Um, the Dalai Lama spend most of the time giggling and being incoherent.
I couldn't tell if it was nervousness, tiredness (he had just received 700 other people prior to meeting Michael), his trouble with English, or just the way he is. It made me a little uncomfortable. I guess, given my Christian upbringing (which I have abandoned for the most part, aside from the unconditional love and general ethics stuff) I expected a figurehead of a major world religion to exude a bit more of a sanguine, authoritative presence. The DL was just, well, kind of goofy.
I know from what little I've read in Buddhist literature this behavior is often true of monks and so-called authority figures in the tradition. They are childlike and embrace all of life's absurdities, which I do find refreshing. But...the DL? I don't know. Am I endowing him with too much? He is just a man, after all--but ain't Siddharta sittin' in there somewhere? Bein' stoic and wise? *Sigh.*
9 comments:
As someone who considers himself a budding Buddhist…haha…its not all that surprising that the Dalai Lama is so…goofy…one of the things Buddhism teaches is to live in the moment, and to not let things like desire and ‘want’ to get into the way of being enlightened and embracing life and the simple things it has to offer…like joy, warmth, comfort etc. I’m sure his constant laughter and ‘giddiness’ is just a byproduct of being a highly enlightened person. However…to the unenlightened or an outsider, it certainly doesn’t paint a very ‘serious’ picture of the religion. Maybe the religion would be better served if the figurehead were bit more serious and well spoken, which, honestly, he is not…but I think he is one of those people who you have to be in the presence of to really ‘get’. For me, Buddhism is a very personal/private journey, with a loose structure and a lot of room to develop ones own path using the principles outlined in texts as a guideline for finding one’s own ‘Nirvana’. I guess he’s found his…and is enjoying every minute of it. I don’t consider myself a Buddhist…but it is the one religion that I have found a sense of connection with…and am still in the process of learning and adapting more of its principles into my daily life.
So no...you're not a bad person for thinking he's a little goofy! =)
When I look at that picture...I think of the Alfred E. Newman (from Mad Magazine) quote "What, me worry?" I think that's what he's going for...
Right. All good points, and I was trying to convince myself of these sorts of things while watching him. A lot of my consternation probably came from the fact that I've never heard him speak before--I've only seen his iconic image and have created all of these ideas around who I thought he would be. Perhaps I expected his detachment to be a bit more cool and less giggly, but that's alright. If he is exercising his 'in the moment' approach, then who am I to judge? Besides, how much wisdom can one impart in the course of a two minute interview?
He does make you smile in that photo--definitely an Alfred E. Newman sort of face...
I read a great book some years ago by a Westerner who was trying to become a proper, traditional Buddhist, and there were very insightful bits about his experience. One particularly funny part was how he couldn't stop his ass from going to sleep during Zazen.
I recently read Thich Nhat Hanh's book Anger and I have DL's book The Art of Happiness, which I now will have to bump up in my reading list, to determine how I feel about all of this. Buddhism has always interested me as a possible life path...so you know you're the 'go to' guy for me now, right? :)
Thanks for your thoughts!
I'll throw in a couple of things here...
*** Folks don't usually realize that the Dalai Lama is an atheist, but this is quite compatible with Buddhist thought.
*** One of the best introductions to Zen for westerners is The Three Pillars of Zen, by Philip Kapleau--it's well worth a look.
I have read the art of Happiness, and I think you will find that the Dalai Lama is just a bit goofy all the time. He's a monk that wear Red Chucks, and doesn't find there to be a conflict between religion and evolution. I think that Neil is right and his giddiness comes from just finding some form of pure pleasure in being alive and meeting new people and new experiences.
Thanks for the addition. I'll definitely check out the book.
Yes, you are a bad person. Just cuz.
Thank you, Percy. Now I know why Santa didn't leave me any gifts. ;)
Steven--Yes, and all of that is alright by me. As I expressed in my blog (or at least hoped to), I understand the 'living in the moment' stuff. I can see where being truly in that state might make one ebullient and even giddy. I guess my only consternation came from expecting him to be a bit more articulate. But that's alright...all of this convo with folks is making me even more intrigued. Thanks for the comment!
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