My spiritual journey - Dalai Lama
Reflections on Compassion and Commitment: Reading the Dalai Lama
This is my second book by the Dalai Lama, and once again, I find myself deeply moved by his philosophy of compassion. It’s one thing to read about compassion — it’s another to live it, to embody it, as he has done throughout his life. His words are simple, but the practice he describes feels like climbing a mountain — difficult, humbling, and profoundly transformative.
My first encounter with his writing was The Book of Joy, a beautiful dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. That book opened my heart to the universality of kindness and joy, beyond religion or nationality. These two readings together have widened my spiritual horizons in ways I didn’t anticipate.
The Three Commitments
What struck me most in this book was the Dalai Lama’s three lifelong commitments:
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As a human being, one to promote human values such as compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, and self-discipline.
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As a Buddhist monk, to foster harmony among the world’s religions.
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As the Dalai Lama, to work for the cause and well-being of the Tibetan people.
Each commitment reflects a layer of his identity — human, spiritual, and political — yet all are bound by the same thread: compassion in action.
Lessons That Stay With Me
Several passages resonated deeply:
“Calmly chosen measures will be more effective, better adapted, and more powerful, whereas retaliation based on that blind energy of anger rarely reaches its goal.”
It’s a reminder that peace is not passive; it’s the discipline of calm in the face of provocation.
He also speaks of eliminating the three mental poisons — ignorance, desire, and hatred. These, he says, are the roots of suffering, both personal and collective.
And then this powerful reflection:
“One can do without religion, but not without spirituality.”
The distinction between religion and spirituality is profound. The Dalai Lama invites us to see spirituality as a revolution of the heart — an awakening of consciousness that transcends dogma.
East and West: Two Ways of Seeing
The Dalai Lama notes how historically, the East has explored the mind, while the West has mastered the material world. Both have immense value, but harmony between them — understanding the inner and outer worlds together — might just be what humanity needs most now.
A Life of Recognition and Resistance
He has been honored with a Congressional Gold Medal and the Nobel Peace Prize, symbols of global respect for his message of peace. Yet his life is also one of exile, resistance, and resilience — a monk navigating the turbulence of politics while holding fast to compassion.
Interestingly, he even recalls Mao’s words:
“Religion is a poison that has two serious defects: it reduces the population, since monks and nuns take the vow of celibacy, and it curbs progress. It has produced two victims: Tibet and Mongolia.”
That contrast — between the spiritual and the political, between compassion and control — makes his story all the more compelling.
Closing Reflection
Reading the Dalai Lama reminds me that compassion is not softness; it’s strength refined by wisdom. His teachings call us to act with awareness, to love without attachment, and to see beyond our narrow selves.
Perhaps that is what spirituality truly means — not belief in something higher, but becoming something deeper.
Happy Reading !!!
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