SHOWING "warm-heartedness" to all ... and the way forward for humankind is keeping a calm mind ...
Those were the messages the 14th Dalai Lama told his audience to remember during his visit to Footscray.
An appreciative and large audience gathered under a clear blue sky at Maddern Square and hung on the Dalai's every word in his first visit to the west.
The Dalai Lama was a guest of youth worker Les Twentyman and his 20th Man Foundation, to which he made a $100,000 donation. Earlier in the day, he blessed the new Quang Minh Temple in Braybrook.
"Warm-heartedness immediately opens our inner door; through that way we can communicate with other people very personally, " said the 75-year-old, who was born Tenzin Gyatso.
"On the other hand, if we remain with some suspicion, distrust with others then you cannot find [a] normal way of contact with human brothers and sisters."
His discourse was intensely serious: The health and well-being of mankind relies not on our material wealth but on our ability to show affection for each other, particularly children and those in need.
The message was punctuated by his trademark chuckle and warm smile.
The Dalai Lama urged all to show affection to young people as a way of helping them feel confident and avoiding drugs and alcohol to attain fleeting happiness.
"The problem in the society, particularly among youth, violence, even depression, drug problems [and] in some cases murder - these are because society [is] lacking human affection."
Rather than a flowing oration, his close to 20-minute discourse delivered multiple small morsels of wisdom from a time spent studying and leading the Yellow Hat branch of Tibetan Buddhism.
You are your own master and ultimately you should take care of yourself; intelligence is a more powerful and important emotion; emotion clouds our ability to set realistic goals; and pursue rich relationships over financial riches ... these were but a few of the pearls.
"Most important, in order to develop a calm mind, is warm-heartedness. That I can tell you through my own experience.
"Once mental thinking goes wrong, too much impatience, too much frustration, too much anger, then often life [is] ruined.
"On the other hand, use human intelligence when we face a problem, look from various angles, look from wider perspective. Then the problem [will] become smaller. Trust, friendship is the key factor for [a] happy life. Genuine trust, genuine friendship you cannot buy with money.
"Genuine friendship comes only through trust, through openness. These things, everybody has the same potential, same ability."
Keilor Downs's Gum Mamur, born in Sudan and now being mentored by Mr Twentyman, was one of a handful of youths who had a personal audience with the Dalai Lama and he was lost for words after the experience.
"I don't know how to describe it.
"He seems so calm and happy. He was totally honest; if he doesn't know the answer to a question he says he doesn't know.
"He talked about remaining calm and if you get in a violent situation you have to downplay emotions and think about what you're doing."
In the audience was Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade, who could have been forgiven for having his mind on other pressing matters including Friday's game against St Kilda. Asked what he took away from the lecture, Eade had one word: "patience".
The Dalai Lama recently said he was giving up his role as the Tibetan movement's political leader.
Email a friend