The Dalai Lama (24 May 2008)

The Dalai Lama made a visit to Nottingham and it was a privilege to be one of 8,000 or so at the Ice Stadium to listen to him for a day.
He is a wonderful old man with enormous charisma, an engaging giggle, and it would be cruel to say that he just speaks platitudes. I feel better for having seen him, I have thought a lot about what he said but I don’t think he will solve any world or personal problems. If we all could adopt his calm, caring attitude then we could relax and enjoy the world. When asked about the divisive and violent nature of some religions today, he declared it to be lunch time, and never attempted to answer that question. He acknowledges that he does not have a partner and so does not have to face all those possible problems. Indeed as I understood it, Buddhism requires that you should not be attached to anybody or anything (apart from basic biological attachment, mother/child etc) - but be caring, compassionate and to seek in yourself and others a genuine pleasure with life. His way of combating a fear of death is to lead a full life.
He spoke naturally and easily, mostly in English but when he wanted to be very specific he would use a translator - someone who seemed to have a calmness and serenity that matched the Dalai himself. He certainly was not pretentious in any way, does not pretend to be an expert, does not take himself seriously and talks to a large audience the way he would talk to one person.
It was great to be in his presence for the day although afterwards I went back to reading Richard Dawkins ‘The God Delusion’.