Seeds of Compassion

I had the privilege of seeing the Dalai Lama and a panel of other distinguished guests.

The most interesting aspect of today's talks was the equal weight carried by each member of the panel:

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Episcopal Archbishop of South Africa,
Dr. Rob Bell, Mars Hill Bible Church, Grandville, Michigan,
Sister Joan Chittister, Benedictine Catholic nun,
Jasmit Singh Kochar, a Sikh representative,
Dr. Ingrid Mattson, President of the Islamic Society of North America,
Rabbi David Rosen, Chairman of the International Jewish Committee on Inter religious Consultations,
Pravrajika Vrajaprana, a Vendanta nun,
Moderator: Roshi Joan Halifax, Zen Buddhist Master.

While the Daila Lama and Desmond Tutu were the perceived powerhouses of the discussion, I was extraordinarily impressed with Sister Jaon Chittister and Rabbi David Rosen. While the Daila Lama and Archbishop Tutu gave reflective, humorous, insightful and introspective reflection to the questions, Sister Joan and Rabbi Rosen communicated their thoughts in a very structured, thought-out and firm manner. The differences in their discourse may have been a result of the audience's perception of Tutu and the Dalai Lama as men of higher authority and their celebrity status. However, every panel member gave astounding answers.

What I took away were the Dalai's comments on religion. I have to paraphrase until I can get transcripts of the discussion today:

"I think all religions mean [the] same thing. (Points to Archbishop Tutu) You wear outfit, I wear robes, does not matter. Essence is still the same. I truly believe this."

I was raised Methodist but became an atheist during my time abroad at International School in the Netherlands. My mother, who was a devout Christian all her life, went through a similar transformation around that time. We shared our experience with each other and came to the same conclusion - even though we did not believe in a Divine Creator, we felt that the message of Christianity, and all religion, was to establish community and spread a message of love and compassion.

Being a part of Tuesday's panel at the University of Washington and seeing this idea reflected in a stadium full of people, re-iterated by the spiritual leaders who dedicated their time and love to these events, re-affirms my faith in humanity in such an incredible way.

It is difficult to express how a Sikh, a Rabbi, an Archbishop, a priest, a Catholic nun, a female follower of Islam, and a Vendata nun can successfully encapsulate one message under the arches of their individual philosophies.

Please see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXmdKWVirUA for an introductory course, led by the Dalai Lama, on the Four Noble Truths.