Aloha Blossoming - Big Island Love, The Dalai Lama on Ethics

 

 

Voices from the Big Island

 

 

by Jimmy Toyama

 

We were blessed to have His Holiness The Dalai Lama visit Hawai`i in April to give several talks and converse with leaders from various sectors of Hawai`i. His visit was at the invitation from the Omidyar Foundation to not only deliver talks but to also help kickoff the start of a new initiative “Pillars of Peace Hawai`i:  Building Peace on a Foundation of Aloha”. 

 

On Saturday April 14th the Dalai Lama spoke to High School and College students on “Educating the Heart” and Sunday he spoke to adults on “Advancing Peace Thru the Power of Aloha”.

 

Though the theme of His Holiness’ talk focused on Aloha, it was in my view, a reflection of a larger theme that embraces his search for spirituality and an ethic that’s beyond religion. For us living in Hawai`i, the ideas and practices inherent in Aloha encompasses and unifies our diversity while respecting the uniqueness of the myriad differences coexisting within the spaces and time we share together.  In this way, Aloha is a microcosm of the universal possibilities the Dalai Lama seeks for the world.  Of this hope for the world, His Holiness has expressed his vision bravely and powerfully in his latest book “Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World.”

 

As an exile from Tibet, His Holiness has lived from a very young age outside his homeland for many years, mostly in India.  He has travelled the world, seen and experienced many things and changes over time, met people from all walks and strata of life, engaged in spiritual and intellectual conversations with highly evolved people and had much time for deep reflection about the state of this world, our humanity, prospects for peace, and our survival. 

 

Despite seeing positive developments over time in his travels and wanderings, the Dalai Lama says that there is still great human suffering.  In undeveloped countries he sees people whose basic needs are not met;p lives mired in armed conflict, inequality, corruption and injustice. In richer countries he sees many difficulties, including widespread social problems: alcohol, drug abuse, domestic violence, family breakdown. 

 

Regarding the human condition, the Dalai Lama says that “it is clear that something is seriously lacking in the way we are going about things. But what is this lack? The fundamental problem, I believe, is that at every level we are giving too much attention to the external, material aspects of life while neglecting moral values and inner ethics”.  The Inner values His Holiness speaks of here are the qualities that we all appreciate in others and toward which we have a natural instinct that can survive and thrive only in an environment of concern, affection, and warm heartedness - or, compassion in a word.  His Holiness says that “the essence of compassion is a desire to alleviate the suffering of others and to promote their well-being. This he says is the spiritual principle from which all other positive inner values emerge but, we ignore this inner life at our own peril as many of the great problems we face in the world today are the result of that neglect. 

 

Science, the Dalai Lama says, has not yet provided scientific grounding for the development for the foundations of basic human values that we appreciate in others and would do well to promote in ourselves.  And, in our secular world today, religion is no longer adequate as a basis for ethics.  One reason is that many people in the world no longer follow any particular religion.  Another reason is that as people of the world have become more closely interconnected in an age of globalization and multicultural societies ethics based on one religion would only appeal to some of us, it would not be meaningful for all.  So what do we do?

 

The Dalai Lama’s response for the 21st Century is that we need an approach to ethics which makes no recourse to religion and can be equally acceptable to those with faith and those without; in short, a secular ethics that’s grounded in qualities inherent in our nature and which we all experience in common in our lives. We are all by nature oriented toward the basic human values of love and compassion. We all prefer others’ generosity to their meanness, to their tolerance, respect and forgiveness rather than bigotry, disrespect, and resentment. Achieving a planetary ethic would help to put humanity on a solid footing to help foster in earth’s human diversity:  empathy, compassion, goodwill and peace. 

 

While His Holiness has put together a framework for a planetary ethic, it is still, as he sees it, a work in progress. He is, however, unequivocal about the fact that the foundation of a planetary ethic will rest on how we, individually, come to understand the importance of inner values as the source of an ethically harmonious world and individual peace of mind, confidence, and happiness.  A key part of the strategy to bring about this awareness is the education of future generations and by dedicating one day to be with Hawai`i High “School and College students on “Educating the Heart” is an example of the Dalai Lama’s commitment to that strategy. 

 

Grailheart’s Comment:  In my vision to expand respect, I have chosen to publish this article using “honoring” title such as His Holiness. It is my belief that change can happen by respecting another’s viewpoint of what is sacred, although perhaps not our own. In this ethical way, we turn humanity around to see each in greater light. 

 

Mahalo Nui Loa (thank you very much)

 

Grailheart Magi