Tea with The Dalai Lama

“Love is the way…” Many of us reach a point in our lives where it takes a lot for us to be moved, to be inspired. For those living in conflict areas, where almost daily if not hourly, they are faced with challenges, it can be even harder to find some light in the abyss of endless darkness. Yet, this past week, I was inspired to look within again, and look around with a new perspective, and see that indeed, there is still hope for this world and it is in our youth. It took an 82 year old exiled spiritual leader to inspire a group of 20s and 30s year olds from countries like Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan and Myanmar as well as this somewhat jadded journalist to be a “seed of change.” “Show compassion…especially to your enemy,” said The Dalai Lama, the world’s most iconic figure of peace as he met with 25 youth peace builders from 12 countries of conflict, brought together by The U.S. Institute of Peace. As part of the program titled “Youth Leaders’ Exchange with the Dalai Lama”, to which I was also invited as a ‘thought leader’, the youth traveled all the way to Dharamsala, India, where they not just learned from The Dalai Lama, they also learned from each other. I always hear about the importance of peace and dialogue, and have written stories about conferences and workshops dedicated to these concepts, yet it wasn’t until this trip that I finally saw the real impact of something as simple as a conversation. I saw youths from opposing sides of a conflict, come together and become good friends, breaking barriers of misunderstanding and mistrust, vowing to work together for a peaceful future for their home country. I have written numerous pieces on how ‘one person’ can make a difference, and in that room inside The Dalai Lama’s compound, there were over 25 such “one persons” who are heroes and don’t even know it. I,like many who have read his books and watched his videos, had a certain expectation about meeting The Dalai Lama, and yet when it actually happened, it was more profound than I can put into words. There is anxiety and perhaps to some extent fear many of us have deep down when asked: if you could ask anything, anything at all of The Dalai Lama, what would it be? What age, what background and what faith you are, doesn’t really matter, for the question raises something we often ignore: being totally honest with yourself. I could see how with a smile and a single touch of his hand, an overall calmness takes over, and the person talking to him relaxes and opens up about the most painful realities and memories of their lives. For me personally, it was during the tea break when he turned around holding his green mug filled with milk tea and looked right into my eyes as he extended his hand that I found myself telling him things I never planned to say. “Communicate with a smile….” he told us, and several Muslim youths added that a smile was also what Prophet Mohammed advocated for when communicating with others. “Only through compassion and inner peace, one can spread peace in the world,” he said. “Inner peace will lead to a peaceful individual and then this peaceful individual will build a peaceful family, then a peaceful community then a peaceful world.”

When I sat with the youth leaders, and they shared with me their fears and their hopes, they would tell me how there are no real role models back in their home countries. In the case of the UAE, the youth here are fortunate to have many role models, including the late Sheikh Zayed. When I mentioned to His Holiness the Dalai Lama that the UAE has ministries dedicated to happiness, tolerance and youth, he smiled and said: “very good” and patted me on the shoulder and added: “with conviction, all is possible.” He made comments on world events including the latest Rohingya crisis, and said “Anyone, whether Buddhist or Muslim, who commits violence, is no longer a Buddhist or a Muslim.” He mentioned the EU several times, saying he admires what they stand for, and called for more unity in the world. From the spread of extremism to the importance of education and embracing differences, the spiritual leader dedicated many hours to sitting, listening and answering the youth. There are too many powerful statements made and no room to include them here, but one of them that all of us now hold dear is how each of us could be a “mini” Dalai Lama back in whatever community and country we live in. Ultimately one doesn’t have to be a Buddhist to be like The Dalai Lama, but a compassionate, patient and determined humanist. —— Rym Ghazal is now a retired journalist after 15 years of dedicated work, but remains active as a mentor and a peace ambassador in training.