University of Oregon Hosts the Dalai Lama

Nine years ago, The Sakya Center for Wisdom and Compassion first opened their doors to the Eugene community and their main goal was to bring His Holiness to their Buddhist center. It took nearly a decade to get His Holiness to Eugene, but on May 10, 2013, he finally made it.

Upon his arrival, he was awarded University of Oregon’s 2013 Presidential Medal and talked to an auditorium of more than 11,000 of his “brothers and sisters” about “The Path to Peace and Happiness in the Global Society.”

The event opened with a documentary titled “Building an Enlightened Community” in which a video was shown of a woman, Lady Jangchup Palmo, and was about her journey fleeing from Tibet and how she became a highly accomplished Buddhist practitioner.

Lady Palmo has written numerous letters to His Holiness’s representatives at the Office of Tibet every month. Since doing so, she was able to meet His Holiness several times and talk to him about the Sakya Center. Without this woman’s efforts, the Dalai Lama would not have traveled to Eugene.

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, speaks to crowd during a luncheon at the University of Oregon’s Matthew Knight Arena, in Eugene, Ore., May 10. Members of the Oregon National Guard’s 102 Civil Support Team worked with law enforcement to help secure the event and ensure public safety. (Photo by Staff Sgt. April Davis, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)

After the documentary, the Dalai Lama was introduced by U of O’s President Michael Gottfredson. His Holiness then began speaking, mostly of his childhood growing up in Tibet and about the importance of family.

“My mother used to carry me on her shoulders, even when she was working in the field. I would hold my mother’s two ears and if I wanted to go left, I would move her head that way. If I wanted to go right, I would move her head that way,” laughed His Holiness. “If my mother didn’t follow my instruction, then I would shout!”

 

The Dalai Lama had very insightful things to say.  His Holiness believes that there will be a female Lama one of these days and that she will do great things for humanity. He believes that women have more compassion than men and would more likely be able to make the world a happier, peaceful, non-violent place to live.

 But, in order for this planet to achieve any of that, parents must teach their children right from wrong. According to His Holiness, it’s the parents that have the ability to teach the children of the 21st Century as they’re the future. He added that a child that isn’t loved is more likely to be hateful and will try to destroy the world.
  
“Please provide maximum affection towards your children and spend more time with your children. That’s very important,” insisted the Dalai Lama.

He believes that any child, aged 30 and younger, are what this world needs. He is certain that today’s youth are going to be the ones to turn this world around and make it what it was designed for; a home. A home that anyone, and everyone, is welcome to live on. A home where no one has to worry about violence. A home where people are happy to live. He believes that the way for the 21st Century youth to do so, is to have more compassion and talk to each other, rather than fighting about it.

“The 21st Century must be a century of dialogue. It is important that we talk about controversial topics and listen to one another. It is also essential to recognize that some people may have different perspectives than we do based on their life experiences,” said Mark Urista, LBCC Communications instructor. Peace and prosperity requires each of us to discuss the problems we face with empathy, compassion, and sound reasoning.”

At the end of his speech, His Holiness sat down in a very comfortable looking chair, which was donated for this event by La-Z-Boy, and answered the questions that followed.

On a side note, as people were leaving the Autzen Stadium, as people that drove had to park there and take a shuttle to the Matthew Knight Arena, everyone seemed to have forgotten where we just came from. Instead of being full of happiness, peace, and being polite and courtesy towards other, they were full of annoyance and hate because traffic was bad.

Remember people, think like the Dalai Lama and embrace the worst of things and make the best out of every situation.