In The Neighborhood Of The Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama opened Britain’s first Buddhist Community Center June 29, 2015, in the town of Aldershot, southwest of London.

He offered prayers for victims of the recent Nepalese earthquake in a British army town housing many families of serving and former Nepalese Gurkhas.

Tickets for a talk the Dalai Lama was due to give after the opening, in a football stadium next door, had nearly sold out within minutes of going live.  There was standing room only on the terraces left for last minute buyers.

The stadium routinely holds around 4,000 people for its Aldershot Football Club games. But the public areas were packed with a good 6,000 of Nepalese, Tibetan and non-Asian visitors, quietly assembled and waiting expectantly for Tibet’s spiritual leader. He now lives with his government - in - exile in Dharamshala, northern India.

Major (Retired) Damar Ghale, spokesman for the Aldershot Buddhist Community Centre UK that organised both events, said,

‘There is a large Nepalese community in Aldershot and they share the Tibetan and Himalayan people’s reverence for His Holiness the Dalai Lama.’

According to a 2011 census, Aldershot has been identified as having the largest number of Buddhists living in one borough, or district, in the UK.

The town’s mayor, along with representatives of different faiths, sat on stage.

Security was tight, with media vetted and backgrounds checked before any accreditations were granted. There was a ring of steel at all times around the Dalai Lama. Close protection has been a constant necessity in his life, given the sensitivities around him since he left his palace in Tibet in 1959 after a Chinese takeover of the territory.

That given, the Dalai Lama was relaxed and in jovial mood, as he generally is. His words were translated as he spoke, in chunks.

His youngest brother, Tendzin Choegyal, more respectfully referred to as Ngari Rinpoche, was present too. He rode with the Dalai Lama in his car or sat discreetly near but away from centre stage, benignly watching over proceedings. The Dalai Lama is reportedly very fond of his youngest brother and likes to have him accompany him on foreign trips. In contrast to the Dalai Lama’s deep maroon robes, his youngest sibling wears western outfits. On this occasion Ngari Rinpoche sported a dark suit and orange tie, but he normally adopts a cool casual look, for example, with a crisp shirt and smart trousers.

The Tibetan party watched as community proceedings kicked off with a Buddhist monk dance, performed with full costumes and masks. There was traditional singing and prayers.

The sights and sounds of Dharamshala and Nepal could be glimpsed and heard for a very short while inside the stadium and it was easy to forget that the location was a town in the English countryside.

The above would have held true except for the fact that the peaceful proceedings were disrupted by loud chants and drumming from outside the stadium. A Buddhist sect that protests many of the Dalai Lama’s international appearances was making lots of noise, raising slogans and banging drums. There was a counter-protest by Dalai Lama supporters, but it did not have the same fire power - Tibetans tending to be relatively mild-mannered, by and large.

The loud protests kept up the whole time, but the stadium audience listened hard and focused on the personality that they had come to see. They had their eyes trained on him, intent on hearing what he had to say. At one point, 6,000 people - the entire stadium- sang ‘Happy Birthday,’ in celebration of the Dalai Lama’s 80^th anniversary.

The Dalai Lama has a choice of ignoring the protestors, reacting, or embracing them- and he tends to embrace, making jovial comments about them, often at his own expense. But he did have to speak loudly- even with a good microphone- so that his voice could be heard above the background disturbance.

His Holiness spoke about the need for compassion, about the danger of anger, and of fear. He said,

'We all have a desire to have a happy life. We all have the right to achieve that desire… Many people seek happiness, joyfulness, from outside. I feel it is a little bit neglected, about our inner value. Actually, inner value is ultimately the source of happiness, of a happy life, including a healthy body. According to scientists; constant fear, anger, hatred, [are] actually eating away at our inner system. So now it has become quite clear that in order to have a healthy body we need to have a healthy mind. That means a calm mind.'

The Dalai Lama at the end of proceedings at Aldershot Town Football Club Stadium June 29, 2015.... [+] (Photo: Vera Bardo, working with Rani Singh).

Though the Dalai Lama remains calm and joyful, there was a slight tension in the air that is not apparent in his home in exile, Dharamshala.

There, maroon - robed monks and nuns stroll freely through streets, and the atmosphere is peaceful. Tibetan culture is everywhere; in the shops, the restaurants, and the way people dress, even though Dharamshala is an Indian hill station. On the winding streets, Tibetan is more commonly heard than Hindi, India’s national language. There are museums to Tibetan history, performing arts schools, and places to learn traditional handicrafts.

The 14^th Dalai Lama regularly presides over prayers in the temple that forms part of his residential complex. It sits next door to the entrance to his offices and residence. There are no protestors here. Instead, old Tibetans with weathered faces sit turning their prayer wheels in the shade, amiably chatting to one another. Many have them are here because they want to be near their spiritual leader.

Sure, in the Dalai Lama’s residential complex his Tibetan security guards are so thorough that the female ones will even try out lipsticks and test perfume sprays for signs of sinister ingredients during the airport - style security checks. Visitors understand and appreciate the need for extreme caution.

But once through the gates, there is an air of extreme calm and peace in the reception rooms and gardens.

The Chinese refer to the Dalai Lama as a 'Separatist' or a 'splittist.' He says publicly that he does not seek to split his native territory from China, rather he advocates the 'Middle Way.'

Peaceful, strong leaders will always have their detractors.

Meanwhile, every soul on the planet who gets to 80 is entitled to have a celebratory 'Happy Birthday' sung to them.

In this case, if it is in Tibetan, perhaps it sounds extra sweet.