A rare and special encounter with the Dalai Lama

I had the privilege of meeting His Holiness the Dali Lama on a beautiful spring Saturday in September of 1996. We travelled to Auckland for the event. Reports from the public venue were of huge crowds gathering and traffic jams making it impossible to get there. We were worried we would be late because of how popular it was!

A light plane in the air was pulling a message drogue across the skies of Auckland saying, ‘Welcome H. H. Dalai Lama Ellerslie 10am’.

The New Zealand prime minister at the time, David Lange, arrived. Lange brought the political reality of nuclear-free existence into the world. His Holiness noted this at their first meeting in 1992, three years after both had been nominated in the same year for the Nobel Peace Prize.

As Lange finished, His Holiness stood and invited him to remain on stage in the seat right next to his, intended for His Holiness’s translator. His Holiness seemed to address comments to Lange several times while he spoke and watched over him as a mindful host.

So, when Lange reached for a glass of water, only to find the glass empty, it was perfectly natural for His Holiness to notice and simply stop his talk to the 14,000 people to pour water for Lange from his own jug. It was such a simple gesture, but so special.

The crowd truly appreciated it, even when His Holiness laughingly said he had forgotten the point of what he had been saying before he stopped to offer the water. Then, the unthinkable happened.

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His Holiness stopped speaking and walked off the stage into the stunned crowd, his eyes firmly fixed in my direction. He had singled me out! Slowly and gently he moved towards me, ever smiling. I was surrounded by his holy entourage.

Patiently, he made his way toward me, stopping occasionally. Then, standing right in front of my chair, he bent forward, placed his hands on my left stump and offered his prayer. I had no idea what he said. What I do know is that an absolute calmness and tranquillity came over me. It was a feeling that I had never experienced in my life.

I firmly believe that because of that spontaneous meeting on that beautiful day, I’ve had no ‘phantom pain’ in my left stump since! Phantom pain is a pain that feels like it’s coming from a body part that’s no longer there.

This was and still is one of the moving experiences of my life; something I will never forget. I pray that if I can take one moment in time and repeat it somehow, this would be it.

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What the Dalai Lama taught me that day was tolerance. The practice of which I have not been a great exponent of over the past years. However, in the past months, as a result of events that have incurred and upon reading more of the Teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, I have learned tolerance. I am learning to adopt these teachings and at last finding some peace.

Here are some of the key teachings.

1. Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.
2. Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.
3. If you can, help others; if you cannot do that, at least do not harm them.
4. When you are discontent, you always want more, more, more. Your desire can never be satisfied. But when you practise contentment, you can say to yourself, ‘Oh, yes – I already have everything that I really need’.
5. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.
6. The very purpose of our life is to seek happiness.
7. Happiness doesn’t always come from a pursuit. Sometimes it comes when we least expect it.

I try to live by these teachings the best I can, but, we are all human! That’s a pretty feeble excuse I guess. There have been many times throughout my life when I’ve sat and wondered, what if things were different? Well, they’re not. There are many wonderful memories that keep me going. That beautiful spring Saturday in 1996 was one of them.