Dave Matthews and the Dalai Lama

 

Last week in Seattle,  a Seeds of Compassion event took place and it focused on youth and educators and trying to raise awareness of each other and helping to foster compassion in our community and around the world.  There were many seminars and panels and a youth rally throughout the week, and many of those events featured the Dalai Lama.  As a fundraiser to the week long event, Dave Matthews held a concert that Leif and I went to on Friday night.  It was incredible. 

Before he played though, he had an interview with the Dalai Lama.  It started a bit strange and stiff, and you could definitely see that Dave Matthews was very nervous - which he candidly confessed later during his concert.  It was Dave, the Dalai Lama and Ann Curry (who I really admire for her style, but can't stand her interviewing skills!)  So it was a bit awkward.  But the messages of the Dalai Lama were clear  and inspiring:   He spoke about making your enemies your friends - and to hear him speak so kindly and gently about his enemies in China and all the turmoil that has evolved was very humbling to hear.  He also spoke about females being the source of compassion and how it stems from a mother nursing her newborn baby.  He suggested that with more female leaders in the world, perhaps this compassion would be more widespread  (which I gladly took as a political stand - but I'm pretty sure he stays out of such things :-) ).

It really was a great night of inspiring philosophy and poignant music.  And I hope the week long event resulted in changed hearts and minds.