His Holiness calls for new century of compassion
By SUSAN BAILEY
The Wood River Journal ~ Ketchum
Compassion was the word stamped on stretch plastic bracelets given out with every bottle of Trinity water, on the maroon and yellow banner behind speakers on stage and on the lips of everyone gathered Sunday, September 11, at Wood River High School football stadium.
The word was bigger than a mere mention. In fact, it was the start of something much larger than an address to nearly 10,000 people. In the one word, a mission was expressed for the future.
"I'm sorry to say in some respects the 20th century has been a century of hatred," said His Holiness the Dalai Lama. "This century should be the century of compassion, led by these people."
At the last words, His Holiness waved his arm to indicate his hosts and the crowd, who burst from their attentive silence into vigorous applause. His Holiness, brought by Ketchum resident Kiril Sokoloff and the Idaho Compassion Foundation, spoke for an hour after an introduction by Governor Dirk Kempthorne and a rousing call to arms by Sokoloff.
"Here in Idaho's mountains, the world is watching and listening to the message of hope and peace and compassion," said Kempthorne. "Kiril Sokoloff believes the balance can be tipped toward compassion and I believe what Kiril believes. I'm proud that Idaho can be the tipping place."
Although ABC and the "Today" show were covering New Orleans, portions of the "Message of Compassion and Healing" delivered by His Holiness the Dalai Lama were broadcast live by CNN during the afternoon Sunday. Twice Sunday evening, coverage continued on CNN with Larry King Live interviewing His Holiness in Sun Valley, juxtaposed with Pastor Joe Orsteen in Houston where 25,000 New Orleans evacuees fled. Certainly, the address had the media attention necessary for a tipping place.
On Sunday, Sokoloff followed Kempthorne to the microphone, explaining why he spent roughly $1 million himself to bring the Dalai Lama to Hailey.
"His Holiness the Dalai Lama has joined us to show us the tipping point toward local compassion," Sokoloff said. "We can begin a new world."
The minute Sokoloff asked the audience to raise their hands if they believed in compassion, arms shot into the air, many wearing compassion bracelets. He asked them to keep their arms high for a few moments as a symbolic gesture.
"We will send a message of compassion to our brothers in the Gulf states," said Sokoloff, a businessman with a second residence in Boca Raton, Fla. He continued to touch upon the theme of compassion in his introduction.
"It is true we are all interconnected," Sokoloff said. "The Dalai Lama is a messenger of compassion and you can be one, too. One person can make a difference. Join us in our work to spread compassion and please remember you were here when the energy tipped toward compassion. For the rest of your life, you can say, I was there when it happened."
His Holiness took up that torch.
"When my friend asked if you were compassionate, I saw everyone's hands go in the air," he said. "I think you have promised for the rest of your life to be more compassionate and I think that is wonderful."
Compassion, he said, leads to a calm mind.
"With a more calm mind, when you come across disturbances you won't be disturbed," His Holiness said. "Your calm mind will carry you through. You will be more happy, more healthy. This is the non-violence principle. You try to solve the problem within the atmosphere of friendship or compassion."
His Holiness said "internal compassion" was a precious thing, better than medicine for the person possessing it. Through having internal compassion, His Holiness said compassion would be spread by people.
"First, you change yourself," he said. "Compassion is developed through effort. Compassionate action becomes something like strong emotion. It dominates the mind."
While some people have been known to say one person cannot change the world, His Holiness argued the other way.
"If we really want to change a community, we change one individual," he said. "You cannot change whole societies but whole society change is possible through one individual."
His Holiness said compassion can be spread "just like ripples in a pond." He called for residents of the Gulf state to find a calm place, and live in hope.
"I want to tell these people, still we are on this planet," His Holiness said. "We can rebuild your homes and your communities. It is important not to lose hope. You are not alone. You have a lot of friends, including those on the state and federal level. Your future, it is almost like guaranteed."
Shortly after this, His Holiness talked of poverty in America, and the gap between rich and poor that he could see, particularly in the Gulf States as well as around the world.
"This gap not only is morally wrong but practically wrong," he said. "In America, the richest country in the world, there is terrible poverty. I have seen it even in your capitol of Washington. This gap is a source of trouble. There is anger toward the rich. We must reduce the gap. I find lately among the richest people more spirituality. People in those circles are really showing deeper human values and this is good. We are social animals and our future depends on community, on the kindness of others."