Tibet in Sydney

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to be among circa 5000 people in attendance at HHDL's teachings on Nagarjuna. This was a major event for myself, as I am sure it was for many of those attending this and the other recent events offered. I had never before attended an event with HHDL.

Several things stood out for me. Firstly, although the crowd was not entirely made up of Tibetan Buddhists, there was a strong representation of such among those present. Having had no contact other than through written word and online groups with such, it was a relaxing and enjoyable experience to be in the same building with so many people practicing the same path as I for the first time.

Secondly, I noticed the importance of HHDL to the Tibetan population. Whereas I and many others both respect and appreciate HHDL, the Tibetans seem to cherish him considerably. This was brought out strongly when a chanting-meditation session lead by a Tibetan woman occurred shortly before an afternoon session. It made me realize just how important HHDL is to the Tibetan people and allowed me to appreciate and understand his presence even more, myself.

Finally, it was a wonderful opportunity to connect to the Tibetan people and learn a little more of the culture of an amazing country. Among the various activities, were Tibetan music played during the lunch break, stalls with information, books, and contact with Tibetan people and groups, and a display of traditional Tibetan dancing performed in front of HHDL!