I still am basking in the glow of seeing the Dalai Lama in Denver on September 17. I attended the event with my seventy-eight year old mother and my brother. I should mention that we live in Minnesota and made the trek to Denver solely to see His Holiness the Dalai Lama in person. We are not Buddhists, but we knew that the Dalai Lama’s reach went far beyond that. I had put my name in for pre-sale tickets and fortunately wound up with fantastic seats.

The security was very high – to the point that it delayed the program for about thirty minutes. Somehow though, those thirty minutes or so just increased my anticipation level. I silently was hoping that it did the same for my mother and brother after dragging them along with me (actually they came quite willingly). After a wonderful speech by the mayor of Denver, I watched as the Dalai Lamas head became bigger and bigger as he ascended the stairs to the stage. While watching all of this, I felt the tears well up in my eyes; at the same time, the goose bumps began to cover my body. I knew immediately what was happening – I was in the presence of someone so powerful with such positive rays coming from him … yet as I kept watching I realized before he even spoke a word, this man had no ego. Yes, you could feel it – ask anyone that was there.

I really cannot summarize his message too much, as it was over- whelmingly simple. The title of this presentation was “The Science of a Compassionate Life”. All walks of life could identify with his message, which was precisely the point.

I scoured the papers the next day – the only newspapers that I could find containing anything having to do with the Dalai Lamas talk were of course the Denver papers. Not USA Today, and not either of the big Minnesota papers – what a shame. His Holiness spent a fair amount of time in the United States, starting on the west coast and moving east to Buffalo (and a short stop in the Twin Cities). To have an Icon of positive words in the United States, and an extremely highly respected international figure, the Dalai Lama slipped through our country quietly. If the Pope had been in the U.S. (whom I would guess respects the messages of the Dalai Lama) the publicity would have gone on for weeks. I needn’t say more.

To summarize, if you ever have the chance to hear His Holiness The Dalai Lama speak in person – do. It will affect you.
There are very few times now, when I reflect over the events of the day, that I do not wonder – was that a very Dalai Lama thing to do?

The Da Vinci Code - War of Words

The Da Vinci Code. Let’s see, forty million copies of the book have been sold worldwide. Mr. Brown quoted a priest that said, “Christian Theology has survived the writings of Galileo and the writings of Darwin – surely it will survive the writings of some novelist from New Hampshire”. It is nice to see Dan Brown has kept his sense of humor. With all of the controversy and slams against “the book”, it makes me wonder how all of these amazing sales could have taken place.

Can the popularity of The Da Vinci Code be chalked up to mere curiosity? Probably. From my own experience, not surprisingly, the readers who did not care for the book came from strict and or guided Christian based religions. Dan Brown said, “Science and religion are partners, which use a different language”. That seems like an intelligent observation, which covers a lot of territory. Apparently, many people do not care for that type of thinking, nor should they be asked to. They are steadfast in their beliefs and are comforted in them. For these people, one thought is important when reading the book or viewing the movie- it is fiction, take what you want from it. Relax, sit back, and enjoy the ride, for it is one heck of a lot of fun.

For others the challenge of checking out many of the “facts” is a big part of the fun. Is it all based on symbology? It can send you to places that you have never considered going. That is what happened to me. I had to reluctantly put the book down more than once or twice and run to my computer to see or try to understand what Mr. Brown was implying. I personally learned quite a bit from The Da Vinci Code. If nothing else, I found out about the existence of the many fascinating places that he referenced. To be perfectly honest it did make me question many “facts” that I had leaned from my Christian up bringing.

Dan Brown believes what he believes, and at least in this country that is his right. This freedom extends to Catholics, Jews, Buddhists and any other belief systems. So why is Dan Brown being persecuted (scary word isn’t it?)? Possibly because he somewhat expressed himself in a work of fiction, that he had painstakingly researched. I wonder how many readers have put in as much time researching their own views. How do many wars begin? Because of ignorance, intolerance, and then throw in a few overly passionate (i.e. egotistical) people. Sounds like some of the debates I have heard over The Da Vinci Code. A war, a war of words.

The Da Vinci Code Movie

The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown, is set for a cinematic premiere on May 19th, 2006. The controversy over this book, soon to be movie, is beginning to kick into high gear once again. Most of you reading this, have probably read the book that was painstakingly researched. One book Mr. Brown referenced is Holy Blood Holy Grail by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln, which caused another controversy that was recently in the media.
I am full of anticipation as the release of the movie draws near, and the "pot gets stirred up" again. It will tend to make many people re-evaluate their thinking on various levels, and take a long hard look at their personal beliefs. This has to be a positive thing, right? It is what many of us are doing after hearing about the Book of Judas. These books opened my mind to considering the human side of religion and then to look for a strong philosophy by which to live with rather than judge humanity. If one does not keep an open mind in these types of matters it can only mean that we believe we know everything there is to possibly know. I guess I am happy to be in the less exclusive club called "Don't Know Everything", at least not yet.

Schedule for His Holiness The Dalai Lama in the United States 2006

His Holiness The Dalai Lama is coming to the United States
If you maintain a feeling of compassion, loving, kindness, then something automatically opens your inner door.....you"ll find that all human beings are just like you, so you'll be able to relate to them more easily.

Quoted from The Dalai Lama - the book "The Art Of Happiness"

For the most current information on these events go to www.dalailama.com

Los Angeles, California
When: September 12, 13, 14
Where: Pasadena Civic Auditorium
Subject: Open to everyone and will focus on practicing students of Buddhism

Denver, Colorado
When: September 17
Where: The Pepsi Center
Subject: The Science of a Compassionate Mind

Buffalo, New York
When: September 18, 19, 20
Where: University at Buffalo
Subject: Promoting Peace Across Borders Through Education http://steppinoutdesigns.com

Buddhism and Celebrities - For Real or in need of Enlightenment?

It is interesting in these times of unrest how many people begin to look for an alternate way to express their spirituality.
Well-known names like Richard Gere, Steven Segal, and Leonard Cohen are known for their direct and serious connection with Buddhism. Others celebrities that seem to show an earnest interest in the Buddhist way of life are Uma Thurman, Keanu Reeves, and Kate Bosworth.
Hopefully people like Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and other big stars won’t jump on the Buddhist band wagon because they view it as a fad. I have no problem at all with anyone exploring the Buddhist religion, it might seem obvious that I am doing that very thing. The problem that I have is people calling themselves Buddhists when in fact they know very little about the religion and do not participate fully in it, and its culture. Buddhism is a very serious religion and should not be stepped into lightly, after all it has been in existence much longer than Christianity.
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