The Dalai Lama is the rock star of enlightenment, filling stadiums as easily as Bruce Springsteen. He got some of the rock star treatment today at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark where he headlines the Newark Peace Education Summit, and security was so tight that anyone with a big camera had to be there by 6 a.m. But the 75-year-old leader of Tibetan Buddhism was only one of three Nobel Laureates sharing the stage in Prudential Hall this morning, and the Dalai Lama wore his superstar status humbly — praising both a 17-year-old Newark school boy and a former death row inmate for their remarks on the Inner Peace panel.
His Holiness didn’t speak long during the morning session, and he said the kind of things you might expect: Don’t react from anger or fear. Compassion is my daily practice. Trust brings friendship, friend brings happy moments and a happy life. When your mental state is calm you can investigate. And he told a charming story about freaking out a young woman in Germany because of his smile. Her reaction seemed to say “Why is this strange person smiling at me?” He also said — in response to fellow Nobel Laureate Jody Williams, who spoke critically of the U.S. government — that he thought the United States was the world’s best “champion of democracy and freedom.”
He ended his remarks by saying, “Peace of mind you can not buy. Only your own effort. That is all.”
Many of the attendees came for the chance to hear mind-body guru Deepak Chopra, whose breakout session on the “Neuroscience of Enlightment” enthralled a 500-person audience in the Victoria Theater.
Demonstrating a verbal sleight-of-hand in weaving together the teachings of neuroscience and Buddhist thought, Chopra led the audience through a series of mental exercises. After everybody in the audience successfully visualized a sunset at the beach, he asked where they thought that picture of the sunset was.
Not in the brain. “There are no pictures in the brain,” he said.
“Where are you memories? They’re in your soul. They’re not in your brain. Your brain actualizes them.”
Despite its A-list of gurus, the 2,750-seat Prudential Hall wasn’t filled this morning. That may be because the three-day peace conference costs $301 to attend. For the same reason, it was a graying crowd, tending towards people in their 50′s and 60′s. It seemed likely that some of the attendees might have danced in the mud at Woodstock, but were just as happy to pursue the cause now with clean bathrooms at the ready.
For those interested in attending this weekend, The Newark Peace Education Summit is also offering one-day tickets. The Dalai Lama will be in attendance Saturday but not Sunday.
Mayor Booker spoke very briefly and artwork from Newark schoolchildren decorated the stage.
“Peace of mind you can not buy.”
“Please pay your $301 ticket fee before entering”
Demonstrating a verbal sleight-of-hand…
I’ll say!
… in weaving together the teachings of neuroscience and Buddhist thought…
I rely on Deepak to keep me up to date on the cutting edge of neuroscience.
After everybody in the audience successfully visualized a sunset at the beach…
Chopra personally inspected each mental image.
“Where are you memories? They’re in your soul. They’re not in your brain. Your brain actualizes them.”
And as we all know, the soul resides in the left buttock.
And as we all know, the soul resides in the left buttock.
———————————————————–
With some people, their brains reside there.
The Lama is playing a round at Baltusrol on Sunday. Big hitter, The Lama. The flowing robes, the serenity…
Whenever I read stuff like this I think of a quote which has been attributed to Abraham Lincoln:
“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”
‘Newark Peace Education Summit’… Nice try, but I’m not buying this oxymoron. Better to pop an Oxycontin and spend a few hours watching old movies. Beats meditation every time!
I was hoping to bum a ride. I’ve adopted a single car lifestyle, and it’s restricting my karmic development. Good thing that my dry cleaner is also my life coach and spiritual advisor.
I wish just once person had said, “Hello Dalai.”
Just to be difficult Dag, what makes the Dalai Lama more of a fraud than say, the Pope? Or Rabbi Schnerson?
Croi I don’t think you’re being difficult. Opium of the masses, as some would say.
Then I’ve failed! Being difficult is, I’ve been told, my raison d’etre.
Hardly difficult croi, your Irish shines like brilliant heavenly lights when you post.
All you souls above are being terribly difficult.
The memories of this conversation will no doubt lodge in my soul and be a pain in my ass for years to come.
Giggle once again! I’m taking my souless self to bed!
No soul, Dag? What do you sit on?
My hands
Ah but only the left side of your ass, ‘roo!
Get one of those $600 Posturepediac pillows and you’ll be fine.
Just don’t sleep on your stomach! After all, you’re not Greek!
“What do you sit on?”
THE FENCE, bra!
Since Menachem Schneerson is long dead, croiagusanam, a better example of specifically Jewish feigned religious wisdom might have been Shmuley Boteach. Better yet, he’s a “local” guy of sorts. (And the papacy I prefer to see as eternal.)
I’ve personally never understood why the Dalai Lama didn’t just stay in his country when the Chinese took over. You know, pull a sort of Dietrick Bonhoeffer. Martyrs are interesting and often appealing. Whereas the Dalai Lama seems to move from country to country without real honor, perhaps only too aware that in his native land few now either remember him or have even heard of him in the first place. It’s tough being a long-deposed theocrat, I imagine. And the guy has a large retinue to support.
So we’ve been stuck with him for at least 30 years now. And yes, this current Newark gig of his does reek solely of commercialism. All that seems to be missing are guest shots by Marianne Williamson and John Roger. I’m sure, however, that the “Peace Summit” will pull out an imam or two over the weekend. (Though not the really fun kind from Iran or from Wahabist circles in Saudi Arabia.)
Some go to Bonnaroo and Coachella. Others to the Peace Summit. Everywhere, promoters hope they don’t wind up taking a financial bath. And Deepak Chopra sells tickets, even though the likes of Calvin, Knox and Ignatius of Loyola would probably eat him for lunch.
Imagine, too, how much livelier a “Peace Summit” would have been with a debate featuring, say, Gerry Adams or Danny Morrison vs. Reverend Paisley.
You are such an ignorant gasbag, cathar. It’s Dolly Llama.
An astonishing tour de force of name dropping luminaries, cathar. One wonders how your sensibilities handles the concept of Goldie Hawn as one of the speakers in Newark.
All I know is that the commuting was worse than ever yesterday, as the peaceful, easy-feelin’, moony drivers clearly were so enlightened that they forgot where to go, what is a gas pedal, and how to read!
Not long ago, before his retirement, the Rev. Paisley and Gerry Adams were fellow ministers in the Northern Ireland government. so you could say that they had their peace summit every day. And with a fair amount of success, I’d add– certainly far more than anyone, including myself, would have imagined.
And though Schneerson is indeed dead, a great many of his followers await his return, and they visit his tomb in that hope each year on the anniversary of his death.
I saw the Dali Lama on the streets of Chicago. I happen to be walking by and he was getting out of a car. I said “HI!” And he gave me a smile.
Richard Gere and one of the Beastie Boys (Mike D, I think) was with him.
(btw, while this site may be “authentically local” and “doesn’t scale,” I’m now finding it almost maddening to navigate the various towns, sub-sites, blogs, etc. that make up “Baristanet.com.” I look at the new comments and go, where’s that story? So say what you want about McDonald’s, sure they “scale,” but at least they give their customers the same experience at each store, while this site seems to change daily- like our restaurants, so I guess it is local… This comment comes with love, but your last redesign seems unable to contain your new additions in an easy to read/navigate/understand site.)
Prof…Just click the “Classic” button up top.
Thanks PAZ. That did the trick.
But still, this site’s design is almost like an attractive overgrown weed…. Nice enough, but then you see a flower and you realize how ugly the weed really is.
Sorry. the prof is finding all this “authentic” growth without simple navigation (go to “classic” mode made me laugh- it worked, but it says a lot…) a wee bit confusing and, well, messy.
I fear Baristanet is going to look like this: http://www.yvettesbridalformal.com/ if something isn’t done soon.
Wow! Prof how did you find that site!? I got a pain in my medulla just looking at it.
“..don’t bogart that joint my friend…”.
Peace, love & drugs
Ice learned Nancy Reagan’s well. Just say Yes!
I agree with the Good Prof. While I don’t think B’net has “jumped the shark,” by any means, the focus seems to have evolved to feature articles rather than hard news. And it is sometimes hard to trace the Featured Comment back to the source thread…
Hopefully, it is just a phase..
Nellie..for sure this Blog has jumped the shark. Boring, bland with a lack of focus. I enjoy Debbie’s new blog as this blog has become more a bulletin board.
And yes, I’ll write it…it’s all Obama’s fault.
Wow, prof, where DID you find that site? Those are hands down the ugliest dresses I ever did see. And the music, oh the music.
And Deepak Chopra? Please. Misinforming the masses on science and undoing the hard work of countless HS and college Bio professors. Sigh. Evidence–who needs it.
Wah-wah, i’m bored.
Get bit by the banality bug?
Yes, bebop, happens every time you post one of your one-liners. Wah. Try some Ambien next time you can’t sleep.
prof that site is fascinating in it’s ugliness and lack of artistic sensabilities
Sorry, I was trapped on BaristanetBLOGS…
Yea that site is great. It also has a “classic” setting, which makes it much better….
I’d forgotten that about Paisley and Adams, croiagusanam. Thank you.
Somewhat akin to youir comment about visits to Schneerson’s grave, I was once told by someone who’d worked for the Christian Scientists that the rumors were true, that there was in fact a phone in Mary Baker Eddy’s grave which is always kept “on.” Oh well, and King Arthur is only sleeping and Zapata will return when Mexico really needs him and…
I did not realize Goldie Hawn was “on the bill” in Newark until I read it in the Times, DagT. But in a world where Richard Gere yearns to be taken seriously as an authority on Eastern religion (and on acting, let’s not forget)and Sean Penn is viewed as a true Hollywood “rebel” because he smokes in no smoking zones, why not?
In my interpretation of the universe, nonetheless, the likes of John Roger and Maryanne Williamson hardly rate as “luminaries.” Dwight Yoakam and Ruth Rendell are more to my taste.
My bad, Tud, I jumped the shark a long time ago.
“I saw the Dali Lama on the streets of Chicago. I happen to be walking by and he was getting out of a car. I said “HI!” And he gave me a smile…” is actually the last and un-recorded verse of “Werewolves in London.”
And, Prof, there is a style nameed for Yvette’s type of website design: it is called “ransom note typography.”
I may have jumped a couple of tunas and eels, but not the shark yet…
“and Zapata will return….”
And let’s not forget the hidden imam!
@ Conan HAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!
Is that Goldie in her barefeet in that pix above?