The Dalai Lama is a unique beacon of wisdom & insight for millions of people throughout the world. His message of compassion and nonviolence resonates at the core of our common humanity, regardless of nationality or religious background. This era of universal admiration and respect for a spiritual leader is unparalleled in history. His 80 birthday today is a moment for us to reflect on what he represents and the benefits received from both his teachings & Tibetan culture.
To mark the occasion, we have created Songs for Tibet II - a follow-up to our somewhat notorious Songs for Tibet album from 2008. Our current album celebrates the Dalai Lama's teaching that our deepest happiness is realized through our compassionate and benevolent actions towards others. We asked artists to contribute recordings as a message and gift to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people. The results are amazing - the album is a collection of 16 musical offerings from some of the world's top artists including Kate Bush, Elbow, Lorde, Of Monsters and Men, Sting and Peter Gabriel. The beautiful compositions represent a proactive celebration of the Dalai Lama and our common search for happiness and inner peace.
The album's origins, however, came about after a tragic incident in Tibet. Two years ago, Tibetan monks lit incense and offered prayers to celebrate the Dalai Lama's birthday, an offense in China. Several of them were shot by Chinese police for the transgression. We knew that the Dalai Lama's 80 birthday would be a major celebration, both in Tibet and throughout the world. Not only did we want to lend our voice to celebrate the life and wisdom of the Dalai Lama, but we wanted to send a simple message to the Tibetan people and their desires for fundamental freedoms of expression: you are not forgotten.
The Dalai Lama's encouragement and unwavering commitment to nonviolence permeates the fabric of Tibetan culture. His 80 birthday is also a time to remember that his influence may not be felt forever. After decades of Chinese rule, some among the younger generations in Tibet are questioning if attaining freedom of expression is possible through nonviolence alone. If Tibetan violence erupts against the Chinese, one of the greatest experiments in nonviolence may be seen as failing. Future political movements throughout the world will not miss this lesson. They could shun nonviolence as a legitimate approach to attaining basic human rights and fundamental freedoms of expression. For this reason alone, it is essential to support and celebrate the teachings of the Dalai Lama.
Celebrating the life and message of the Dalai Lama is also a celebration of the rich and multifaceted elements of Tibetan culture. As a scientist, I often marvel at how it came to pass that the world has been blessed with the Dalai Lama. One might conclude that either: 1) Tibetan culture and practices hold the secret to how souls can transmigrate - i.e. reincarnation, or 2) Tibetan culture can take a young boy from rural Tibet, train him in Tibetan practices and the result is the Dalai Lama, one of the most beloved figures in the world today. Whichever scenario you choose to believe, it is self-evident that Tibetan culture is remarkable and in need of preservation as a wonder of the world.
If the sum of all life is the biosphere, the ethnobotonist Wade Davis posits, then the sum of all human culture is the ethnosphere. Old growth forests are almost impossible to replicate, so too with profound wisdom traditions that harkens back to pre-modern times. While old growth forests in the biosphere may hold potential cures for what ails the human body, old growth forests in the ethnosphere, such as Tibetan Buddhism, may hold cures for what ails us on existential, psychological and societal levels.
The Dalai Lama's 80 birthday is a perfect time to pause and be mindful of what a gift he and Tibetan culture are to us all. His message and dedication to peace, compassion and nonviolence permeates the four corners of the earth and will do so for generations to come. This is certainly worth celebrating.
Songs for Tibet II is available on pre-order from Pledge Music.