I think the victory belongs to every American regardless of ideology simply due to the overwhelming involvement of the American people in directing the path of our government. I fear we had become a society that took it’s liberty for granted and just assumed others who were in positions of power and authority would do right by us and our country. It’s a shame we had to hit such a low to wake us all up to the fact that it’s our responsibility, my responsibility, to lead government and if we blindly follow those who are in a position to make or break our success as a nation, we deserve what we get. Unfortunately, the typical outcome is less than we expect and that has never been more obvious than today and this mess we find ourselves mired in.

So whether or not your candidate won the election, YOU won by taking charge of your destiny and being a part of the American process.

Please enjoy these photos of Celebration around our nation and our world.

No matter how many times I read those words, they never fail to inspire me.  In my previous incarnation as corporate executive for a (then) Fortune 100 company, I picked up many bits of ‘Rah Rah’ and squishy toys, an attempt of the company to lift moral, build a team spirit and tap into some motivational guru’s source of inspiration.  But this line was different.  From the moment I read it, I knew I had to leave the corporate life I was leading.  “Not that there’s anything wrong with that”, another entirely uplifting saying, but the same company that spent so much time and money inspiring their teams during the good times, became inspirationally bereft and the curtain came down and there was only a weenie, not a genie behind. 

So I took my little desk plaque, the one that say’s, “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” and set out to do it.  And I couldn’t be happier. 

There’s another little bit of lore that I subscribe to that has also provided inspiration and direction to my life and my choices.   It’s the one that says, “You reap what you sew”.  Now perhaps I’ve read into this one a bit and worked it so that it describes Karma or at least my shallow view of it.  Even a Karmic Novice such as me can experience the benefits of this adage and I have for as many years as I can remember. 

As an example, when I give generously and my motivation is pure I always get back more than I give.  This goes for love, money, support; anything and everything.  Sometimes when money’s tight we tend to want to be conservative and tend to share less.  I’ve been there.  It’s a scarcity mentality- there’s not enough to go around so I keep it all to myself and grasp tighter and tighter on to it so I don’t lose it.  I’ve found through this behavior I feel a lot of stress- all that grasping really wears you out.  Over time, I had the opportunity to give when I really didn’t have much and the first thing I noticed was surprise.  I surprised myself and then immediately thought, “I sure hope I don’t regret that. ”  Then I turned my attention to the recipient of my generousity and through compassion, all regret and grasping immediately vanished.  I thought no matter the consequences, I’ve made the right decision. 

As it turns out, I am a most fortunate person.  I always have more than I need and ‘most of the time’ I feel really content.  So, I’ve learned that the act of giving is itself a reward particularly with a pure motivation.  I can’t speak to this directly but I will surmise that if one does not feel compassion and act out of an altruistic state of mind, the return on the investment isn’t quite the same.  I don’t think one can cheat Karma.  But, perhaps the end does justify the means in this case.  At least the benefit to the recipient is real be it money, support, encouragement, etc.  The Dalai Lama speaks of being ’selfishly selfless.’  He says the best way to bring benefit on to oneself is to be a benefit to others. 

So what power do these rather esoteric sayings really hold?  I say they are words of wisdom and if you look behind them and realize the truth within them, they really can propel you to places that you may have feared to go before.   I don’t know who came up with my favorite little saying but I really appreciate the message.  That little plaque sits before me today in my little office and still holds a pure power that never ceases to remind me of my own potential.  Perhaps someday, I can return the favor…

In 1949, China invaded Tibet.  The Tibetan people and their leader didn’t understand the full implications of this occupation at the time.  They were rather naive as they had very little exposure to the outside world being perched high on top of it and very trusting due to their own benign motivation.  Once it became evident that this occupation would threaten their culture and their lives, the Tibetan people tried to resist but China was far too strong.  Over a million Tibetans were slaughtered during the 1959 uprising and the Tibetan government, many Buddhist Lamas and the Dalai Lama fled for their lives to India. 

There have been other uprisings since and each one is put down more violently than the last.  Since March 2008, around 200 Tibetans, including monks and nuns, have been killed and thousands have been injured.  Many Tibetans have been beaten for participating in peaceful demonstrations and cannot go to the hospitals for fear of being arrested.  The situation is grave. 

What is at stake today is the entire Tibetan culture.  Tibetan children cannot go to school unless they speak Chinese and even when they do, their future is stymied because of their Tibetan heritage.  The Tibetan people have become economically marginalized in their own country.  Tibetans have long revered their leader, the Dalai Lama, and it is a crime to possess his image in a photograph or painting.  The Tibetan language and culture are today at risk of becoming extinct.  We go to great lengths to avoid extinction in animals and plant life because we know how valuable those life forms are to our planet but we are slow to act when it comes to our human family. 

What ‘We’ want today is for China to meet with and work with the Dalai Lama to bring an end to the sorrow of Tibet.  His Holiness is no longer calling for China to leave Tibet- only to make it a place that Tibetans are free to worship and practice their beliefs, live their lives free from fear and oppression and have a future that is unrestrained. 

This blog is not ‘against’ anyone, instead it’s for Tibet.  We Americans cause havoc all over the world in the name of freedom and democracy.  I would like to see the world powers join together to save Tibet and the Tibetan culture from certain peril and at the same time, help China become a truly great country.  There is a middle way where everyone can be satisfied but it’s rarely easy to find.  I believe we have come to a time in our exsistence where true change needs to occur.  The mindless and violent ways of our human history need to be put aside in order for humanity to take the next great step into a future that really is sustainable.  We need to finally truly ‘evolve’.  I think we are capable of this- I certainly hope so for the future of the human race. 

 If you are interested in learning more about this cause, visit Savetibet.org and learn how you can make your voice heard. 

We live in a hectic world at a troubled time.  Sometimes it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with situations that seem beyond our control.  Often times all we need is a little perspective to regain our equilibrium and I know of a special resource that gives me a glimpse of that much needed perspective on a daily basis. 

I have studied Tibetan Buddhism for almost twelve years and one of things I love most about it is the pure logic that the teachings employ.  It is a practice that is experiencial rather than to be taken on faith.  Whether one is Buddhist or Christian or Muslim or Jewish or any other religion, logic is a common thread that runs through all human beings.   Our similarities will always outnumber our differences.  Truly, we are all basically the same; we all want to be happy and we all want to avoid suffering.   That being the case, the next time you look at someone and recognize how they are different from you, look deeper at how they are the same as you; in fact, look at them as if they were just another ‘you’.  Imagine how your empathy for others will grow if you see them as another ‘you’ or even a part of you. 

Each day, I get an email with my “Glimpse of the Day” which are daily excerpts from the book entitled “Glimpse After Glimpse; Daily Reflections on Living and Dying” written by Sogyal Rinpoche.  Soygal Rinpoche was born in Tibet and educated by some of the greatest Buddhist masters of this century.  He travels the world giving a broad range of teachings based on his book “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying”, a book that has influenced my life greatly.  Even though I own the book “Glimpse After Glimpse”, I find getting my email reminder so much easier to follow on a daily basis.  I suppose my habit of turning to the computer first thing daily is stronger than my habit of reflecting on the nature of my mind.  I’ll bet I’m not alone. 

Below is a short teaching by Sogyal Rinpoche entitled
The Essence of Buddhism: The entire teaching of the Buddha can be summed up in just three lines. 

Click here to view the embedded video. If you would like to receive your “Glimpse of the Day”, email Glimpse of the Day at glimpse@rigpaus.org and for more information on Sogyal Rinpoche and Tibetan Buddhism, please visit Rigpa.org.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s appeal to Chinese people in the wake of Tibet unrest
Press Release[Friday, March 28, 2008 14:41]

An Appeal to the Chinese People from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Today, I extend heartfelt greetings to my Chinese brothers and sisters round the world, particularly to those in the People’s Republic of China. In the light of the recent developments in Tibet, I would like to share with you my thoughts concerning relations between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples, and to make a personal appeal to you all.

I am deeply saddened by the loss of life in the recent tragic events in Tibet. I am aware that some Chinese have also died. I feel for the victims and their families and pray for them. The recent unrest has clearly demonstrated the gravity of the situation in Tibet and the urgent need to seek a peaceful and mutually beneficial solution through dialogue. Even at this juncture I have expressed my willingness to the Chinese authorities to work together to bring about peace and stability.

Chinese brothers and sisters, I assure you I have no desire to seek Tibet’s separation. Nor do I have any wish to drive a wedge between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples. On the contrary my commitment has always been to find a genuine solution to the problem of Tibet that ensures the long-term interests of both Chinese and Tibetans. My primary concern, as I have repeated time and again, is to ensure the survival of the Tibetan people’s distinctive culture, language and identity. As a simple monk who strives to live his daily life according to Buddhist precepts, I assure you of the sincerity of my motivation.

I have appealed to the leadership of the PRC to clearly understand my position and work to resolve these problems by “seeking truth from facts.” I urge the Chinese leadership to exercise wisdom and to initiate a meaningful dialogue with the Tibetan people. I also appeal to them to make sincere efforts to contribute to the stability and harmony of the PRC and avoid creating rifts between the nationalities. The state media’s portrayal of the recent events in Tibet, using deceit and distorted images, could sow the seeds of racial tension with unpredictable long-­term consequences. This is of grave concern to me. Similarly, despite my repeated support for the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese authorities, with the intention of creating rift between the Chinese people and myself, assert that I am trying to sabotage the games. I am encouraged, however, that several Chinese intellectuals and scholars have also expressed their strong concern about the Chinese leadership’s actions and the potential for adverse long-term consequences, particularly on relations among different nationalities.

Since ancient times, Tibetan and Chinese peoples have lived as neighbors. In the two thousand year-old recorded history of our peoples, we have at times developed friendly relations, even entering into matrimonial alliances, while at other times we fought each other. However, since Buddhism flourished in China first before it arrived in Tibet from India, we Tibetans have historically accorded the Chinese people the respect and affection due to elder Dharma brothers and sisters. This is something well known to members of the Chinese community living outside China, some of whom have attended my Buddhist lectures, as well as pilgrims from mainland China, whom I have had the privilege to meet. I take heart from these meetings and feel they may contribute to a better understanding between our two peoples.

The twentieth century witnessed enormous changes in many parts of the world and Tibet, too, was caught up in this turbulence. Soon after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the People’s Liberation Army entered Tibet finally resulting in the 17-Point Agreement concluded between China and Tibet in May 1951. When I was in Beijing in 1954-55, attending the National People’s Congress, I had the opportunity to meet and develop a personal friendship with many senior leaders, including Chairman Mao himself. In fact, Chairman Mao gave me advice on numerous issues, as well as personal assurances with regard to the future of Tibet. Encouraged by these assurances, and inspired by the dedication of many of China’s revolutionary leaders of the time, I returned to Tibet full of confidence and optimism. Some Tibetan members of the Communist Party also had such a hope. After my return to Lhasa, I made every possible effort to seek genuine autonomy for Tibet within the family of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). I believed that this would best serve the long-term interests of both the Tibetan and Chinese peoples.

Unfortunately, tensions, which began to escalate in Tibet from around 1956, eventually led to the peaceful uprising of March 10, 1959, in Lhasa and my eventual escape into exile. Although many positive developments have taken place in Tibet under the PRC’s rule, these developments, as the previous Panchen Lama pointed out in January 1989, were overshadowed by immense suffering and extensive destruction. Tibetans were compelled to live in a state of constant fear, while the Chinese government remained suspicious of them. However, instead of cultivating enmity towards the Chinese leaders responsible for the ruthless suppression of the Tibetan people, I prayed for them to become friends, which I expressed in the following lines in a prayer I composed in 1960, a year after I arrived in India: “May they attain the wisdom eye discerning right and wrong, And may they abide in the glory of friendship and love.” Many Tibetans, school children among them, recite these lines in their daily prayers.

In 1974, following serious discussions with my Kashag (cabinet), as well as the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the then Assembly of the Tibetan People’s Deputies, we decided to find a Middle Way that would seek not to separate Tibet from China, but would facilitate the peaceful development of Tibet. Although we had no contact at the time with the PRC – which was in the midst of the Cultural Revolution – we had already recognized that sooner or later, we would have to resolve the question of Tibet through negotiations. We also acknowledged that, at least with regard to modernization and economic development, it would greatly benefit Tibet if it remained within the PRC. Although Tibet has a rich and ancient cultural heritage, it is materially undeveloped.

Situated on the roof of the world, Tibet is the source of many of Asia’s major rivers, therefore, protection of the environment on the Tibetan plateau is of supreme importance. Since our utmost concern is to safeguard Tibetan Buddhist culture – rooted as it is in the values of universal compassion – as well as the Tibetan language and the unique Tibetan identity, we have worked whole-heartedly towards achieving meaningful self-rule for all Tibetans. The PRC’s constitution provides the right for nationalities such as the Tibetans to do this.

In 1979, the then Chinese paramount leader, Deng Xiaoping assured my personal emissary that “except for the independence of Tibet, all other questions can be negotiated.” Since we had already formulated our approach to seeking a solution to the Tibetan issue within the constitution of the PRC, we found ourselves well placed to respond to this new opportunity. My representatives met many times with officials of the PRC. Since renewing our contacts in 2002, we have had six rounds of talks. However, on the fundamental issue, there has been no concrete result at all. Nevertheless, as I have declared many times, I remain firmly committed to the Middle Way approach and reiterate here my willingness to continue to pursue the process of dialogue.

This year the Chinese people are proudly and eagerly awaiting the opening of the Olympic Games. I have, from the start, supported Beijing’s being awarded the opportunity to host the Games. My position remains unchanged. China has the world’s largest population, a long history and an extremely rich civilization. Today, due to her impressive economic progress, she is emerging as a great power. This is certainly to be welcomed. But China also needs to earn the respect and esteem of the global community through the establishment of an open and harmonious society based on the principles of transparency, freedom, and the rule of law. For example, to this day victims of the Tiananmen Square tragedy that adversely affected the lives of so many Chinese citizens have received neither just redress nor any official response. Similarly, when thousands of ordinary Chinese in rural areas suffer injustice at the hands of exploitative and corrupt local officials, their legitimate complaints are either ignored or met with aggression. I express these concerns both as a fellow human being and as someone who is prepared to consider himself a member of the large family that is the People’s Republic of China. In this respect, I appreciate and support President Hu Jintao’s policy of creating a “harmonious society”, but this can only arise on the basis of mutual trust and an atmosphere of freedom, including freedom of speech and the rule of law. I strongly believe that if these values are embraced, many important problems relating to minority nationalities can be resolved, such as the issue of Tibet, as well as Eastern Turkistan, and Inner Mongolia, where the native people now constitute only 20% of a total population of 24 million.

I had hoped President Hu Jintao’s recent statement that the stability and safety of Tibet concerns the stability and safety of the country might herald the dawning of a new era for the resolution of the problem of Tibet. It is unfortunate that despite my sincere efforts not to separate Tibet from China, the leaders of the PRC continue to accuse me of being a “separatist”. Similarly, when Tibetans in Lhasa and many other areas spontaneously protested to express their deep-rooted resentment, the Chinese authorities immediately accused me of having orchestrated their demonstrations. I have called for a thorough investigation by a respected body to look into this allegation.

Chinese brothers and sisters – wherever you may be – with deep concern I appeal to you to help dispel the misunderstandings between our two communities. Moreover, I appeal to you to help us find a peaceful, lasting solution to the problem of Tibet through dialogue in the spirit of understanding and accommodation.

With my prayers,

Dalai Lama

March 28, 2008    Note: translated from the Tibetan original