M.J. Rose

(Michelle J. Wong / Noozhawk photo)

I find it interesting that the self-proclaimed number one in everything nation, the U.S., must look to other cultures for the type of common sense wisdom that the Dalai Lama hands out like spring petals on a peaceful morning. In a recent lecture on ethics at UCSB, he discussed compassion and commented that the economic crisis might be an opportunity for people to put some limits on material things.

Think of the universe as a perfect balance machine – when something strays too far to one side, nature’s correction is to tip to the other side and create a balance. This goes for the macro – the life and death cycle – as well as the daily things we experience in human terms such as too much consumption with not enough providing. It seems obvious, but for many Westerners, it’s just not second nature. We continue to watch and learn from the experts…

Dalai Lama Shares Wisdom on the Mind, Ethics and Economy
Tibetan monk finds a receptive and enthusiastic audience at two UCSB lectures

By Sonia Fernandez, Noozhawk Staff Writer

With a head cold and a sense of humor, the Dalai Lama shared his wisdom with thousands of people Friday during his visit to UCSB.

“My voice is unusual today,” Tibet’s exiled spiritual and political leader said as he settled cross-legged into a divan onstage, interpreter by his side.

Using Tibetan to explain his finer points and English to kid around with the audience, the monk broke down topics as heady as the primordial qualities of Buddha that he says we all possess.

“We have to know the ultimate nature of the mind,” the Dalai Lama said during a morning lecture on the mind. Through it we can control destructive emotions, he said.

In the afternoon, he discussed compassion in a lecture on ethics for today and commented that the economic crisis might be an opportunity for people to establish limits on material things… [the rest here, from noozhawk.com]