Love-all on Court as Dalai Lama Blesses Altruism
Published: Sunday, 10 June, 2007
Melbourne, Australia 10 June 2007 (The
Age / Gabriella Coslovich) - The vast basin of Rod Laver Arena usually
echoes with the thwack of racquet against ball, the genteel applause of the
crowd and the not-so-gentle outbursts of tennis super-brats.
Yesterday, centre court was filled with sounds of a markedly different kind:
the deep, resonant chanting of monks, the ritualistic ringing of bells and the
trademark chuckle of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.
About 4000 people filled the stadium to hear the Dalai Lama's teachings on his
final day in Melbourne. They arrived early, striding along Swan Street before
9am in brilliant sunshine and a bracing 6 degrees.
With its roof closed, centre court was transformed into a restful and richly
hued Buddhist temple. Scarlet drapes adorned with images of the Buddha and
deities formed the backdrop to a wide stage. On a high, central throne covered
in luxuriant brocades sat His Holiness; to the right of him, monks in their traditional
saffron robes, to the left, nuns.
It was a morning of teachings, blessings, initiation, the visualisation of
oneself as a deity and the recitation of mantras.
The Dalai Lama is adept at keeping things light, at cracking a joke when
proceedings are at risk of becoming too arcane, as he did after a long mantra,
telling the crowd: "Of course, these are Sanskrit words. I do not
understand what is the meaning."
And when the crowd chanted the syllable "dhi" 100 times on one
exhaling breath (to sharpen memory) he advised: "Of course, for people
with shortness of breath sometimes it's difficult, but eventually you get use,
so no problem."
He preached the importance of altruism and selflessness. Happiness, he said,
comes from caring about the welfare of others, and suffering from clinging to
self-centred attitudes. "We are selfish, but with the help of our
intelligence we can be wise-selfish instead of foolish-selfish."
The Dalai Lama's preliminary prayers, conducted in Tibetan, were especially for
the 250 Australian-Tibetans who had come to see him. For Tibetan-born Kesang
Wangmo it was a day of "heaven on earth".
She had risen at 5am to help cook the sweet sticky rice that her community gave
as an offering during the prayers for long life, passing plates of it through
the crowd.
Kesang was a newborn when her family fled Tibet in 1959, seeking refuge in
India.
She migrated to Australia 18 years ago and last year travelled to India with
her family to see the Dalai Lama speak, but the huge crowds had precluded close
interaction.
"In India, I never had the opportunity to see it so clearly," she
said. "We Tibetans are so fortunate … This magic will remain with me
forever."
One man, Nanjune, had flown from Tibet.
He received a blessing from the Dalai Lama and a white sash symbolising good
fortune.
