Fun
John Oliver Talks with the Dalai Lama
Dear Kay,
The Dalai Lama writes a great op-ed, it turns out.
The other day, I was transfixed by the piece he published in The Washington Post, co-written with Arthur Brooks, the president of the American Enterprise Institute. “All of us can break the cycle of hatred,” the headline reads. (Apologies if you find a paywall, but it’s worth subscribing to read this.)
This short essay instantly bored its way into my heart. Here’s a man, 82 years old, who has had a target on his back from the government of China for decades. Yet his serenity, intelligence, and astonishing sense of humor are a gift to us all, no matter what our own religion is or isn’t.
This got me to poking around, looking for more of this spiritual leader.
The interview up top is kind of wacky. John Oliver is irreverent all day long, and predictably, he uses a lot of premium cable language in the course of his introduction to his conversation with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet.
But this is good stuff if you’re looking for a quick overview of Tibetan Buddhism, the politics of China, and a message of peace. The Dalai Lama is famous for his sense of humor—it’s all over this interview, so great.
“I practice taking others’ anger, suspicion, distrust and give them patience, tolerance and compassion,” the Dalai Lama says.
That’s something to think about, every day.
The Dalai Lama’s Instagram feed is pretty great: @dalailama. With a blue checkmark, of course, so you know it’s the real deal. And his website has a ton of videos.
Love,
Ann
Dear Ann,
I’m now following the Dalai Lama on Instagram and I read his op-ed just now. Didn’t have to subscribe or anything. The Dalai Lama is a wise man.
Strangely enough, I listened to Maajid Nawaz, an anti-extremist activist, on CNN last night and it seemed to me he was advocating for this kind of thing as well.
You know, I think we all know the way forward. Warmheartedness is a great descriptor. The difficulty is in the enacting, but I truly believe it can be done.
Meanwhile, I’ll be working on my brackets.
Thanks again for a fabulous post. I read all of yours and Kay’s.
Janet
Thank you so much for this. You have started my day beautifully.
This is so worth reading. Thanks, Ann. Never know what to expect from you guys but it’s always good. Enjoy Edinburgh!
Thanks for this. I am now number two at the library for Brooks’ new book.
Wow! So many humans are missing “common sense brain”! This was a wonderful bit from two enlightened beings!
Thank you for posting the video. It was hilarious and I learned a lot.
So timely, and urgently important.
Thank you Ann, that was wonderful.
I have followed the Dalai Llama on Twitter for sometime now, but for some reason never thought to look for him on Instagram. Situation rectified! I enjoyed the John Oliver piece—lovely way to start the day. Thanks.
I fondly remember when the Dalai Lama was at Harvard for a tree-planting ceremony. Others involved were doing the ceremonial/get-my-good-side approach to tree planting; the Dalai Lama picked up a shovel, made sure the soil was firmly supporting the roots, and gave the tree some water. Because that’s how you plant a tree.
I printed the article so I can read it when I need a reminder. Thank you! The Dalai Lama radiates kindness and good humor.
I was fortunate to hear the Dalai Lama speak a few years ago. He was to be introduced by his long time friend, Sen. Patrick Leahy. These two men in their 80s walked onto the stage together, one very tall American and one small Tibetan holding hands like two small boys. My heart melted at that moment. His social media posts are like a ray of hope amidst a lot of darkness.
We are all so fortunate to be living in this time when we can hear teachings from His Holiness. He has a wonderful sense of humor and incredible depth of wisdom. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
I am not familiar with instagram but know you make a great suggestion.
When my older son was at NYU he heard the Dalai Lama and Paul Wolfowitz speak on the same day (not at the same venue). Talk about whiplash! I recommend The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, which is a series of interviews and conversation with and between the Dalai Lama and Bishop Desmond Tutu. The DL’s humor shines through there, too.
I highly recommend “The Book of Joy,” which I read last year as an antidote to despair and ab.so.lute.ly. loved. It’s the story of time spent with HHDL and Desmond Tutu, and a lovely record of two deeply good and resilient human beings.