I’m hesitant, but…

here it is, just the same: my first journal entry. I notice that the journals that I like most on here aren’t the daily personal variety. People don’t interest me; ideas interest me. How about ideas, sharing information, things that you think are really important for other people to read? Now that sounds like something that wouldn’t be a waste of my time (in comparison to telling y’all what time I dragged myself out of bed and what I had for breakfast today and complain about the weather.)

The woman who spoke at my college graduation was this crazy lady who was actually borderline offensive on a couple occasions. But she got one thing right. She said, “You hear about young people these days taking time off after school, travelling around Europe, taking time off to ‘find themselves.’ Well, forget about trying to ‘find yourself’- it’s a bunch of self-involved nonsense. Instead, try your hardest to find something that you can truly lose yourself in, and you’ll be doing just fine.” You dig?

The most recent book I’ve finished is the autobiography of the Dalai Lama, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. The political implications of the plight of Tibet over the last fifty-odd years is staggering enough, but the ideals by which this genuinely altruistic man lives is awe-inspiring, particularly in light of the challenges he has faced in leading the Tibetan Goverment in Exile. I’m not just being a sap, either. Just read the book, and you’ll see what I mean. The following excerpt is from the last chapter of his autobiography and seems to particularly encapsulate his most basic beliefs.

“I believe that…suffering is caused by ignorance, and that people inflict pain on others in pursuit of their own happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through cultivation of altruism, of love, of compassion, and through the elimination of anger, selfishness and greed.

To some people this may sound naive, but I would remind them that, no matter what part of the world we come from, fundamentally we are all the same human beings. We all seek happiness and try to avoid suffering. We have the same basic needs and concerns. Furthermore, all of us human beings want freedom and the right to determine our own destiny as individuals. That is human nature. The great changes taking place everywhere in the world, from Eastern Europe to Africa, are a clear indication of this.

At the same time, the problems we face today – violent conflicts, destruction of nature, poverty, hunger, and so on – are mainly problems created by humans. They can be resolved – but only through human effort, understanding and the development of a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. To do this, we need to cultivate a sense of universal responsibility for one another and for the planet we share, based on a good heart and awareness.”

~ From “Universal Responsibility and the Good Heart”, Freedom in Exile; the autobiography of the Dalai Lama.

I wonder that this man and his advice is not heeded and revered much more than it currently is on global and individual levels. Who else out there (among my vast readership) has read his work? Anyone out there care to? I’m hoping for a genuine, positive exchange of ideas, so please post any comments you think could be relevant and useful.