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ENGAGING PILGRIMAGE OF DALAI LAMA TO LOUISVILLE: May 19-21, 2013

A prayerful reflection

Indianapolis, Indiana
May 18, 2013
Kanwal Prakash Singh

Momentum is building for the upcoming visit of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet to Louisville, Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Jeffersonville., Indiana.  The Dalai Lama will lead a three-day festival of “Engaging Compassion” in a City that has recently earned the recognition as one of the most Compassionate Cities in America.  The Dalai Lama’s visit is sponsored by The Drepung Gomang Institute and strongly supported by Louisville Mayor, Greg Fischer, Festival of Faiths, and The Mohammad Ali Center.

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During the three-day visit, the Dalai Lama will give a Public Talk on Sunday, with a strong interfaith component and internationally recognized religious leaders; he will discuss “how individuals can engage in compassion from within their own religious tradition in order to build world peace from the heart of the local level to the world community.”  He will offer two Buddhist teaching sessions, open to the public, on Monday: “Atisha’s Lamp for the Path of Enlightenment” at the YUM! Center.  The Dalai Lama will carry the message of compassion and non-violence on Tuesday to middle and high school students representing diversity at the Kentucky Center for the Arts.

INDIANA CONNECTION AND EMERGING ATTRACTION

His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the global Tibetan-Mongolian Buddhist community have a permanent Indiana connection.  The Late Dr. Thubetan Norbu, the elder brother of the Dalai Lama, founded the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center (TMBCC) in the rolling hills of southern Indiana that today is emerging as a major pilgrimage center in America’s Heartland.  The Dalai Lama has visited Bloomington and Indiana six times since 1989.  Long-term plans envision this campus to be the Kumbum Chamtse Ling Monastery (West), a world center for Buddhist teaching and learning, culture and heritage.

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This beautifully-embellished Chamtse Ling Temple, the commemorative Stupas, and the Cultural Center have been the venue of many moving interfaith events and celebrations since it opened in 2003.  The TMBCC will become a major attraction for students and scholars, for pilgrims and visitors who may see it as hallowed ground or simply as an island of peaceful tranquility that extends warm welcome and friendliness to those who come to witness spirituality manifested all around.

KPSongh, Maninder Walia, His Holiness the Dalai Lama

In Indiana with strong religious foundations and many beautiful churches and synagogues, the TMBCC is emerging as a jewel in the spiritual and cultural crown and has set the bar high for future Sikh, Moslem, Buddhist, Hindu, Bahai, and other religious institutions and sacred spaces.

A GLOBAL RATTNA AND MAN OF PEACE

The amazing spirit behind this transformational place is His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet.  Born Lhamo Thondup and appointed Tenzin Gyatso the Dalai Lama at a young age, the 77-year old spiritual teacher to the world, a god-king and Buddha of Compassion to the Tibetan followers, an extraordinary humanitarian, a beloved icon of non-violence, is a Noble Laureate of Peace, recipient of the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal, and many other honors.  Not enthralled by worldly accolades, the Dalai Lama refers to himself as an “ordinary monk.”  He has devoted his life and energy to sharing his all-embracing message of hope, love, understanding, compassion, justice, human dignity, and respect that transcends the frontiers of faith, culture, ethnicity, gender, nationality, and other temporal divides.  He is at home everywhere and with everyone.  This affirming testimony seems to witness a Divine aura and this masterful mentor, magnificent Teacher gently, yet passionately, reminds us to learn about the goodness enshrined within each of us and use its power to come together, create promising crossroads for the greater good of the Family of Man and for Children of One Immaculate Timeless Reality.

The Dalai Lama is a Spiritual Global Rattna: a rare and precious jewel, with each facet radiating Light, inner beauty, uncommon brilliance, profound wisdom, and an amazing grace.  He leads a renaissance of our collective spiritual and humanitarian mandate, makes the essence of our humanity relevant to our times, and safeguard the rights of fellow beings as an act of faith.

PRAYERFUL PERSONAL REFLECTION

The Dalai Lama is Divine Grace personified; his life and spirit is remarkably transforming whether one is Sikh, Buddhist, Catholic, a seeker of spiritual wisdom, or a non-believer.  Having had the incredible blessing of being in his presence, and hearing his message that carries the ancient wisdom of ages, I am struck by its unmistakable resonance in Sikh scriptures, tradition, and Commandments of Oneness, Unity, Universality; Service, Justice, Sacred Rights, Human Dignity; and Sanctity of all Faiths and all Life.

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His Holiness lives his faith and invites us to learn about other traditions to strengthen our own faith and understanding of our moral responsibility to our fellow man, to Nature and Creation, to expanding goodwill at a very troubled time in the human universe.  The Dalai Lama has visited the Golden Temple (at Amritsar, India), the St. Peter’s and Vatican of the Sikhs, where praise of the  Almighty is sung from predawn hours to late in the evening, where over 100,000 people of many faiths and nationalities are served free food each day, and where over the last four centuries hundreds of thousands sacrificed their lives in righteous defiance to preserve its sanctity.  Sometimes I wonder if the Dalai Lama is paying return visits to the Sikh Shrines in honor of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh Faith, who spent several months teaching and learning in Tibetan Monasteries in 1516 A.D.

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The Dalai Lama’s strong commitment to interfaith dialogue, harnessing the great assets and spiritual energy of faiths to serve humanity, to end suffering, and usher a new era of peaceful coexistence has a universal longing and appeal.  He has used his global platform with great wisdom and reverence for other perspectives and visions, and millions follow his call to engage in compassion towards others, to serve worthy causes.

We feel that power when we are around the Dalai Lama.  He does not threaten our own spirituality, faith, or cherished ideals.  He offers a pure spiritual magnifying mirror for me to see my Sikh faith and lessons in a more beautiful, loving, and reverential Light.  For me, His Holiness is an indescribable force for good, praying for us to come together as One Family, One Humanity, with Engaging Compassion and interfaith solidarity as the beautiful keystone of the arch upon which we should build the mansion of myriad blessings that we may all share, to celebrate Nature and Creation, to honor God and Man.
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“With a boundless mind one should cherish all life; Above, below, all around, without limit.”
                                                                                         -  The Meta Sutra (Buddhist Spirituality)
“In Your Name, By Your Grace, Wonderful Lord: Let there be peace and goodwill among all people (cultures, faiths, and communities) everywhere.”  - The Daily Sikh Prayer

This article was originally published in The Indianapolis Star (May 18, 2013) also sent to NRIinternet.com by KP Singh on May 19, 2013... Indianapolis, Indiana USA  <>  KP SinghDesigns.com  <>  May 15, 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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