in particular. Question: You are feeling not fearful? The Dalai Lama: Because of the political situation, sometimes I have fears of being caught in a kind of terrorist experience. Although, as far as my motivation is concerned, I feel I have no enemy. From my own viewpoint, we are all human beings, brothers and sisters. But I am involved in a national struggle. Some people consider me the key troublemaker. So that is also a reality (pause). Otherwise, comparatively, my mental state is quite calm, quite stable. Question: How do you avoid accidents? The Dalai Lama: (laughs) Just as ordinary people do, I try to be more cautious. One thing I can be certain of is that I won’t have an accident because of being drunk or being stoned on drugs. Question: But you are flying a lot and the pilots are drinking. That’s what I’m always afraid of. I’ve always said I would never fly on a plane where the pilot believes in reincarnation. When you get on a plane to fly, do you have to work with your fears? The Dalai Lama: I used to have a lot of fear when flying. Now I am getting used to it. But when I get very afraid or anxious, then yes, as you mentioned, I recite some prayers or some mantra and also, you see, the final conclusion is the belief in karma. If I created some karma to have a certain kind of death, I cannot avoid that. Although I try my best, if something happens, I have to accept it. It is possible that I have no such karmic force, then even if the plane crashes, I may survive. Question: You walk out. The Dalai Lama: Yes. So that belief, also you see, is very helpful. Very effective.

My Son, the Dalai Lama... He was different from my other children. He was always packing his clothes and saying he was going to Lhasa.  Almost three years after the birth of Lonsang Samten, I gave birth to Lhamo Dhondup, who was to become the fourteenth Dalai Lama. My husband was bedridden with illness for two months prior to Lhamo Dhondup's birth. If he tried to stand up, he felt giddy and lost consciousness. He told me that each time this happened, he saw the faces of his parents. He could not sleep at night, and this was very difficult because he kept me awake and I had to work during the day. I thought he was playing a cruel trick on me, but now I know this was not so. It was just one of a series of strange happenings in the three years that preceded the birth. During that time our horses seemed to go mad, one by one. When we brought them water, they raced for it and then began rolling about in it. They could neither eat nor drink. Their necks stiffened, and finally they could not even walk. All thirteen of them died. It was such a disgrace to the family and a great loss, for horses were money. After this there was

a famine for three years. We had not a drop of rain, only hail, which destroyed all the crops. Everyone was at the point of starvation. Families began to migrate until only thirteen households were left out of forty-five. My family survived solely because the monastery of Kumbum supported us and supplied us with food. We lived on lentils, rice, and peas that came from their stores. Lhamo Dhondup was born early in the morning, before sunrise. To my surprise, my husband had gotten out of bed and it seemed as if he had never been sick. I told him that I had a boy, and he replied that this surely was no ordinary boy and that we would make him a monk. Chushi Rinpoche from Kumbum had passed away, and we hoped that this newborn would be his reincarnation. We had no more deaths or other strange incidents or misfortunes after his birth. The rains came, and prosperity returned, after years of destitution. Lhamo Dhondup was different from my other children right from the start. He was a somber child who liked to stay indoors by himself. He was always packing his clothes and his little belongings. When I asked what he was doing, he would reply that he was packing to go to Lhasa and would take all of us with him. When we went to visit friends or relatives, he never drank tea from any cup but mine. He never let anyone except me touch his blankets and he never placed them anywhere but next to mine. If he came across a quarrelsome person, he would pick up a stick and try to beat him. If ever one of our guests lit up a cigarette, he would flare into a rage. Our friends told us that for some unaccountable reason they were afraid of him, tender in years as he was. This was all when he was over a year old and could hardly talk. One day he told us that he had come from heaven. When Lhamo Dhondup was a little more than two years old, the search party for the fourteenth Dalai Lama visited our home in Takster. That evening we were summoned by the party. They were seated on the kang in their room. In front of them were a bowl of candy, two rosaries, and two damarus (ritual hand drums). They offered our son the candy bowl, from which he selected one piece and gave it to me. He then went and sat with them. From a very young age Lhamo Dhondup always sat eye to eye with everyone, never at anyone's feet, and people told me that I was spoiling him. He then selected a rosary from the table and a damaru, both of which, it turned out, had belonged to the thirteenth Dalai Lama.

This Life is Precious - and Fleeting The Dalai Lama's new book urges us to face our fear of death - and live each day.  ( "Advice on Dying and Living a Better Life" by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.)  It is in the nature of cyclic existence that what has gathered will eventually disperse - parents, children, brothers, sisters, and friends. No matter how much friends like each other, eventually they must separate. Gurus and students, parents and children, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, and friends - no matter who they are - must eventually separate. While my senior tutor, Ling Rinpochay, was healthy, it was almost impossible, unbearable, for me to think about his death. For me, he was always like a very solid rock on which I could rely. I wondered how I could survive without him. But when he suffered a stroke, after which there was a second, very serious stroke, eventually the situation allowed part of my mind to think, "Now it would be better for him to go." Sometimes I have even thought that he deliberately took on that illness, so that when he did actually pass away, I would be ready to handle the next task - to search for his reincarnation. In addition to separating from all of our friends, the wealth and resources that accumulate over time - no matter how marvelous they are - eventually become unusable. No matter how high your rank or position, you must eventually fall. To remind myself of this, when I ascend the high platform from which I teach, just as I am sitting down, I recite to myself the words of the Diamond Cutter Sutra about impermanence: View things compounded from causes to be like twinkling stars, figments seen with an eye disease, the flickering light of a butter lamp, magical illusions, dew, bubbles, dreams, lightning, and clouds. I reflect on the fragility of caused phenomena, and then snap my fingers, the brief sound symbolizing impermanence. This is how I remind myself that I will soon be descending from the high throne. Any living bein g- no matter how long he or she lives - must eventually die. There is no other way. Once you dwell within cyclic existence, you cannot live outside of its nature. No matter how marvelous things may be, it is built into their very nature that they and you, who take joy in them, must degenerate in the end. Not only must you die in the end, but you do not know when the end will come. If you did, you could put off preparing for the future. Even if you show signs of living to a ripe old age, you cannot say with one hundred percent certainty that today you will not die. You must not procrastinate. Rather, you should make preparations so that even if you did die tonight, you would have no regrets. If you develop an appreciation for the uncertainty and imminence of death, your sense of the importance of using your time wisely will get stronger and stronger. As the Tibetan scholar-yogi Tsongkhapa says: When the difficulty of finding this human body is understood, there is no way to stay doing nothing. When its great meaning is seen, passing the time senselessly is a cause of sorrow. When death is contemplated, preparation to go to the next life is made. When actions and their effects are contemplated, sources of non-conscientiousness are turned away. When in this way these four roots have become firm, other virtuous practices easily grow. Thinking about death not only serves as a preparation for dying and prompts actions that benefit future lives, but it also dramatically affects your mental perspective. For instance, when people are not accustomed to this practice of being mindful about the certainty of death, then even when it is obvious that they are old and will soon pass away, their friends and family feel they cannot be realistic with them, and even feel the need to compliment them on their physical appearance. Both parties know it is a lie. It is ridiculous! Sometimes even patients suffering from terminal diseases such as cancer avoid using the words "die" or "death." I find it almost impossible to speak with them about their impending death; they resist hearing about it. But for one who cannot now face even the word "death," never mind the reality of it, the actual arrival of death is likely to bring with it great discomfort and fear. On the other hand, when I meet with a practitioner who appears to be near death, I do not hesitate to say, "Whether you die or recover, you need preparation for both." It is possible for us to reflect together on the imminence of death. There is no need to hide anything, for that person is prepared to face death with no regret. A practitioner who, early on, thinks about impermanence is much more courageous and happy while dying. Reflecting on the uncertainty of the time of death develops a mind that is peaceful, disciplined, and virtuous, because it is dwelling on more than the superficial stuff of this short lifetime. SUMMARY ADVICE:  1. If you cultivate a sense of the uncertainty of the time of death, you will make better use of your time.  2. To prevent procrastination with regard to spiritual practice, take care not to come under the influence of the illusion of permanence.  3. Realize that no matter how wonderful a situation may be, its nature is such that it must end.  4. Do not think that there will be time later.  5. Be frank about facing your own death. Skillfully encourage others to be frank about their deaths. Do not deceive each other with compliments when the time of death is near. Honesty will foster courage and joy.

The Peaceful Mind A conversation with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. (By T George Harris    From Spirituality & Health -- The Soul/Body Connection) Despite exile and persecution, His Holiness the Dalai Lama maintains a buoyant spirit and the low blood pressure of a child. In this conversation with T George Harris, the founding editor of Psychology Today and American Health, held at the Trappist monastery, Gethsemane, in the hills of Kentucky, the Dalai Lama reveals the spiritual practices that sustain him.  In one of your books you talk about a secular spirituality. How much of a health component does that have? Everybody wants a happy, successful life. Of course, external conditions are important, but I think that for a happy life, a happy family, and a happy community, much depends on our mental attitude. The key factor, I feel, is human compassion, a sense of caring for one another. Sometimes, when we talk about the value of compassion and forgiveness and love, people get the impression these are religious matters: When people have religious faith, these things are important; otherwise, they aren’t relevant. That kind of attitude, I think, is due to ignorance or lack of awareness, and I feel it’s dangerous. Basically, a human being is a social animal. So, if you create some short moment of happiness for people, you get deep satisfaction.  Generally speaking, in advanced societies, the education facility is excellent. But there is a lack of something here in the heart. Sometimes, the brilliant brain can create more suffering, more trouble. So the smart brain must be balanced with a warm heart, a good heart - a sense of responsibility, of concern for the well-being of others. An individual who has this good quality automatically becomes calmer and more peaceful. So these values might promote deeper human values, not necessarily religious faith. They also promote health. The American Medical

Association Journal is doing a series of reports saying that American doctors should use meditation and relaxation therapies in combination with regular medication and surgery for most common ailments. A lot of this research was inspired by your work. What I believe, according to my own experience, is that a calm, peaceful mind is a very important element for sustaining the body in a balanced way. When you lose your temper, immediately you feel uncomfortable. Eventually, you lose your digestion and sleep. You have to rely more and more on tranquilizers. So, whether you are a believer or a non-believer, the peaceful mind in daily life is very, very important. I also consider human activities. Whether these activities are constructive or destructive, depends on mental attitude. If the motivation is negative, even religion becomes dirty religion. If your mental attitude is right, then human actions become useful and constructive. So the mind is very important. I think that in the medical field, more and more people may now realize this. Maybe. How do you achieve this peaceful mind? Analyze the situation. For example, a serious pain. Think about the pain. If there is a way to overcome that pain, then there’s no need to worry, because there’s a way. If there’s no way to overcome it, then no use to worry too much - you can’t do anything! [laughs] Then it’s very useful to make a comparison to some past experience or some other possibility of even bigger pain. Immediately, you get the feeling, "Oh, compared to that, today’s pain is easier." So, you see, mental attitude toward the object is very crucial. Even a small event, if you are looking at it very closely, appears very big, beyond your control. If you  look from a different angle, from a distance, the same problem seems smaller. It’s worst in the middle of the night. In your own work, what kinds of meditation and prayer are you focusing on? According to different religious traditions, there are different methods. For example, a Christian practitioner may meditate on God’s grace, God’s infinite love. This is a very powerful concept in order to achieve peace of mind. A Buddhist practitioner may be thinking about relative nature and also Buddha-nature. This is also very useful. I’m a Buddhist monk, so I’m practicing according to this teaching. But my main concern is for ordinary people who have no particular beliefs. We must find ways and means for these people. I believe each human being has the potential to change, to transform one’s own attitude, no matter how difficult the situation. We are human beings, and we have this marvelous brain and marvelous heart, so there is potential to develop a proper mental attitude, through which we can have a happy, more peaceful life. I think the remarkable thing we’re observing now among those in Tibet - monks, as well as lay persons who have some experience with Buddhist teaching and practice - is that when these people are passing through a traumatic period, the standard of mental peace always remains. After long periods of difficulties and tragic experiences, these people remain very calm minded. One of my close friends spent, I think, 18 years in a Chinese prison and labor camp. In the early '80s, they allowed him to come to India. On occasion, he and I discuss his experiences in various Chinese labor camps. And he told me that during those periods, on a few occasions he faced danger. I asked what kind of danger, and his response was, "Oh, danger of losing compassion for the Chinese." [laughs] That kind of mental attitude is, I think, a key factor to sustain peace of mind. We have rising evidence that anger is one of the great killers, not of the people it’s directed at, but of the people who have the anger. You of all people have wrestled with this problem, but you have the low blood pressure of a child. How do you do this? That’s my secret. [laughs] As I mentioned before, when I see and I hear some sort of tragic situation, I always try to make comparison with the possibility of some event or some past experience and to look from different angles. For example, we lost our country and endured a lot of destruction. If I look only from that angle, then, of course, the sadness increases. No use. But, you see, the same event, looked at from another angle: "Oh, yes, because of this tragedy, because we became refugees, I have many new opportunities for meeting with different people." You see, my practice is to try to lead a useful existence. That means, if you engage in some service to others, give at least a short moment of happiness to others, including animals, then you get the feeling "Now I did something good. My existence has become something purposeful." After all, the purpose of life is happiness. That’s my fundamental belief. To achieve happiness, good food, good shelter, good friends, are part of the source of happiness, but the main thing is deep mental satisfaction. That comes if you make yourself available to others and serve others. Basically, a human being is a social animal. So, if you create some short moment of happiness for people, you get deep satisfaction. You get fulfillment of your existence. Disclaimer: All images and/or articles retain the original copyrights of their original owners.

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September 21, 2005