We Are One

Sunday.

We gathered anxiously in the hallway of the posh Beverly Hills hotel where His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama was staying before his public talk later that day. The metal detectors hovered over our bodies, men with ear pieces in walked busily back and forth, there were to be no photos in the hallway, they kindly requested.
We were giddy with: excitement, nervousness, anticipation, questions.
I wanted to ask His Holiness, “What can we do???
How can we make the world a better place??
Why is there so much intolerance, violence, oppression?
How does he find “Freedom in Exile” as the title of his autobiography suggests?
How can we understand each other more, love each other more?”

He is a spiritual leader. He will have some advice for those of us who constantly wonder, but are not doing enough, ever.

What will he say? Will I have a chance to ask? Will he look me in the eye? Will he recognize the spirit inside these jeans and under this shirt?

Will he…??

Then there is laughter, it sounds as if it is coming from a bottomless well
His Holiness takes my hand in his
He looks me in the eye
He is laughing from a place I have not been, yet
I have no questions
But I know where I am going

Inside
To where the sky is blue and the sun is shining regardless of the chaos of our physical world
Inside

His laughter
An invitation to visit

And when he speaks, I know he heard what I wondered, because it is what we all wonder, those of us who want, more than anything,
Peace,
In the world
And peace
Within


He tells us, the most important thing to know, is that we are all one. That is the elemental bottom layer of everything. We are all one… It is in the next “level” so to say, that we get into all of these divisive qualities of humanity: race, creed, color, socio-economics, politics, brands, categories, guilt, pleasure, pressure, expectations…

We are all one
That is the number one thing the Dalai Lama said again and again

How do we help to realize this, we ask.

His Holiness hesitates not,

“Education and awareness”

That is the answer

“And we must all make an effort,” he adds. Looking at each of us.

What are you going to do?