Ven.
Namgyal Rinpoche was recognized by the Dalai Lama in 1971
WHY
WE LIKE THE DALAI LAMA
Gerry Kopelow
He
says he is just an ordinary monk. He says he finds meditation difficult,
and that he is unsure of how things will go for him at the time
of death. When pressed for sage advice, he says he has no secret
wisdom to offer and he tells us to simply be kind to one another…..I
recall my mother telling me the same thing many times, and although
she was a lovely person, she never drew a crowd.
So what is so attractive about the Dalai Lama?
Well, as an exiled head of state one of his jobs is to campaign
for the preservation of a terrifically interesting culture currently
under the worst kind of attack: This he does skillfully, and there
is no doubt that the ‘David and Goliath’ aspect of this
very public enterprise generates a certain appeal. As H.H. (His
Holiness) the Dalai Lama, he is the spiritual head of an exotic
eastern religion, and it is fair to say that among the millions
of bliss-deprived inhabitants of North America there are many who
are curious about the ornate rituals of Tibetan Buddhism, some even
interested enough to practice. But hundreds of thousands? Don’t
think so.
For proof that something else is going on, we need look no farther
than Ottawa, the capital of our ordinarily moderate Dominion: There,
just a few weeks ago, the Dalai Lama filled a stadium with 10,000
wildly enthusiastic men, women, and children of all ages and secular
and religious affiliations. I doubt one could find more than a handful
of practicing Tibetan Buddhists in the crowd, but obviously the
place was packed with ardent fans. ‘Like a rock concert’
is the descriptor we hear over and over from the media.
Again, what is the attraction?
In my view, we are attracted to the Dalai Lama because he is a nice
person. But not just an ordinary nice person; he is a really nice
person. And not just an ordinary really nice person; he is a really,
really, really nice person.
Canadians are culturally predisposed to recognize niceness. I spoke
to a twenty-something Canadian who attended a weekend teaching the
Dalai Lama gave in an outdoor arena in San Francisco. He told me
that from his seat in the huge venue he could barely see the man
or hear him speak. And although this person was certainly not a
Buddhist, he told me that he felt himself to be on the verge of
tears the whole weekend. This is a typical response: The niceness
of the Dalai Lama is so powerful that it automatically evokes a
visceral reaction in those who experience it.
What is the nature of this extreme niceness, and where does it come
from? Surprisingly, the answer is technical: The niceness of the
Dalai Lama has been built by conscious effort.
Tibetan Buddhists say that the Dalai Lama is an emanation of Chenrezig,
the Buddha of Compassion.
Some definitions of the word ‘emanation’:
1.The act of emitting; causing to flow forth.
2.Something arising, springing, or flowing from a source.
3.Electromagnetic energy, such as a light, etc., radiated from a
system in all directions from a point of origin.
4.That which flows outward from a transcendental central
principle.
At its core, Buddhism is not a religion; rather it is a highly developed
method of mental cultivation, a collection of techniques for training
the mind specifically for the investigation of reality. Those few
who undertake this work and complete it successfully acquire the
ability to exist in whatever mental state they choose. When the
Dalai Lama advises us to be kind, he is not kidding. He has done
the work, and now he is Kindness, he is Compassion, he is really,
really, really Nice. He is emanating this Niceness, not unlike a
glowing light bulb or a radio transmitter, and it is irresistible.
The Buddha declared that this kind of development is possible for
all beings. The Dalai Lama himself is living proof that this development
kind of development can be achieved in one lifetime. As he regularly
points out, however, we have to do the work ourselves.
