"RAYS OF HOPE"  #44 September 25, 2005 from Ray and Lyn Rae Madaghiele Thoughts to ponder, uplift, and inspire . . .
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, appeared in Tucson, Arizona, on September 19, 2005, for a series of meetings to bring his very timely and vital message of peace.  It was an honor and blessing for both Ray and me to be in his Presence and to hear his words of hope and how we can create peace in a violent world.  I would like to share a few notes from his presentation that I am using to enrich my life and become even more committed to peaceful ways.   Blessings on your journey, Lyn   The Dalai Lama’s Visit- September 19, 2005   Two major ideas to focus on which will promote long-term peace:
1. Human values – no matter what our race, color, creed, sex is, we can talk to resolve our differences,   remembering always that we are all human 2. Harmony of religions – no matter what our traditions are, we must value those different traditions     because we need variety to accommodate the great variety of people on this planet Creating peace in a violent world:   Rebuild after tragic events         Look to the future      Keep hope alive, knowing that people in the community will help      Become active – help create the new!   Inner disarmament         Wars and violence come out of hatred and anger (negative emotions)       Cultivate a basic mental state of calm – like a healthy immune system in the body, a calm mental state will seek out and eliminate anything that disturbs the balance       Look at events from a broader perspective       Develop a compassionate attitude and appreciate its benefits       Inner strength and self-confidence       Less fear       Physical health       Happier – brings more friends       Respect       More warm-heartedness       If it is necessary to be aggressive in your dialogue, do it with reason, not emotion       An open heart allows us to judge right from wrong       Anger blinds us, and the energy that comes from it is blind energy.   (Dalai Lama’s examples:          If you bump your head on the car as you are repairing it and become angry with the car, you might hit the car but it only hurts you.  Also, if you have a watch that is not working and are angry with it, if you smash it, you have destroyed it and hurt yourself in the process because it is no longer available for you to use and enjoy.)       Anger harms yourself – if you are angry with your neighbor, you eventually retreat into your  own house and isolate yourself; this can even make your neighbor (opponent) happy!  Outer disarmament         Reduction of nuclear weapons  (think long-range, long-term)       Resolve problems with dialogue and peace, not violence and force       Think of the whole world as part of us   For more information about the Dalai Lama, visit www.tibet.com/DL   Many blessings on your life’s journey,   Ray & Lyn Madaghiele