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- July 28th, 2009
So, what can I take from this and use in my own life? Regarding the first point, I believe that I can seek to emulate his quest for inner understanding. If I can define who I am and what I believe myself to be with clarity and precision, then I will have the tools to help me achieve my goals. Without a point of reference, navigation in any sense is impossible. I need to figure out who I am.
Regarding the second point, I believe compassion and open-mindedness are critical to me at this juncture. While the lofty goal of compassion towards all human beings is both admirable and desirable, I can first take the Dalai Lama’s views and apply them to my relationship with my wife. If I approach her always from a place of compassion and love, I will minimize the instances in which I allow my own petty emotions get the best of me. I don’t seek to suppress my feelings; instead, I strive to avoid having those feelings. If I look for love, I will find it; if I look for compassion, I will find it; if I look for anger, betrayal, and resentment, I will find those, too. Likewise, with my children if I look for resistance, I will find it; if I look for disobedience, I will find it; if I look for impatience, I will find it. Instead, I will look at them for what they are: children learning their way in the world, looking for me, their father, for guidance.
While total emulation of another is a fruitless, pointless, and ultimately frustrating pursuit, we can look to others as a source of inspiration. Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, inspires me. That is why I think the Dalai Lama is cool.
Illuminate Possibilities 