I looked up and there, slowly making his way across the stage, was this rather short man, dressed in yellow and red robes, actually, it looked almost like a dress, he was stopping every few feet to gently touch head with the monks on stage or to turn and smile out at the audience, bowing. I realized that I was holding my breath and exhaled and then took a deep breath of this rarified air. His Holiness the Dalai Lama had just entered the room and the change that I felt  I have come to associate with his presence. During the next three days I learned about many things (I was attending a Mind and Life conference exploring the effects of meditation on psychiatric issues and concerns). I learned about the impact that persistent meditation can have on both physiological and psychological processes and I learned that there was a whole world of practical gentle wisdom waiting for me.

This all happened many years ago and as I set my foot upon the path I felt like I was coming into a way of being that was  going to lead me into wondrous learning and growth. One of the present manifestations of these events is the Montreal Study Circle.  I came away from that conference excited and wanting to share my experiences with as many people as I could. I had read a few things by the Dalai Lama and now began to search for more. One of the books I found was Ethics for the New Millennium and then I found the website for the Foundation. I am a teacher by heart as well as profession and a study circle seemed the perfect way for me to continue my learning and share it at the same time. I searched for a study circle in my city and was amazed to find that there were none in Canada.   Another deep breath and I decided to start on here in Montreal I have some experience with computers and the internet and thought that a website/blog could be a wonderful way to provide easy communication for  members of the study circle, a place where they could share their experiences, questions and discoveries. I also thought that a web-based site would be a great way to support the group and easily provide access for all members to the many resources that are available around the world.  What a perfect opportunity to combine my love for learning, my growing interest in Buddhism, in His Holiness the Dali Lama and computer technology – I would support my Study Circle with a website/Blog.  The next step was to find the best internet site to host such an endeavor.

We always start the very first class discussing what I consider to be the basic premise of ethics studied from the standpoint of Buddhism and the Dalai Lama’s understanding of ethics.  I ask them, “Can we all accept as true that all beings want to be happy and all beings want to avoid suffering?”  We give some thought to this statement.  Usually there is one or two who nod their heads immediately in agreement.  Then there are always a few who say, “No, not everyone wants to be happy.”  I ask them what they mean.  “There are people who just want to be unhappy and make others unhappy…they are just mean people.”

OK, let’s think about that, I say.  Do you think that they started out as little children wanting to hurt others, wanting to be unhappy and mean?  Well, no, they answer, but they turn into that.  How?  Who knows it just happens…or bad parenting, poverty, etc.   So, can we unequivocally say that they don’t want to be happy?  More thought.  Is it possible, I ask, that underneath all their misguided, mistaken behavior, which is wrong-minded and confused, that they still want to be happy, they just don’t know how”

Most in the room will agree that it is possible.  Then I ask whether when they themselves behaved in ways that have gotten them into this prison let’s say, were they thinking and acting out of their ‘right minds’?  No, lots of agreement there.  So, can we all agree that most of what we do comes from a place of wanting to be happy, and wanting to avoid suffering, even if we are robbing a bank, or selling drugs or even physically hurting someone else?  At the time of any of these actions we were probably thinking I am just going to do this because I need to in order to get what I want, and to be happy (whatever our definition of happiness happens to be at that time).  Sounds simplistic and it is.

More agreement.  Then, invariably there will be a discussion of the kind of person who could be considered a psychopath.  Here, we are talking about a person who is clearly not in their ‘right mind’ and therefore they are outside of the purview of our little survey.

Gradually, with a fair amount of allowing for all opinions, and without judgment of them, we come to a consensus about the ground of basic goodness that we all start from.  Once we have arrived at this consensus we have the foundation for the rest of everything we will talk about in the class.

For many in prison, because of the kinds of background and experience they have had, this may be the first time they are hearing that they too are good, fundamentally good.  That we are all good, no matter what we have done.  The obscuring of that goodness is in fact temporary and can be fixed, healed and counteracted.

This truly is a different sort of concept!  It is different than original sin, than doing bad and being bad, from lucky or unlucky, from God loves you no matter what you have done.  It is not a reprieve from something; it can never be won or taken away.    Our basic goodness is always there, no matter what and it cannot be sullied or stained.  Even if it is covered over, like the sky with clouds, it can never be altered, just as the clouds never alter the sky.

In Buddhist thought “goodness” is not a moral term.  Instead it points to what is fundamental about us, and the purity inherent in all experience.  Yes, even the rotten, unkind, criminal kind.  This is mind-blowing for almost all who begin to absorb this.  Whatever our situation, our confusion, our resources or psychological state, basically nothing can threaten our richness or dignity.

Our being is good because it is not a fundamental source of aggression or ‘badness’.  Basic goodness is what we have, what we are provided with, our inheritance.  And when basic goodness is covered by confusion of thought, word or deed, it is still there, unstained and unsullied.

In this premise there is profound relaxation.  We can relax, we can let go of our judgments about ourselves and about others.  We make mistakes, we get confused, we really mess up, but it is just like the clouds covering the sun.  When this really sinks in it changes us, it dramatically changes our relationship to the world and to each other.  We are all just doing the best we can do at the moment, given the understanding we have.  And every moment is a fresh moment.

And because we are all in the same boat it is basically a non-dual teaching, one that profoundly relaxes our tendency to judge and feel judged.  This is not an “us/them” kind of teaching…it is an understanding that if it goes for one, it goes for all.  No exceptions.

This basic goodness is reflected in my teaching partner and I to the best of our ability and because we can embody it and reflect it we get amazing results from our groups.  More later…

Over the last few weeks we’ve been engaging with our volunteers and getting more active on Facebook and Twitter, and the first order of business (at least for me) is to ask around about what we can do for you!

Sitting here at my desk in the media studio, I’d like to also recognize several contributors, whose articles will appear very soon. Each of them brings an additional perspective to the conversation—or completely new threads in some cases. Emmanuel Ande Ivorgba, our overall study circles coordinator, from Jos, Nigeria, kicked off the site with an introduction, and I interviewed Emmanuel about how he first connected with the Foundation. And the most recent of our contributors is Ellen Feig, who writes for us about ethics and higher education. Jen Schaeff, in Montréal, will be with us shortly, and Ronnie Wilson is writing about study circles for inmates. And there’s more than that coming up!

Here are some of the top things we think we can do — but you need to tell us your own opinion as well:

• Support “conversations” of all sorts related to ethics, peace, and study circles themselves;
• Help you locate events (including Where’s the Dalai Lama now?) that might be of interest to you or your study circle participants;
• Help you locate people (including the Dalai Lama) involved in ethics and peace—especially online video and sites;
• Provide resources for study circle participants and facilitators—the people “on the ground” starting their own circles (such as downloadable and printed study guides and books);
• Help you connect to people running circles elsewhere and learn from their experience.

Please let us know your ideas about what we can do that would be of the most use (or the most fun, if you prefer).

“Along with education, which generally deals only with academic accomplishments, we need to develop more altruism and a sense of caring and responsibility for others in the minds of the younger generation studying in various educational institutions. This can be done without necessarily involving religion. One could therefore call this ‘secular ethics,’ as it in fact consists of basic human qualities such as kindness, compassion, sincerity and honesty.”

How can we, as a society, instill such important “secular ethics” in our youth? In those who will inevitably rule the world we live in? To be honest, there are days where I wake up and wonder why I chose to become a teacher—especially when I am met with students who simply have no concern for the world around them.

One of the most important things we can do is start a Study Circle Group to focus on the important teachings of the Dalai Lama. We must take the ethics proposed by His Holiness and disseminate them via small communities of learning; through such study and dialogue we can become mentors to those who have lost their way, who have forgotten what it means to be kind, compassionate and honest. Recently, I have made these teachings part of every class I teach and while I have yet to see the results, I believe that one day my students will become the teachers.

For more information on starting your own study circle, visit The Dalai Lama Foundation Study Circles page. For more resources for your study circle, visit the Learning Zone.

Although Ethics for the New Millennium is not ”about Buddhism” there are many core Buddhist principles that play a part in the development of His Holiness’ thought and the evolution of the “argument” on behalf of ethical behavior that emerges in this book.√Ǭ† And Buddhism, also, ranges from quite concrete to extremely abstract—there’s a reason it is sometimes jokingly referred to as “the religion of lists!” So there is plenty of room for lots of different types of expression. This is true for almost any religious or secular foundations of thought and living that you might encounter (that’s a topic to be explored another day, isn’t it?…)

You might find that some of your study circle members participate less than others in discussion and conversation. Try something new with these folks—ask whether they would be more comfortable expressing their thoughts and feelings in the form of artistic representations! (Keep reading for examples and suggestions…)

Many of them will say “I’m no good at art!” but don’t accept that as a final answer. Suggest that they experiment in private with some medium—perhaps drawing, sketching, or taking water color or crayon to paper, or fiddling around^[1] on the guitar or piano, or whatever medium they might have a passing acquaintance with (even from first grade in school). Let them keep their creations private, if they wish, until they feel confident enough to explore them with the group. And maybe it will be easier if you schedule a “group session” where people can 1) create their art in the same room with others in the group (for encouragement); or 2) make a presentation of one of their works to the group in a session designed expressly for this activity.

There are lots of web sites that may help inspire your group members. We suggest The Missing Peace: Artists Consider the Dalai Lama as a great starting point. And for a more “edgy” approach, try Yo! What Happened to Peace? just for example (I mean look at that stencil work in the photo—that’s a really creative work and yet you could certainly do something like that yourself!). You can add sites that you’ve discovered to the comments section of this article (below).

DalaiLama.com

You could use these as “homework” assignments or even play one or two (appropriately selected) during your study circle meetings to illustrate points you’re covering in a meeting.

[Photo courtesy of Sheldon Wolfe]

The work begun by Terry Conrad, and by the inmates at the unit, resulted in a special study guide for inmates entitled Discovering Ethics: A Path to Virtue, which is available for download (PDF) and in printed (bound) form from Lulu.com.

The guide, like our other guides, is published under a Creative Commons license which allows modification, addition, duplication, and distribution for nonprofit purposes.

All of the guides are for use with Ethics for the New Millennium, which must be purchased separately. We urge you to purchase conveniently, you may be able to get the book today from a local bookseller. You can order copies online from Amazon.com or other online retailers.

• The Study Circles page at The Dalai Lama Foundation
• Project Clear Light
• Order printed study guides (all formats)
• Emmanuel Ande Ivorgba expresses our appreciation to Terry Conrad for the new study guide

First, you can track the Dalai Lama on Twitter and Facebook. This gives you a great way to get the most recent “news” on upcoming public talks, religious teachings and other activities of His Holiness. On Twitter, you can follow @DalaiLama and on Facebook, you can find the Dalai Lama “fan page” at facebook.com/DalaiLama. These are primarily places where you can find information, and not opportunities to chat or interact, though that may be expanded in the future.

To view online video, there are two sources. First, DalaiLama.com (the authoritative source for all things Dalai Lama) has a video and audio page where you can view recent videos. And The Dalai Lama Foundation has a video page that includes video from non-religious appearances, going back several years.

Studying Ethics for the New Millennium is great on its own, but you can make it more “present” by viewing video and discovering how His Holiness explains and expresses the thoughts and messages that are contained within the book.

[Photo courtesy of Sheldon Wolfe]

Dear Terry,
I am writing to congratulate and thank you once again for this excellent and most appropriate Ethics Study Guide that you have helped to develop for Prison Inmates. I have been going through the pages and I am so deeply moved by its clarity and depths. Surely, you have put in so much effort and energy in doing this, and on behalf of everyone in the great family and friends of His Holiness, I say thank you most sincerely.

You have indeed taken the lead and shown us the way. Our Prison system in Nigeria will be the greatest beneficiary of this Study Guide. I am wondering if you would have time to prepare and share with all of us, a 1-2 page summary of your experiences with the inmates as they begin work with this document. Your summary will be posted on the Study Circle blog, and hopefully on the Foundation’s Online Newsletter. This is an excellent example and we all have great lessons to learn from this.

Thank you so much and please extend my very warm regards to all the people involved with this work, and to all who will use it.
Sincerely,
Emmanuel

Engr. Emmanuel Ande Ivorgba,
Study Circle Coordinator
The Dalai Lama Foundation

New study circle

Coordinator: Violeta Rico Tréllez.
Bogotá
Colombia

Contact Emmanuel Ande Ivorgba for specifics.

A critical factor for genuine happiness is the state of the mind. He demonstrates that happiness is determined more by one’s state of mind than by external events. As important as our material facilities and success may be, without the right mental attitude and attention, these things have very little or no positive impact on our long-term aspirations for genuine happiness. The mental state and mind factor have tremendous influence on our daily life experiences. Another important source of happiness is what the Dalai Lama refers to as “Inner Contentment”, which he says is “the true antidote of greed”. And one sure and reliable way towards achieving inner contentment is to “want and appreciate what we have”.

A third source of happiness as outlined in The Art of Happiness is a sense of self-worth and human dignity that comes from our relationship and bond with fellow human beings. This bond, the Dalai Lama says, “can become a source of consolation in the event that you lose everything else”.

The Dalai Lama then progresses to show the difference between happiness and pleasure. True happiness he says relates more to the heart and mind and is lasting and genuine, whereas pleasure mainly depends on the physical and is short-lived. And the Dalai Lama then says that we must learn to approach our choices with caution, bearing in mind the fact that what we are seeking is genuine happiness and not just pleasure.

In both the Ethics for the New Millennium and The Art of Happiness, we are presented with key ingredients for achieving genuine and lasting happiness. These include a compassionate heart, seeking to make others happy, acting out of concern for others, love, forgiveness and reconciliation, inner peace, training our minds towards happiness and sincerely deepening our connection to others, friendship, self-control and inner discipline and hope, among others.

The Ethic of Restraint, which we also called the Dalai Lama’s teaching on “Self-control”, proffers a two-pronged approach for developing human compassion which is the foundation for genuine happiness. These include the restraining of those factors inimical to, and which inhibit compassion, as well as the cultivation of those factors conducive to and supportive for the development and nurturing of compassion. In this Chapter of the Ethics for the New Millennium, His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaks directly to the heart and mind, “from which all our actions spring”. He then likens the undisciplined mind to a wild, rampaging and destructive elephant and also states that negative impulses of the mind, including afflictive emotions constitute major obstacles to our basic aspirations for genuine happiness and is the source of pain and suffering in our world today.

The Ethic of Restraint calls us to reflect very profoundly on our lives, exercise self-control and discipline over our thoughts and actions, ensuring that we think creatively and positively and implement only those actions that benefit fellow human beings, our environment and the world in which we live. The Dalai Lama challenges us all in this chapter of the Ethics for the New Millennium to deliberately cultivate a habit of inner discipline and self-control over our minds, thoughts and emotions, failure of which would lead to devastating and damaging consequences, both to ourselves, to others and the world we inhabit.

There was a moment for deep reflection followed by individual discussions and sharing based on practical and personal life experiences. Members were particularly moved to tears when Peter Chimezie shared his personal experience of how deeply-rooted anger destroys friendship and undermines genuine happiness. He said it began with a simple misunderstanding with his wife at home. He was very upset that his wife refused to obey his instructions. This made him so angry that he beat her up to the point of comma, and he ended up also fighting and insulting everyone in his office throughout that week. He soon discovered that people were running away from him and not wanting to see him. The experience he said caused him and those around him so much pain and sadness.