Lotus Garden Gratefully Joins in Welcoming
His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Washington, DC

Written by: Lotus News Staff
Published: 17 March 2010

His Holiness greets the audience
Photo Credit: His Holiness the Dalai Lama acknowledging the applause of over 4,000 people on October 10, 2009 at the American University
©2011 Mindrolling International, All Rights Reserved

North America was again blessed this past October with a visit by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. During the visit, His Holiness traveled to Washington DC to participate in two events, the Mind and Life XIX Conference from 8-9th October, and to bestow a public teaching at American University on 10th October, entitled  “The Heart of Change”. During his visit to Washington, His Holiness also met with lawmakers, religious leaders, and members of the Tibetan community.

Lotus Garden was very fortunate to have the opportunity to take part as volunteers during “The Heart of Change” teachings.

The Heart of Change

"The Heart of Change" teachings at American University were divided into two parts: morning teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama entitled “Finding Wisdom in the Modern World”, and an afternoon forum entitled “Using Wisdom as the Heart of Change”. The afternoon forum included a panel of distinguished speakers who elaborated upon and discussed His Holiness’ morning teaching. This panel included  HE. Tsoknyi Rinpoche III, HE Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche, Robert Thurman, Thupten Jinpa, Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi, Deborah Rozelle, and Charles Raison.

"The Heart of Change" was attended by a joyful and peaceful gathering of people from many different backgrounds, people from all religions, nationalities, and races. The event was very successfully hosted by the Conservancy for Tibetan Art and Culture (CTAC). CTAC is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization which is under the patronage of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and under the direction of its chairman, Lodi Gyari Rinpoche. CTAC supports activities dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Tibetan culture through teachings, exhibitions, symposia, and cultural research.

Lotus Garden Contributes

Through supreme good fortune, Lotus Garden was one of over twenty local groups which had the honor of working to bring about a successful, harmonious event. The task of hosting the eminent panel-members and distinguished guests, and of ushering the over 4,400 buddhist and non-buddhist attendees, including monastics and many eminent guests, fell to Lotus Garden and a 70-strong band of volunteers. The Dharmashri Translation Committee, based at Lotus Garden, also played a role in the event, providing a translation of The Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones by Patrul Rinpoche, free copies of which were distributed as an offering of Dharma to all those attending.

Photo Credit: Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche holds an organizational meeting with the ushers on September 27th at the amphitheatre at American University, a few weeks before the event ©2011 Mindrolling International

Photo Credit: Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche and sangha members work out details and driving routes for those escorting the eminent guests
©2011 Mindrolling International

Representatives from Lotus Garden had joined the organizing committee in the early summer of 2009 to help plan and coordinate the event. Countless hours were spent by Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche, along with Lotus Garden administrative staff, Samten Tse nuns, residents and sangha members all shuttling back and forth from Lotus Garden, Baltimore and even further afield to attend planning and orientation sessions at American University in preparation for the event. Volunteer ushers also included members of the Shambhala Centers of Baltimore and Washington, DC, members of the local Vietnamese Buddhist community, and students from American University and other local schools.


Photo Credit: Event coordinator Ven. Ani Tenzin Lhamo (center) reviews a seating chart of the arena with Matt Fritts of the organizing committee (right) while Geoff Picus (left) from Lotus Garden provides information at an usher orientation session ©2011 Mindrolling International

Welcoming Over 4,400 Guests

Ushers memorized seating charts and campus maps, learned the arena entrances, exits, restrooms, ticket areas and emergency/security procedures, and toured the campus to learn how to direct people to parking, dining, merchants and other destinations. Other volunteers were assigned as drivers, to escort eminent rinpoches, teachers, and scholars, meeting them at the airports and driving them from their hotels to the arena on the day of the event. Lotus Garden was particularly delighted that Sangyum Kushog, wife of His Holiness Mindrolling Trichen and mother of Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche and Jetsün Dechen Paldrön, who was visiting from India, was able to attend and bless the event with her gracious and extraordinary presence.

Photo Credit: Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche (right) talking to her mother, Sangyum Kushog and sister, Jetsün Dechen Paldrön just before the start of the event ©2011 Mindrolling International

Transformation

The October 10th event was held in the Bender Arena, American University's athletic center, which was vacated by all the athletes for 2 days in deference to His Holiness' visit. On Friday, October 9th, in a well-coordinated effort by hundreds of volunteers, the arena was transformed into a magnificent and welcoming space. As work progressed, the atmosphere became more and more hushed, alive with the sense of sacred activity which was unfolding. The spotlights were focused, the sound system tuned to perfection, lush flower arrange ments positioned along the stage, and the back wall was hung with an immense colorful thangka of Buddha Shakyamuni, brought from Indiana with tremendous generosity by Arjia Rinpoche. At center stage, a simple mustard- colored arm-chair was placed for His Holiness, with shrines placed on either side. A long red carpet was laid down the central aisle, providing a striking ribbon of vivid color, leading the eyes directly to the chair His Holiness would occupy. A thicket of tripods and camera gear sprouted up near the back of the arena as national media teams worked to gauge the most perfect viewing angles and choose the most suitable lenses for their shots.

Photo Credit: A view of media personnel and audience during His Holiness' teaching ©2011 Mindrolling International
Photo Credit: Activities on stage are displayed on video monitors for the benefit of those seated far away.. Here, Thupten Jinpa is seen translating for His Holiness ©2011 Mindrolling International

A Luminous Atmosphere

Around 4:30am on the morning of October 10th, all the volunteers for the event, including Lotus Garden sangha members, gathered outside the arena and collected the yellow t-shirts and badges that identified them as ushers, and then entered the arena to take their positions for the event. Soon, audience members would pass through security gates and enter the luminous atmosphere of the arena, rich with the sonorous chanting of prayers by Zen, Theravadin, and Tibetan monks gathered on stage.

Photo Credit: Theravadin monks chanting before the teaching
©2011 Mindrolling International

Teaching and Symposium

During his morning teaching, His Holiness outlined the basic tenets of Buddhism and the principle of bodhicitta which is the heart of Buddhist practice His Holiness also thoroughly explained the practical need for and immense benefits of having religious diversity, how religious diversity is necessary to serve all the different dispositions and needs of diverse human beings. His Holiness stressed that having faith in one’s own religion does not in any way preclude respect for the religious beliefs of others.

Photo Credit: His Holiness the Dalai Lama during this teaching
©2011 Mindrolling International, All Rights Reserved

 Distinguished teachers, including HE Tsoknyi Rinpoche, HE Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche, Thupten Jinpa, Robert Thurman and a number of eminent teachers, scholars, and scientists participated in a lively afternoon symposium entitled ‘Using Wisdom As the Heart of Change’. As the title suggests, the theme of the symposium was taking spiritual wisdom into the activities of daily life. The panel offered their own insights and experiences, giving many suggestions and examples of how His Holiness’ teachings could be applied in one’s own life.

Photo Credit: Panel members for an afternoon symposium included Tibetan masters HE Tsoknyi Rinpoche and HE Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche
©2011 Mindrolling International

A Joyful and Peaceful Gathering

From the perspective of the ushers, the event unfolded flawlessly in an atmosphere of order and dignity. With apparent ease, the eminent guests, monastics, and ordinary ticket-holders all gracefully entered to create a harmonious environment in which His Holiness could teach. The US State Department, His Holiness' personal security staff, as well as the American University campus police and the DC Metropolitan Police all contributed to the feeling of harmony and security that prevailed during the event.

Photo Credit: Ushers greet ticket holders entering the arena for His Holiness' teaching ©2011 Mindrolling International
Photo Credit: Assigned as driver and escort to Robert Thurman (right), Nick Barna checks in with him before the event ©2011 Mindrolling International

When Lotus Garden was approached to participate in “The Heart of Change”, Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche gratefully accepted CTAC’s invitation, recognizing a precious opportunity for the Lotus Garden community to be of service to His Holiness and the dharma, and to earn a little bit of merit, so important in traversing the path to enlightenment. Hopefully, Lotus Garden’s opportunity to take part in such an event will provide not only a seed for our connection to the bringing about of His Holiness’ immense vision of Dharma, but will also provide valuable experience as our community hosts its own large events in years to come. This experience may be put to the test as early as the autumn of 2010  as we prepare to host Kyabje Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche, one of the greatest living masters of the Nyingma lineage, for a series of extremely precious teachings and empowerments.


Photo Credit: Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche with sangha members and volunteers after the event ©2011 Mindrolling International

Certainly, those who staffed the events of October 10th have a deeper awareness of the enormous effort required in such an undertaking. All those who took part were extremely grateful to have had the privilege and opportunity to have, in this lifetime, been in the presence of such a great master as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and to be of service to his vision in even a very small way. May the aspirations made on that day reverberate and expand, bringing happiness, inspiration, and genuine benefit to all beings.