Perspectives on the Dalai Lama's visit

by David Bachman, UW professor of international studies

The Dalai Lama, in his simple robes, stooped shoulders, and in his discussion of peace, compassion, and healing, presents a compelling figure. As the leader of the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, and the head of the Tibetan government in exile, he also embodies a number of messages. Many of those messages were on display during his visit to Seattle and the University of Washington.

For those who have seen him in the past, and those who had never seen him in person before (me) and who have open minds, he leaves a powerful impression. He is engaging, funny, self-deprecating, energetic, and to use the overused word, charismatic. The message he repeated in many of his public appearances, sponsored by a group called Seeds of Compassion, was not surprisingly, compassion. His lectures on the subject were powerful, but in many respects, they weren’t all that different than what the “cosmopolitan” versions of many religious faiths argue for today, at least in regards to secular behavior and attitudes. In terms of content, it seemed to me that the Dalai Lama’s message was quite similar to that of the Pope’s when the latter spoke to the UN today. We are all part of one humanity, we are all hurt when others are hurt, and we hurt ourselves when we hurt others. Were we all to live and act by these beliefs, the world would undoubtedly be a better place.

"Perspectives on the Dalai Lama's visit," by David Bachman, UW professor of international studies, posted Monday, April 21, 2008, to blogs.uwnews.org. UW news blogs is a service of uwnews.org, the University of Washington Office of News and Information.