Dr Saralyn Mark is a consultant for NASA.
I saw the Dalai Lama a few weeks ago-up close and personal with 10,000 of my friends on the lawn of the Capitol. On a very hot summer morning under a bright blue sky with the iconic landmarks of Washington, DC in the background, the Dalai Lama had an intimate conversation with all of us. A jovial, funny and warm-hearted soul, he shared his wisdom and insights on world peace and the search for inner happiness.
Not far from the stage, I sat down on a plastic sheet on the lawn offered to me by a woman in formal dress from her native land of Bhutan. Her family had been killed when she was a child in Tibet. From Bhutan, she made it to India and then on to San Francisco and was now a nurse in a intensive care unit at Stanford. She generously shared her sunscreen and her knowledge of buddhism, the tibetan language and costumes. As I was melting into the plastic, I was mesmerized by the diverse and respectful audience. People stood when they should, clapped when it was appropriate, shared their water and their books on traditional prayers. I felt quite safe and transfixed as if I had entered a new land, a new culture far from my home which was only 10 miles away.
We all eagerly awaited the arrival of the Dalai Lama-the spiritual leader of Tibet who recently resigned as the political leader saying it was hypocritical thinking that one could do both. The event was moderated by Whoopie Goldberg who did a lovely job of using humor and sincerity-you could tell that she was in awe of her new position.
When the Dalai Lama came onto the stage, we all rose and then very quietly sat down to listen to this wise man with a delightful smile and an easy going manner. He said that he did not prepare any remarks-in fact, he never liked to prepare remarks and then he embarked on a brilliant one hour discourse on how and why it is important to achieve inner peace. Love, compassion, trust, warm-heartedness are the hallmarks of a healthy mind and life.
When one faces adversity and people who make life difficult, accept that these are opportunities to practice patience and tolerance. I know that this is a tough lesson to accept, but it does make sense and changes one's outlook on life. He said that no one is immune from troubles, but all of us are destined for happiness. The 2 major events in life are birth and death and the rest we do with people. We are social beings-each one of us can change the world and by doing that, peace can be achieved. Inner beauty is what is important, the rest is window dressing (my words) and fleeting.
My new book 'Stellar Medicine: A Journey Through the Universe of Women's Health" (Brick Tower Press) will be released soon. One of my chapters, '"The Stardust Connection" which discusses faith, spirality and healing, is one of my favorite chapters for book readings. The messages in this chapter, namely, that we are all connected from the beginning of time since we are stardust and that spirituality is as important to health as the physical elements that we can measure. I have shared that chapter with the senior echelon of medicine, military and government women, and the general public and have seen that these messages resonate with all audiences.
What I found so inspiring is that I came to my beliefs out my own experiences not from reading nor studying others' works. So when I heard the Dalai Lama share the same insights that I do in my book, I was delighted. He calls it "secular spirituality"- a belief that is not based in religion nor faith, but on our divine right and ability to find inner happiness, a calm mind, and a generous spirit to connect with others. Through this, our health can improve and wellness can be achieved. He mentioned that he spoke to scientists who confirmed that blood pressure can decrease and even recovery from surgery can be influenced. I believe in this wholeheartedly.
There are moments in life that are transformative and this was one of them for me. Peace of mind-so simple, so divine!
I saw the Dalai Lama a few weeks ago-up close and personal with 10,000 of my friends on the lawn of the Capitol. On a very hot summer morning under a bright blue sky with the iconic landmarks of Washington, DC in the background, the Dalai Lama had an intimate conversation with all of us. A jovial, funny and warm-hearted soul, he shared his wisdom and insights on world peace and the search for inner happiness.
Not far from the stage, I sat down on a plastic sheet on the lawn offered to me by a woman in formal dress from her native land of Bhutan. Her family had been killed when she was a child in Tibet. From Bhutan, she made it to India and then on to San Francisco and was now a nurse in a intensive care unit at Stanford. She generously shared her sunscreen and her knowledge of buddhism, the tibetan language and costumes. As I was melting into the plastic, I was mesmerized by the diverse and respectful audience. People stood when they should, clapped when it was appropriate, shared their water and their books on traditional prayers. I felt quite safe and transfixed as if I had entered a new land, a new culture far from my home which was only 10 miles away.
We all eagerly awaited the arrival of the Dalai Lama-the spiritual leader of Tibet who recently resigned as the political leader saying it was hypocritical thinking that one could do both. The event was moderated by Whoopie Goldberg who did a lovely job of using humor and sincerity-you could tell that she was in awe of her new position.
When the Dalai Lama came onto the stage, we all rose and then very quietly sat down to listen to this wise man with a delightful smile and an easy going manner. He said that he did not prepare any remarks-in fact, he never liked to prepare remarks and then he embarked on a brilliant one hour discourse on how and why it is important to achieve inner peace. Love, compassion, trust, warm-heartedness are the hallmarks of a healthy mind and life.
When one faces adversity and people who make life difficult, accept that these are opportunities to practice patience and tolerance. I know that this is a tough lesson to accept, but it does make sense and changes one's outlook on life. He said that no one is immune from troubles, but all of us are destined for happiness. The 2 major events in life are birth and death and the rest we do with people. We are social beings-each one of us can change the world and by doing that, peace can be achieved. Inner beauty is what is important, the rest is window dressing (my words) and fleeting.
My new book 'Stellar Medicine: A Journey Through the Universe of Women's Health" (Brick Tower Press) will be released soon. One of my chapters, '"The Stardust Connection" which discusses faith, spirality and healing, is one of my favorite chapters for book readings. The messages in this chapter, namely, that we are all connected from the beginning of time since we are stardust and that spirituality is as important to health as the physical elements that we can measure. I have shared that chapter with the senior echelon of medicine, military and government women, and the general public and have seen that these messages resonate with all audiences.
What I found so inspiring is that I came to my beliefs out my own experiences not from reading nor studying others' works. So when I heard the Dalai Lama share the same insights that I do in my book, I was delighted. He calls it "secular spirituality"- a belief that is not based in religion nor faith, but on our divine right and ability to find inner happiness, a calm mind, and a generous spirit to connect with others. Through this, our health can improve and wellness can be achieved. He mentioned that he spoke to scientists who confirmed that blood pressure can decrease and even recovery from surgery can be influenced. I believe in this wholeheartedly.
There are moments in life that are transformative and this was one of them for me. Peace of mind-so simple, so divine!
