Imagine 14,000 people observing silence with His Holiness Dalai Lama in a large convention center—we could hear breath.

I scribbled in my notebook, hanging onto every word. I took my mother this past May, as a mother’s day gift, to see the holy man himself. He wore the red visor as pictured above.

I walked away with a, “Tibet Will Be Free,” bag.

These are His Holiness Dalai Lama’s words, with accent (broken English) to keep the spirit of what was spoken.

(HH Dalai Lama’s words, not mine.)

The foundation for all spiritual practice is love. The purpose of our lives is to be happy.

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions. I don’t watch T.V. Children look at me, say, What do you do all day? How you pass time? (He, and we, all laugh. His laugh is infectious.)

Peace is not just a slogan, it starts inside, then put into action.

Life is interdependent.

Compassion for animals, compassion, trust, prayer is my practice, but I realize the limitations of prayer (he laughs), must put into action. Motivation.

Pay attention to healthy mind, healthy body, take care of your mind with sense of compassion rather than with a pill. Save money, take care of the mind. Have body interest, keep more open mind, so compassion comes from within, right action, practice of forgiveness.

Anger is opposite of compassion. We are nothing but a piece of creation.

Everybody knows I’m Buddhist. (he laughs) That I am a heavy practitioner. I respect all traditions. Buddha respects all dispositions, necessary to have various views. Respect. No one really wants more trouble. Too much attachment to own country, own beliefs, own religion. Kill one person, sentence to life, a hero is someone who kills many. Wrong thinking. Too much bias if thinking a hero is someone killing many. Attachment mind becomes bias.

Meditate on love.

Trust comes from affection. True genuine friendship, trust, we need trust. Develop friendship, not money, power, be well balance, with calm mental state, is crucial, too much anger, fear, eating our system, calm mind effect the body.

More and more create more greed, mental use of energy spent on money. Put mental use to good use. Even physical pain can be great satisfaction. Increase loving kindness. Direct contact with God, self centered reduce when surrender to all.

All equal. One big human family. When fear, insecure, difficult to develop trust. Have compassion for all everywhere. Mutual respect, constant effort based on basic understanding of all. Mutual respect, universal love.

(HH Dalai Lama turns to a swami on stage) Tell India no more caste system, then we all happy Indians. (All laugh) Practice peace and compassion. No slave to sensory experience. Material wealth will not provide mental health. Never give satisfaction to greed, but to contentment. Inner beauty more important than external.

Raise your hands if you came yesterday. (I raise mine) Raise your hand if you did not come yesterday (I do not raise my hand as I was there both days) Raise your hand if you came today. (We all raise our hands. Dalai Lama and we all laugh).

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Editor: Catherine Monkman

{Photo: Erik Törner, IM Individuell Människohjälp}