By Khalida Sarwari
The Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Buddhist leader, gave a teaching in San Jose this afternoon in front of a sold-out crowd of thousands, including celebrities.
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, read from “Eight Verses of Training the Mind,” an 11th Century text by Geshe Langri Tangpa that focuses on developing appropriate regard for the self and others, turning obstacles into opportunities for positive change, and cultivating compassion for all beings.
According to Buddhist philosophy, engaging in such practices will lead to altruistic thinking. The Dalai Lama has described it as one of his main sources of inspiration.
He spoke about the text in relation to Buddhism but also drew comparisons to Islam and Christianity.
A main topic was the concept of self: what it is and the difference between “wise selfish” and “foolish selfish.”
“Self-centeredness is a key factor in an unhealthy society,” the Dalai Lama said. “We must combat destructive emotions.”
He advised the audience to use the text to train their minds to generate inner peace rather than cave in to destructive emotions.
The event drew more than 11,000 people to the San Jose Convention Center, among them James Bond film star Pierce Brosnan.
It was sponsored by the Gyuto Vajrayana Center, a San Jose-based nonprofit that promotes Tibetan Buddhism.
The Dalai Lama will be speaking throughout the South Bay this week. On Wednesday, he is scheduled to give another teaching at San Jose State University’s Event Center.
He will deliver a speech at Stanford University on Thursday and participate in a conference there on Friday.