Dharamsala, HP, India, 5 September 2012 (By Samuel Ivor, The Tibet Post International) - As the main temple in the Tibetan-exile community filled with an eager audience; ranging from the visiting Southeast Asian delegation, to robe-clad Buddhist monks and nuns, a sense of anticipation mixed with the plumes of incense that wafted through the rafters of the roof.
The second day of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teachings on Shantideva's ‘A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life' were about to commence, and a hushed silence filled the sacred building before the arrival of the great spiritual leader for day two of the event.
Opening with prayers and recitations, His Holiness gave an introduction to the awestruck audience into the fundamental teachings of the Buddha and the ‘Four Noble Truths'.
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"Buddhism is about making transformations in our mind...we have to use reasoning, not just because Buddha has said so".
He re-iterated the message that: "Anger harms our health. When you have love and compassion, it benefits us".
Continuing the teachings of Shantideva's ‘A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life' from the previous day, verse 59 of Chapter 5, His Holiness clearly and concisely examined and explained the text, adding His wealth of experience, wisdom and warm-hearted humour.
The Dalai Lama highlighted:
"Our bodies should be in the service of other sentient beings...If you are selfish, you will only have suffering in this life. If you can help those who are helpless, the suffering and the sick; this will give rise to great virtue".
"You should not leave these teachings in words, but put them into practice" He concluded, as chapter five drew to a close, and the audience were dismissed for a lunch break and a period to reflect.
For the afternoon teachings, His Holiness drew upon humour and past experiences, adding colour to the text regarding anger:
"The moment anger arises in us, you will lose peace of mind...if you are angry all the time, it eats into your immune system". He stated, drawing upon proven scientific research into the topic.
"If you have peace of mind, your immune system is strengthened. Anger has no benefit whatsoever. When you become angry, immediately, it may seem anger is helping you, giving you more courage...but it is a blind, foolish courage. If you develop courage through reasoning, this is ok. [But] if you develop resentment towards those who harm you, what benefit does it have?"
His Holiness then drew upon the memory of a mechanic from Norbulinka in Tibet, who became very angry while repairing a car. The mechanic became enraged, and: "he hit the car he was repairing, which made the situation worse" His Holiness chuckled, to the amusement of the audience.
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As His Holiness left the temple, with an audience of devoted followers and students bowed respectfully before Him, the threatening storm clouds finally let loose an outburst of monsoon rain, and a river of colourful umbrellas jostled their way skyward on the crowded streets below. Though the Southeast Asian guests were treated to a wealth of knowledge, wisdom and culture from the great Tibetan leader in exile, they were also treated to the mercy of the seasonal Indian climate too.
A live webcast, in English, Chinese, Tibetan and Russian languages as well as a video link to the teachings, is available on: http://dalailama.com/liveweb
