Very few speakers can speak gently yet forcefully and have people hanging to his every word. It is difficult for media persons to not abandon the note taking exercise and simply listen with rapt attention to what the Lama says. Every word is precious and every sentence imbued with wisdom. No wonder the Dalai Lama is a world renowned speaker and Meghalaya is fortunate to have him as its guest for three days. This itinerant disciple of peace who is much revered, quoted and written about by western scholars packs his messages with aplomb using the science of strategic communication. He delivers punches with a smile. His wit and humour make him human enough for people to connect with his teachings. Unlike most preachers who breathe fire over their listeners, the Dalai Lama combines politics with spirituality in a pragmatic manner. This is why people can relate to his messages. He speaks of this world, its problems and challenges and refrains from taking his audience to a world beyond that which they know. Perhaps his transcendental meditation which begins everyday at 4 pm (he does not meet anyone after that ) gives him the equanimity and mental strength to look at life from several perspectives and to be gracious even while speaking about China which has been an aggressor on Tibet and which has turned the Dalai Lama and millions of Tibetans into refugees without a homeland.
A person blessed with profound wisdom, grace and renunciation is very rare today. No wonder thousands of Buddhists from across the region and beyond have landed up in Shillong. For them this journey is a pilgrimage. They have come to pay their respects to the Dalai Lama and to take back gems of wisdom with them.
The Dalai Lama’s take on corruption is very interesting. He says education does not necessarily make people immune to corruption. On the other hand some of the more educated people are also the most manipulative and corrupt. The Dalai Lama is no stranger to corruption in India. He is a keen observer of its socio-political and cultural moorings. His comment that China needs to be more accommodative and inclusive of different cultures is a broad hint at what that country should be doing vis-à-vis the Tibetans. Chinese intolerance of Tibetan cultural values and faith is what has embittered the Tibetan people.
The Dalai Lama has given several exhortations on the virtues of non-violence. Indeed that has been his credo. In a region engulfed by violence often fore-grounded by ethnic disparities this message should mean something. Peace indeed has its own dividends.