Quotation

The Book of Joy

Lasting Happiness in a Changing World
“March 10, 2008 ... I could not do anything. I felt helpless. I knew that if they really carried out demonstrations, it would actually result only in more suffering, more problems. And that is exactly what happened, with the violent crackdown and the death and imprisonment of so many Tibetans who had participated in the process. Over the next few days, during my meditation, I actually visualized some of those Chinese local authorities and did one of our practices, called tonglen, literally meaning ‘giving and taking.’ I tried to take on their fear, anger, suspicion, and to give them my love, my forgiveness. Of course, this would have no physical effect on the ground. It would not change the situation. But you see, mentally, it was very, very helpful to keep a calm mind.” (p. 115)