An overheard whisper at breakfast gives me the idea that the Dalai Lama has come back to McCloud Ganj to make a quick appearance and speech before journeying to Delhi for his scheduled talk. I step out onto the street and ask the next monk I see to confirm the rumor. After confirmation I quickly make my way to the temple.
With no bags or electronics allowed, I pass through a metal detector and am patted down. I pass inspection and continue on. At the gate that the Dalai Lama is hidden behind a crowd of people anxiously wait. A dozen security guards circle the general area, and a few men with machine guns stand alert at the gate.
Finally the gates open and the Dalai Lama makes his appearance, surrounded with more security. He smiles and waves as he slowly makes his way through the mass of people, up the stairs and to his seat. Translators of a dozen languages sit perched in front of groups of people waiting to hear the translation of what his Holiness has to say. I find English and take a seat on the cold floor.
At some point during chanting I am served a piece of bread and a cup of tea. The Dalai Lama spoke for a couple hours on the subject of the four truths, the steps towards enlightenment, and the importance of not only chanting a mantra but also understanding the meaning and significance of the manta.
After a couple hours, the cold, and the numbness in my butt and legs helped me decide to explore the temple complex. Hundreds of people from all walks of life patiently sat and listened. The hundreds of men, women, and children in red robes and shaved heads were seated closest to his Holiness, crammed in and pouring out of the room where he was seated.
As a second round of tea came around, I retired back to the city, where the noise and chaos had certainty not stopped. At least a small piece of the wisdom from his holiness still lingered inside of me.
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