Dalai Lama Day was amazing AMAZING and beautiful. The morning was cloudy/overcast when we left at around 5:30am to drive to Cedar Falls, IA and as happened when I saw him speak in Japan, by the time we were in his general vicinity the weather cleared and it was beautiful. I rode up with my new friends Jenny, Faith, and Theresa and we had some really great conversation about sacred geometry and African art, astrology, moving beyond the role of the victim in racism, the practice of some form of spirituality being more important than adhering to one specific religion, Jenny's growing up in Waterloo (practically a twin city of Cedar Falls), the power and lasting benefit of meditation, and much more. By the time we got to Waterloo we were incredibly tuned in and energized and we could feel the goodness permeating the town as we lined up to get into the stadium.
The Dalai Lama was speaking with four other panel members who were each participating in some degree of social reform in Iowa. There were none of the musical/ceremonial processions that introduced His Holiness in Japan, but it seemed a little more to-the-point in a place like the midwest. There was some nice music playing over the speakers as everyone was being seated.
His Holiness (H.H.) said that in our educations we should have moral education. It should not be a religious moral education only, because some people do not follow a religion and lead a secular life-style and they can also benefit from a moral education. He also said that we are PEOPLE first, and that second comes race, gender, religion, sexuality, nationality, etc.
One of the panel members was highly involved in quelling domestic abuse. He said that in Iowa they have formed a group of men who are against domestic abuse and violence against women and they work as a group to put positive peer pressure on the community to make domestic abuse and violence against women in effect... uncool. What a concept!!
Afterwards, I got some wonderful prayer flags for the farmhouse. Then, we went to a delicious Chinese restaurant that reminded me of the one I visited with my family in Toronto a few years ago. So good!! We stopped in Waterloo so Jenny could visit her parents for a few minutes and then we drove back, with more conversations about sacred geometry and permaculture, organic farming and our future plans for gourmet compost on Cypress Villages. (Which I carried out with Faith and Nick the next day.)
Gratitude. Love.
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