Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama

There are few spiritual leaders in the world treated as reverentially as the Dalai Lama. For hundreds of years, he has been intimately linked with Tibetan national identity and is a touchpoint for millions of people. Yet, it is not only in the Far East that he has built a substantial following; thanks to foreign trips and increased exposure in foreign media outlets, various Christians and non-denominational groups have become enamoured with his gentle style and hopeful vision of a better world.[1]

[1]                James Nashold (1980). The Meeting of East and West: The Dalai Lama’s First Trip to the United States. Tibet Journal, 5(1-2), 34-41, p. 34.

Regardless of the more spiritual elements of the Buddhist ideology are true or not, there can be no doubt that the Dalai Lama has added value to ongoing moral discussions about our lives. Through compassionate and articulate thoughts, he has become synonymous with the kind of spiritual humanism that seeks to raise up humanity’s best qualities and dampen our worst. Persecuted for decades by the Chinese regime, he has been confronted by the political reality of Buddhism’s stance. Beijing does not recognise the Tibetan homeland as anything other than Chinese land, an expression of their own territorial aims that led them to chase him out of Tibet in 1959.[1] He has seen first-hand the pernicious outcome of political aspirations and, despite all the hardship that has been inflicted on him and his people, he remains a calm and respectful figure.

The Dalai Lama has argued that striving for happiness is the ultimate purpose of every human’s existence.[2] Placing the responsibility for getting the most out of a life squarely in the hands of the individual, his thesis is an empowering combination of spirituality and individualism. It recognises the power that each of us has to influence the course of our own lives.

In a world of increased independence and freedom, the Dalai Lama’s beliefs look set to gain ever more relevance. The notion that we should all strive for happiness is a very useful idea to advocate in the modern world, as it refuses to afford the hidden forces of the present day (such as propaganda, politics, and economics) the same inherent importance as other thinkers have done. For the Magic Formula of 6, the Dalai Lama’s question of ‘Does it support the pursuit of happiness?’ represents the simplicity of each individual’s goal: to attain that which is pleasing.

This is an important cog in the wheels of the formula. Whilst it is true that the Magic Formula of 6 helps us to understand the grand processes of the world in a more abstract fashion, the Dalai Lama’s veneration of happiness helps us to remember the foundations of our biology. As humans, we are constructed of a raft of conflicting desires and goals, which (as Freud shows) can easily lead us to forget what is truly important. Yet beneath that surface, we are still the same creatures that we have always been. The Dalai Lama helps us to remain grounded by reminding us all that there is nothing more important than attaining happiness in this life. After all, how will we make the world a better place if we do not first tend to ourselves?

The Dalai Lama once said that he believes life needs to be examined from different angles and with different perspectives.[3] This is very important when it comes to the Magic Formula of 6. Not only does it echo that great quote from Socrates, ‘the unexamined life is not worth living’, but it also helps us to understand that the pursuit of happiness need not blind us to the reality of our challenge.

Rather than limiting choice and forcing people to subscribe to rigid dogma, the Dalai Lama advocates for the power of curiosity. He encourages people to ask questions and to seek a spirituality that comes closer to answering some of humanity’s more fundamental questions. What more fundamental question is there to ask than whether or not something is likely to bring us happiness? Whilst some religious figures believe that this can only truly be gained within the afterlife, this dimension of the Magic Formula acknowledges the possibility of creating paradise on Earth and existing in a world in which our desires are met via scientific progress. By using this in the Magic Formula of 6, it is possible to remain focused on what is truly important as we tackle great issues.

[1]                Charlie Campbell (2019). The Dalai Lama has been the Face of Buddhism for 60 Years. China Wants to Change that. Time. Retrieved from https://time.com/longform/dalai-lama-60-year-exile/

[2]          Dalai Lama (n.d.). Compassion as the Source of Happiness. Retrieved from https://www.dalailama.com/messages/compassion-and-human-values/compassion-as-the-source-of-happiness

[3]                Dalai Lama (2012). His Holiness the Dalai Lama Speaks about Finding Common Ground – Ethics for a Whole World at Middlebury College. Retrieved from https://www.dalailama.com/news/2012/his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-speaks-about-finding-common-ground-ethics-for-a-whole-world-at-middlebury-college  

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