If you could meet the Dalai Lama and ask him any question that you wanted to ask, what would that question be?
This question floated into my mind today while I was playing in the studio. It could have been asked of any teacher, healer, wise wo/man: Jesus, Madame Blavatsky, Mohammed, Saint Theresa, the Buddha, whoever (why am I having trouble finding wise women’s names?? That is wrong). The Dalai Lama just happened to come to mind, I suppose because many people that I know revere him and either have met him or would like very much to be in his presence.
While pondering an answer to the question, I had to admit that I don’t care if I never meet the Dalai Lama. I don’t feel a strong craving to touch famous people, be that person Jesus or Johnny Depp. Well, okay, there are reasons it might be fun to meet Johnny Depp … yet if you meet a famous person only once, what’s the point? They won’t remember you five seconds from now. It’s not as if their ‘magic’ will rub off on you. Their magic belongs to them.
The few times that I’ve embarrassed myself by craving the touch of a famous person, it was because I felt that I was missing something in myself. That wasn’t true – I wasn’t missing anything. But I believed I was, and I think on some level I believed that by touching the famous person I would somehow become valuable.
If I still believed that I was missing something, perhaps I’d want to meet the Dalai Lama. Does it sound arrogant or ignorant to say that I don’t think that he knows anything that I don’t know? I don’t think that he knows anything that I don’t know. Or anyting more than is available to any of us. He only knows where to find it within himself. And even that is something that we all have the ability or capacity to do – find our own answers within ourselves and our own experience.
I don’t think that I would learn anything by being in the Dalai Lama’s presence unless I created that something myself.
I imagine thousands of people ask the Dalai Lama weighty questions: What is the meaning of life? How can I solve this problem? How can I heal? What is reality? How do we save the planet?
When I try to imagine asking these questions of him or anyone, I’m left feeling dead inside and slightly depressed. The questions sound meaningless, empty and desperate, when asked of another person. Why would you ask these questions of someone else? If they told you the answer, you would still have to find a way to believe them.
I would rather sit in silence and wait for the answer to come to me. Even if it took the rest of my life. Then when the answer came, I would really know it, not just believe.
If the Dalai Lama and I happened to be introduced, I’d be pleased to meet him. I suspect he’s a kind and interesting man. That’s something different than having a longing or strong desire to meet him, isn’t it?
Here is what I’d really like to ask the Dalai Lama if we happened to be introduced: Would you like to go with me to feed the ducks?
I think that he would enjoy feeding the ducks. It would be a nice relaxing break from all the Big Heavy questions.
This is beautiful. Perfect…
Thanks Marian.
The one person in history that I would most like to meet would be Ramana Maharshi, the great Indian sage of the 20th century. He was known as a silent saint and did not speak for twenty years. Just to sit in the presence of one like him would be enough. He always said the the greatest teaching was in silence.
Sometimes I think sitting in silence for twenty years would be very relaxing! Silence is a great teacher … thanks for sharing this.
Last winter I made an interesting study of the early Church Fathers, especially the desert hermits of the 4th to 6th century. I wound up buying 4 books on the ‘sayings’ of these early men and women. I always thought I’d have made a good monk, sequestered in a remote cell in solitude. Except I need to bathe daily. lol
I’m with you on the ducks question. These people, the ones of notoriety and fame, really just want the same things you and I do. I’ll bring the beer and cheetos and we’ll all feed the ducks. 🙂
I wonder – did you ever run across a St Cudda in your studies? Maybe you are currently having a parallel life as a monk. Perhaps it’s in a place where some nice hot pools are available daily lol.
Ducks like Cheetos. If the Dalai Lama ever shows up in my manifestations, I’ll give a shout out to you and Marian. We can all take the lama to feed the ducks together, each taking a different side of the pond, quietly alone and peacefully together.
Sounds perfect. 🙂
I was told by a gal once, after I showed her a photo of St.Andrews Cathedral in Scotland, a place I felt drawn to the first time I saw it, “You once lived there”. I assume it was as a monk. And its right by the seaside so I could have my bath….. in salt water.
🙂
St. Cudda doesn’t sound familiar but I shall look him up shortly. 🙂
He’s obscure, possibly Codda,
Cudda, or variation … A cousin has been searching, piecing him together from little snippets here and there … One man or a few? An intriguing mystery for a researcher of early Christianity (my cousin anyway!)