Recently someone asked the Dalai Lama: “will meditation help to combat climate change?” He was silent for a moment. Then laughed and said: “certainly not! Next question, please!” I had expected something about spirituality, lifestyle and bottom up behavior change. So I was not happy with the answer. Afterwards I asked His secretary about this. He told me: “normally HH takes more time, but in this teaching there are too many people who think that meditation in itself will take away all their physical or mental problems. That is a wrong interpretation of spirituality. And He wanted to be clear. Normally He talks about spirituality as a means for change.”
“Spirituality is to be mindful of what is really meaningful in our life. Normally we worry about the future and about material things: the house we want to buy, our holiday etc. Real happiness only comes from seeking peace in ourselves, here and now. Being content with what we have. Wishing happiness for others, giving and sharing on a basis of equity.”
“These basic human values are needed to halt global warming and the waste of natural resources. The more people see spirituality this way, the closer we are to sustainable solutions. The more we practice mindfulness as individuals, the more our leaders have to pay attention to these values and take decisions accordingly. Satisfied?” He smiled. “I will check with HH”, he assured me, “and let you know.” This posting is the result.
No comments:
Post a Comment