Years ago a group of Tibetan Monks came through Nashville, on a mission dedicated to cleansing the world. They spent a week creating a stunning mandala on a table top, created by sifting colored sands in a pattern I couldn't recognize. Several of us visited them daily, watching the growth of the Mandala. On the last day, when the work of art was finished, they prayed over it, then took brushes and carefully brushed away the beauty they had created. Each of us there was given a tiny bag of the multicolored sand, blessed with their prayers. (I wear mine in an Essendulum) We formed a procession walking to the nearest point of the Cumberland River, where the sand, dedicated to the cleansing of the natural world, was poured into the water, to be carried to the oceans. It was a deeply moving ceremony, even though I understood little about their faith.
Since then, I've been moved to study the life and writings of the Dalai Lama, and have come to believe that he is one of the greatest spiritual leaders and wisest humans of our generation.
His country, Tibet, is under the rule of China. The people of Tibet are forbidden to practice their faith, and their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, is forced to lead from exile.
At the beginning of the Beijing Olympics an international light protest is being held to symbolize the desire that Tibet be freed. Those who support this cause are asked to do one simple thing...to light a candle at 9:00 PM on the night of August
From the Candle for Tibet website:
August 7th 2008 is the day before the opening ceremony of The Olympic Games in Beijing. On this day we aim to create the world's greatest LIGHT PROTEST, when at least 100 million people from all over the world will light a candle and say YES to freedom in Tibet!
All you are asked to do is to light a simple candle on August 7th at 9 pm in your own time zone.
Light the Candle at your home, workplace or in a public place. Put the candle in your Window, or on your desk, or anywhere else where other people will see it and hopefully do the same.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Our support and thoughts are with the Tibetan people, they’ll need all the power and fortitude they can get taking on the might of a regime bereft of any notion of civil conduct.
We ought to do more than just light candles for the Tibetan people.
Though the sad thing is that what’s required is something more like the luminosity of a supernova to get into the dull skulls of the CCP leadership.
But it is a start, and we will keep the pressure on, even if the spineless politicians rather play servile cowardice in the guise of the now ever so ‘respectable’ realpolitik.
http://one-just-world.blogspot.com/2008/07/letter-to-hu-jintao.html
Post a Comment