" Dalai Lama offers lessons on compassion to those in all walks of life
Jonathon Flaum MEANING AT WORK COLUMNIST published July 24, 2008 12:15 am

I saw the Dalai Lama speak last weekend in Madison, Wis., and what struck me above all else was his presence.

Whether in English or Tibetan, he spoke with ease and humor. Though he was talking in an arena to 10,000 or more people, I felt he was speaking directly to me, as did others. Everything happening was immediate. He joked with his translator, laughed with his Tibetan host who stumbled over some English words, and, aloft on his throne, unselfconsciously experimented with sunglasses and a visor to get protection from the lights glaring on him.


Right in the middle of expressing one of the most profound insights on compassion I have ever heard, he checked his watch and said, Oops, lunchtime, lets eat. When people stood up to applaud him, he waved them back down. At the end of a full days teaching, he said simply, Bye-bye, go home now. See you tomorrow. No perfunctory statements, no long closings, nothing extra. He showed up on time, concluded on time and spoke to the matter at hand teaching people the ways in which we can cultivate a compassionate heart for the benefit of others and, by extension, ourselves.

In the original teachings of the Buddha and that of the Hinayana School, it is assumed that one achieves enlightenment alone first and then, through generosity, helps others to do the same. But according to the Mahayana School, and as related by the Dalai Lama via his commentary on the eighth-century text The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva, this is not possible. According to this interpretation, to achieve enlightenment we must exchange ourselves for others by seeing the plight of others first and foremost. It is this extension of compassion that leads to our own enlightenment.

As the Dalai Lama presented it, this practice can start small, through extending compassion to our loved ones, and then gradually we can move out to our friends, acquaintances, strangers and, finally, our perceived enemies. This practice has prescribed techniques, and it takes time. In a commentary on these teachings, the Dalai Lama writes that he often laughs when Westerners come to him and ask whether, if they take the traditional three-year, three-month retreat undertaken by monks and others, they will speed up the process to enlightenment. The Dalai Lama is clear that compassion practice loving others completely without self-interested designs is difficult and takes a lifetime (or many lifetimes as understood in the Buddhist tradition) but that it is the only real way to enlightenment.

This can seem like a nearly impossible task. It is one reason why practice (meditation, study, work) is constant. But businesspeople have never shied away from hard work. And the way of the Bodhisattva in its ancient wisdom is the root of modern servant-leadership practices.

Most recently, I saw the concept come up in Bill Georges book True North, where he explains that the true leader must move from I to we. George writes, Only when leaders stop focusing on their personal ego needs are they able to develop other leaders.

We have to get over ourselves, so that our story isnt everything, or even the most interesting thing to us. It should just serve as a safe ground upon which others can build their stories. Together we build a synergy that is based on something larger than any solitary motivation. Again, this takes daily, arduous practice. But as in the example of the Dalai Lama, we need to break on time for lunch and go home each night and recharge. It seems simple enough, but just because its simple doesnt mean its easy. Nothing truly precious is.

This is the opinion of Jonathon Flaum, the director of the WriteMind Institute for Corporate Contemplation and the author of How the Red Wolf Found Its Howl: The Internal Journey to Leadership. Visit www.writemindinstitute.com. "

" I do have to agree, he has a very general (and repetitive) message, but only because he has a vast audience and I think that even after hearing the message so many times, so few actually practise it. As someone mentioned, if you do go to his actual teachings, then it gets quite profound and deep into Buddhist philosophy. A lot of people left at one of the major teachings in the west, because so many people found it to difficult to digest (though the text he was teaching from was a hard one to understand). "

" Mr.Wineke,
Times have changed.
I was under the impression that in these troubled times MORE ...compassion,tolerence and religious harmony were needed.
WHAT IS YOUR QUESTION? "

" Most Tibetan monks that I've met are nothing more than religious fanatics who have one goal, to empty the pockets of Westerners of every bit of change they can. "

" Dear Mr Wineke,
I take your comments seriously, and would like to answer them.

I have been attending teachings by the Dalai Lama since 1993, in the US, India, Australia, and Europe.
Hundreds of thousands of people from diverse cultures and various religions use precious vacation time and pay for tickets, travel and accommodations to hear his teachings. In Asia, his clothing is not exotic,but still people come, in even greater numbers there than in the west.


Had you attended full-time any of these teachings, (not the public talks), you would comprehend the vast and profound level of philosophical inquiry and logical precision that underlies his teachings. I hope you personally have the chance to learn more
and gain a realisitc understanding of why he earns the respect of those who actually study under his tutelage, rathen than simply observing from the sidelines.

You might try one of the Mind and Life Conferences, yearly dialogoes initiated by the Dalai Lama over 20 years ago, where he meets with top scientists to discuss the relationship between advanced science and religious beliefs; most scientists go away humbled by his brilliance and insight. Please consider reporting on that.

Thank you for considering anothe rpoint of view.

T Lhamo "

" It's hard to concetrate on the content of your post when your spelling and grammar is that of a 3rd grader. "

" Go to Google do a search on Dalai Lama and CIA.
You will have more facts to decide who Dalai Lama is. "

" Some think that Dalai Lama is a front man for CIA to attack China and the Chinese with the support from Hollywood and most major NEWS media in the USA and Europe. That is why he gets so much publicities.

Almost all the accusation againt China happened just the opposit of the accusation.

For the most recent incident of Lasha riot. Dalai Lama and his followers claimed that the Chnese oppressed the demonstration and protest and kelled many Tibetans.

But the truth was that the Chines let the demonstration went on for more than a week until a very small group of people started buring shops, looting, murdering Han Chinese and Muslim Chines. The local government was shocked without any decisive action to put down the riots until about 24 hours later due to afraid of negative press affecting Oympics.
This was reported by tourists, some from USA and Europe; a journalist from the Economist Magazine has reported the facts. You can also go to Utube to see it.

Many Chinese had sufferd under communist rule, Tibetans included but they have not been discriminated. The Tibetans have been treated better than ordianary Chinese. Their lives have been improved immeesurably comparing to the old regime of theocracy cast system under Dalai Lama and his "Nobles". "

" I was wondering how long it would take for someone to point this out. The media just seems to fall in line fawning over this man. I'm sure he's a very nice person, but it's a bit scary when so many people fall at his feet without knowing that much about him or his religion. I know of people who have pictures of him in their homes and cars and know nothing about Buddhism. If they had any idea how much time and commitment Tibetan Buddhism requires they might be less inclined to swoon. "

" If the Pope attended mass in a pair of shorts, wouldnt he be making a mokery of his religion and disrespecting his students? "

" Is HHDL's message special?
Yes, when it comes from a person who has shouldered the responsibility of 6 million Tibetan people and fought for the survial of Tibetan culture against the brutal Chinese government.
Yes, when it comes from a person who has stood firm on his principals of non-violence decade after decade even when his people are people are being tortured and killed.
Yes, when it comes from a person who does not have one mean bone in his body or unkind words for his adversary, when on the other hand the Chinese government continuous to lay unfounded charges against him.
Yes, when the governement of China, the next superpower of world, trembles and shows nervousness every time HHDL whose only weapon is peace meets a world leader. "

" Ya know, Bill, you're right. It DOES sound flippant and arrogant.

But maybe you have a point. Since we all in the West are already perfectly compassionate, non-violent, positive, and think well of others who are different from us, why should we pay so much attention to this guy? Obviously, our traditions and institutions are sufficient.

Oh, right.

One more thing -- since I'm not content with my lot in life, I stole your robe. I'm sorry because it didn't fetch much on craiglist. "

" Mr. Wineke: I really agree with your comment. I would like to add: A head of state combined with the supreme leader in his religion, is the Dalai Lama, as an established and perpetual institution, good for social progress and democracy? "

" You wrote, "Perhaps Im just jealous. I preach at a rescue mission, and the last time I wore my robe there someone stole it after the service. People dont tend to hold my views in awe."

I would agree with your self-analysis. "