Lots will be going on in Seattle with the Dalai Lama's trip here through next Tuesday.... The question of whether or not kids should get out of school and not have to make it up for this "non political, non religious" event is interesting....do we do that for every group that comes into town? Or that is already here?
As far as preaching from the 501c3 pulpit....I don't really care what people choose to preach or listen to from the pulpit, as long as it isn't sedition or treason....as long as they stay in the confines of their Tax or NON Tax agreement with the government. IF they decide to preach politics like so many of the Black and other churches have, THEN they should lose their Tax Free Status. They can pay taxes on all their buildings, all their property, and then preach anything they please with the exceptions I just noted. IF they want to stay tax free, they should adhear to the Federal Guidelines set forth for the 501c3's, or lose their taxexempt status.
I think of Bill Clinton and Al Gore immediately when the Dalai Lama says this......."If a person has a lot of anger, a lot of hatred and jealousy, this is considered something normal. Therefore, we don't pay much attention," he said. But we need to pay attention. Fostering a society with a healthy mind is of paramount importance."
Re the Dalai Lama: Looks like we want to avoid going into Seattle for several days....
Seeds of Compassion – Group bringing Dalai Lama to town
Sponsors … seedsofcompassion.org
Event Locations….good map of the area and location of towns around Seattle....
maps.google.com
The Dalai Lama at the UW's Hec Edmundson Pavilion
Friday, April 11, 2008
seattletimes.nwsource.com
Seattle Times staff
Edmundson Pavilion was humming with excitement this morning as the Dalai Lama began a five-day visit here on the subject of compassion. Seattle Times reporters are posting dispatches throughout the day.
Researchers talk of children's sense of right or wrong
9:52 a.m.: Andrew N. Meltzoff of the UW is talking about kids' innate senses of right and wrong, and of compassion. Children will lie sometimes, he says, but not maliciously. If you're hurt, a three-year-old will come and help you, he said. "That means something."
Meltzoff also speaks of some of the studies he and his team have done with babies over the last few years.
In one study, Meltzoff asked researchers to perform easily-imitable actions — sticking out their tongues, wiggling fingers — to see if the infants copied them. They did. That research taught Meltzoff something about "the origins of human nature, about what people are like at birth," he said.
"This research showed that babies can connect to others. They even knew something about the similarity with themselves and others," he said. In other words, social interaction at a very young age dictates how a baby's brain will develop.
Before that, a documentary about the importance of fostering empathy and compassion in children plays on three large screens above the stage. The video provides an interesting analysis of how the development of young children — how kids learn to problem-solve, how they learn to hug and imitate their elders — is essentially laying the groundwork for how functional they'll be as adults.
9:20 a.m.: The Dalai Lama is introduced. He wears a deep, royal red robe with a yellow sash underneath. He spoke for about five minutes, introducing the ideas behind the workshop.
Here are some of his words:
"Life can become meaningful. For that, one important part is healthy body, healthy mind. So I think obviously, health care... And also for that, millions of dollars to spend. But health of mind? Important."
"If a person has a lot of anger, a lot of hatred and jealousy, this is considered something normal. Therefore, we don't pay much attention," he said. But we need to pay attention. Fostering a society with a healthy mind is of paramount importance."
"No one want problem, but problem happen due to our wrong views and wrong action. Now it is very, very important to get right view, right vision. In the next few days, we are discussing about these things... some little contribution from my side, but my knowledge is limited... [this weekend] is a learning opportunity for all of us." — Haley Edwards
Dalai Lama crowds gather at Hec Ed
9:15 a.m. — It's not the kind of excitement you might feel at a basketball game in this same space, but calmer, more patient:
Two young monks in their bright saffron robes perch on purple Huskies seat pads.
Camlynn Schuman and Jared Kink, both teachers at Henry M. Jackson High School in Mill Creek, have front-and-center seats. They're playing hooky from school today to see a global leader they both have taught their students about in the past.
"Kids come into class and they've heard about what's going on with the Olympics and Tibet. They want to know, who's this Dalai Lama guy?" said Kink. "If I'm going to teach about him, it's neat to be able to experience him firsthand."
The events have been organized by Bellevue-based Seeds of Compassion, which is dedicated to nurturing compassion, especially in children.
On his first visit to Seattle 30 years ago, the Dalai Lama drew a couple thousand people and on his second, more than 10,000.
This week, crowds totaling more than 153,000 were expected at the various events, which will examine numerous aspects of compassion: why it's important, what science says about its roots, what children and adults can do to develop it and what specific steps society can take to nurture it.
The Dalai Lama's popularity here and around the world reflects his rise during the past half-century from a relatively obscure spiritual and political leader to a prominent global figure. His visit comes against the backdrop of recent protests against Chinese rule over Tibet.
The Dalai Lamai, who leads the movement to preserve Tibetan culture and push for greater autonomy, has condemned violence on both sides.
While Seeds of Compassion organizers have been intent on keeping politics out of his tour here, his anticipated presence has brought out strong feelings in the local community. Today's scheduled events, though, are all about the science of compassion, with psychologists, neuroscientists and other experts to speak at today's opening event about their research and how people can use that knowledge.
They will share their insights with the Dalai Lama, who has an abiding interest in the subject.
"We're not talking about compassion as some nebulous concept," said Ron Rabin, executive director of the Bellevue-based Kirlin Charitable Foundation, which focuses on early-childhood development. Seeds is an initiative of the Kirlin Foundation. "We want sustainable, actionable, measurable results." — Haley Edwards
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