May 25, 2016
As many of you are already aware, Eve Ekman and I just recently released the Atlas of Emotions, a visual exploration of the human range of emotions. It was the Dalai Lama who asked me to make a map of emotions so people could navigate to a calm state of mind. This led me to think about my relationship with the Dalai Lama, a deep friendship that has been built over a roughly twenty-year period. I thought it would be interesting to share my thoughts on why I don’t call the Dalai Lama “Your Holiness”.
That is how the pope, whose statements are not to be questioned for they come to him from God, is addressed. By contrast, the Dalai Lama is eager to modify his beliefs to accommodate scientific findings. He is an explorer of ideas, flexible not dogmatic. (I should also note that I don’t regard anyone as holy.)
The Dalai Lama is extraordinary in many ways:
The Dalai Lama is a Mozart of the mind, showing what we can aspire towards. It would be just as foolish for us to believe that through practice we can reach his level, as to believe music lessons would allow us to become the equal of Mozart. But we can all improve; the Dalai Lama not only illuminates the goal but a path to move towards it.
Since I cannot call the Dalai Lama, “Your Holiness”, what do I say? I call him “my dear friend”. What a privilege it is to be able to use those words when addressing this most extraordinary man.
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