Dalai Lama received Gold Medal in Washington DC "My religion is kindness"

Last week I was listening to His Royal Highness Dalai Lama speaking in Washington after receiving the Congressional Gold Medal, which is the highest civilian honor. The Congress, with the Democrats in majority, decided to award the 72 year old Tibetan spiritual leader, who represents Peace and Harmony. In 1989 Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace prise by the Norwegian Nobel committee, the chairman said this was "in part a tribute to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi."

President Bush who handed the gold medal made it clear in his speach that this is a medal for religious freedom. China expressed its opposition to Congress's decision to honor the Dalai Lama. The medal's past recipients include Pope John Paul II, Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa.

Basically we are all the same human beings with the same potential to be a good human being or a bad human being .The important thing is to realize the positive side and try to increase that; realize the negative side and try to reduce.

Few years ago I read the International Bestseller ‘The Art of Happiness’, by HH Dalai Lama. Back then his writings and his personality captured me. Tenzin Gyatso (born 6 July 1935) is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. In 1950, at the age of 15, he was enthroned as Tibet's Head of State and most important political ruler while Tibet faced occupation by China. After the collapse of the Tibetan resistance movement in 1959 and the Chinese invasion in Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso fled to India.

I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we all are seeking something better in life.

Although I am not Buddhist, but there are some great lessons I have gained through Dalai Lamas life. I value his world view and his courage to fight for something he believes in. I believe we can all learn beautiful things from each other, we just need to be open to learning and respecting each other!

Compassion is not religious business, it is human business, it is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival.

Mother Teresa – a woman of Love and Dedication

Mother Teresa, a saint and mother to millions of people. One of my first projects in primary school was about one of the most humble, dedicated, and loving women who walked the journey of life. She lived a simple life, dedicated to serve others and to love.

It is 1997, 10 years ago, a week after the death of Diana, an other of my role models shut her eyes to this world. She had fulfilled her mission. I was 16 at that time, and within a week I felt the world had lost two of the most precious people walking on the face of the earth. Why they both died within a week apart, I do not know, but what I know is that I will always keep them close to my heart and keep on passing their legacy to the future generation. I believe we all are able to pass on the beautiful spirits that were granted us, it is not a matter of being born extra special, we are all special and should act upon this fact. I believe Mother Teresa and Diana realised this matter, and started acting accordingly.

‘Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.’ Mother Teresa

Caring on a rainy day!

Today I read this amazing story, that was e-mailed to me by my dear friend Debbie Shayesteh in Sydney Australia. I thought I would share this with you.


Once a week, the Pastor and his eleven-year-old son would go out into their town and hand out Gospel Tracts. This particular afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside, as well as pouring down rain. The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said "OK Dad, I'm ready."

His Pastor dad asked, "Ready for what?" "Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out."

Dad responds, "Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring down rain." The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking "But Dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?" Dad answers, "Son, I am not going out in this weather."

Despondently, the boy ask, "Dad, can I go? Please?" His father hesitated for a moment then said, "Son, you can go. Here are the tracts, be careful son."

"Thanks Dad!" And with that, he was off and out into the rain. This eleven-year-old boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing everybody he met in the street a Gospel Tract. After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet and down to his
VERY LAST TRACT. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a tract to, but the streets were totally deserted.

Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the doorbell. He rang the bell, but nobody answered. He rang it again and again, but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer. Finally, this eleven-year-old trooper turned to leave, but something stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist.

He waited, something holding him there on the front porch. He rang again and this time the door slowly opened. Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady. She softly asked, "What can I do for you son?" With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said: "Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU and I came to give you my very last Gospel Tract which will tell you all about JESUS and His great LOVE." With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave She called to him as he departed.

"Thank you, son! And God Bless You!"

Well, the following week in church Pastor Dad was in the pulpit. As the service began, he asked, " Does anybody have testimony or want to say anything?" Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet.

As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face, "No one in this church knows me. I've never been here before. You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart that I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live. So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck.

Standing on that chair, so lonely and brokenhearted I was about to leap off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, "I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away." I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly. I thought to myself again, "Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me." I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder. When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life.

His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to you! The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long been dead, to leap to life as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, "Ma'am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU." Then he gave me this Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand. As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them any more. You see I am now a Happy Child of the KING. Since the address of your church was on the back of this Gospel Tract; I have come here to personally say THANK YOU to God's little angel who came just in the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul from eternity in hell."

There was not a dry eye in the church. And as shouts of praise and honor to THE KING resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was seated. He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.

It is amazing how one action of love can change someone elses life for ever.