"Look at the Capitol...This exceptional building indicates democracy...This is right from the beginning..." ~ His Holiness
At 9:30 am Saturday, July 9, the Dalai Lama spoke to a crowd of peace-loving schmendricks on the West Lawn of the Capitol.
I awoke without aid of the alarm clock at six-fifty, rested and eager for the Tibetan peacelord himself. Thanking the universe for gifting me with an injection of ebullience, I set off on a solo-mission for insight and inspiration.
After a bus and metro ride I arrived at my destination at 8 am. The West Lawn of the Capitol Building was about half-full. I grabbed a seat in the grass and then busied myself with my vocab note cards. Thirty minutes later, the magic happened. Two middle-aged women ambled up and stood in a spot next to me, a space that was only big enough for a lamb and a hobbit.
I offered to scoot over a touch and in return they offered me a spot on their blanket. It was like instant friendship and completely in line with the essence of the day. We started talking, and before you know it the guy next to me was brought into the conversation too. I learned about their travels to Boston, India, and Japan. One of the women was raised a Catholic, but had recently started meditating and meshing eastern religion with the traditional western canon.
It made for great conversation, the woman and the rest of us opened up to one another. The emotional surge of being in a place where I was surrounded by people seeking out answers for faith, peace, and direction was akin to the one I felt immersed in the crowd at Grant Park, Chicago, during Obama’s election night.
"Once you understand yourself, communication with others becomes easy." ~ His Holiness
Taking in the spirit of the day, I befriended fellow peace seekers in a quest for merriment, insight, and anecdotes of wonder.
When the Dalai Lama spoke, he made a lot of good points. He illustrated how formality can become a barrier to communication, how by truly knowing our realities we have the ability to shape them in the direction we’d like, and how being comfortable with ourselves allows us to reach out to others.
What struck me more than anything else about the day was the way His Holiness and the people around me gave me this ability to lucidly look inside myself. I see this chain of events that has led me to Arlington, Virginia, a place where I believe I have found the right woman to love. I’m building skills for that right job, and I’m spending every free moment I have to explore the world the best I know how.
As I’m trying to lead a life that is full, true, and where my happiness buds in concert with the happiness of others, I found the morning with His Holiness to be a great lift. I wish you, good reader, the best of luck on your own journey.
Here were some of my favorite quotes from the Dalai Llama:
“Once you understand yourself communication with others becomes easy.”
“Everybody has an equal right to happiness. The mistake people make is trying to find happiness from outside themselves.”
“Look at the Capitol…This exceptional building indicates democracy…This is right from the beginning.
Oh man. One one hand, I really really regret not going. On the other hand, I'm glad you went by yourself because it has been those times adventuring alone that I have come back with the most insight. As have you!
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