The Dalai Lama On Working With Anxiety

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama joined the Mind & Life Institute live from Dharamsala to offer his thoughts on anxiety amidst a global pandemic, issues of social justice in the United States, the oneness of humanity, and the rationality behind compassion.

Transcript

Considering the high anxiety at this moment with the global pandemic being so prevalent and quite debilitating,

The first question is,

What skills can we practice to cope with this anxiety and uncertainty?

This,

What to say,

Illness worldwide rather serious.

So many sort of scientists,

Many experts who concern about human health,

They really pay much attention.

So I have nothing to add except I very much deeply appreciate these peoples.

Some cases I think risk or danger of their own life,

You see,

Don't care,

Helping other people,

Saving other people.

And number of nurses also suffer.

So I very much appreciate.

And then mentally,

I think too much fear,

Anxiety.

And here,

The one Nalendra Master,

You see,

His sort of expression,

When we face problem,

We analyze the problem.

If that problem can solve,

Then no need,

Fear,

Make effort.

If the problem we cannot solve beyond our effort,

Then no use too much worry.

That,

You see,

Quite practical.

I think mental level,

You see,

Less fear,

Anxiety,

Maybe some help.

So then after all,

You see,

Firstly,

I think global warming,

So some expert say within next few decades,

Then world may become too hot,

So whole world may become desert.

So this is very serious.

So think that way.

After all,

Whole world,

Whole galaxies,

You see,

Change.

So one individual life is just tiny part of that.

So you see,

Now here,

The Indian thought,

Indian tradition,

Rebirth,

Life after life.

That philosophy,

That thinking,

Very helpful.

You see,

This life,

When sort of end,

This is not permanent end.

Life after life will go.

And then according to theistic religion,

We all created by God.

So end of our life means,

According to God's plan,

According to God's plan,

It happened.

So we next sometime relax,

Then Jesus Christ come.

That also is good,

You see,

To keep hope and peace.

Isn't it?

So now today,

Another sort of serious problem,

Our own created problem.

Now,

For example,

In America,

Nowadays,

You see,

Some racial problem.

So you see,

This,

I think,

Much depends on our mental attitude.

We must promote oneness,

Concept of oneness of humanity.

That's my number one commitment.

Different human being,

The way born,

Same.

The way dying,

Same.

While we alive,

Beside,

You see,

Physical differences,

Emotion level,

Mental level,

Same.

And then the reality,

You see,

We too much sort of emphasis,

We,

Our community,

And their community,

That's the source of problem.

And that thinking is outdated.

In ancient time,

One sort of king or queen,

Or some cases religious leader,

That day,

You see,

Emphasis my people.

Like that.

So that's,

That thinking now gone.

Now we have to think entire human being.

Firstly,

Entire sentient being.

And practical level,

Entire human being on this planet.

Seven billion human being.

Our future depends on seven billion human being.

Each individual human being's future depend on the humanity.

So now,

Thinking my group,

Their group,

On the basis of religion,

Basis of color,

Basis of social sort of status,

All this old thinking.

Now,

Today,

For example,

The global economy,

No national boundary.

And modern technology on this,

You see,

Belongs to humanity.

Not my nation,

Their nation,

No.

So too much emphasis,

Due to some differences,

And emphasis we,

We,

We,

We,

That's the source of problem.

Now we have to think one humanity,

Seven billion human being.

That's my number one commitment.

Try to promote sense of oneness of seven billion human being.

Then these differences are minor.

The different color and make distinction.

Even you see different religion make distinction.

Hindus,

Buddhist,

Muslim,

Judaism,

So on.

You see these are,

You see,

They minor.

The main thing is we all same human being.

So now we really need,

You see,

To educate and share with other people,

We are same human being.

We have to live on this planet.

So and then,

You see,

Human being,

Mentally,

Emotionally,

You see,

Physically,

Basically we are same.

You see,

Make distinction on the basis of color and silly,

Narrow minded.

And similarly,

Distinction based on religious faith.

Also,

You see,

Silly.

We are all same,

Same human being.

Like America,

Very name,

United States.

So you see,

Different color,

Different religion,

Different races,

You see,

These are the very basis of United.

If just one,

Then no meaning of United States.

Because there are,

You see,

Different people,

Different culture,

Or different race,

Or different color,

Then create the very name United States.

So therefore,

I think today quite unfortunate sort of thing.

In America,

The color,

On the basis of color.

Nowadays,

Of course,

I feel,

When I heard these things,

I feel very,

Very sad.

And many friends in America,

My friend in America,

So that big nation and America is leading nation of free world.

So very important.

America now should be the example of rest of the world,

Where Africa and Latin America and the Middle East some problem.

Then you should tell,

Oh,

Different color,

Different religion,

But we can live together.

So that's very basis of United States.

So this,

Now here,

I think due to certain sort of factor,

Certain event,

You see,

The crisis,

Difficulties,

Color.

Now these are,

I think,

Our own,

I think,

Creation due to narrow minded and too much emotion.

So now here,

We human being,

Every human being,

Emotion is part of our life.

But most of the emotion,

Which no proper basis,

Just emotion,

These usually create more problem.

Then the emotion,

Such as compassion,

These things,

You see,

Based on reason.

So now I have some sort of contact among the scientists of quantum physics.

Now quantum physics,

Some expert,

They say things,

Appears material thing,

Appears existing,

Existence of objectively.

But if you go deeper level,

Then nothing exists as appears.

And go deeper way,

Then you see,

Nothing,

What is the identity,

Appears something independent.

Go deeper,

Everything particle.

Then also,

You see,

There are some scientists say,

They finally,

The mental conception,

Mental projection,

You mentally,

You identify something.

Otherwise the objectively,

Nothing exists that way.

So one Indian,

Great scholar,

Raja Ramana,

Raja Ramana once told me,

Quantum physics in the West,

Something new.

In this country,

In India,

Over 2000 years,

Already developed.

Then he,

He recite some verses of Nagarjuna,

Everything interdependent.

There is nothing objectively exist.

So I feel quantum physics,

You see,

If we thinking that way,

According to quantum physics,

Then all the negative emotion,

Such as anger,

Fear,

On the basis of appearances,

Go deeper,

The people or object which you feel fear,

Go deeper,

Not as appears something solid,

Something independent,

No.

So all these negative emotion,

Which based on appearances,

No foundation.

Other hand,

Karuna,

Compassion,

You see,

A kind of emotion,

But based,

Very much based on reality.

So those positive emotion,

We can increase through reasoning,

Through meditation.

Those harmful emotion,

No proper basis,

Just on appearances,

Like that.

So that's quite encouraging or hopeful,

All the negative emotion,

Not proper basis.

Positive emotion,

Proper basis.

So we can develop through training,

Through reasoning,

Positive emotion.

The negative emotion,

Thinking more deeper way,

No basis.

Okay.

Wonderful.

Reviews

Always good to revisit the core concepts of humanity - compassion

Wonderful, deep teaching about interconnectedness. Negative emotions are just based on appearances. no basis in reality.

Beautiful and touching and straight to the heart of what we need and do not need as a whole human community. Many thanks and blessings 🙏

Just listening to the Dalai Lama reduces my anxiety and increases my calm 🙏

Love this! There is so much common sense, so much simple wisdom in this talk. It would make for great family or class discussion if you pause it after each point and dive deeply into what is being expressed.

Dalai Lama knows what’s up.. we need to focus on oneness and stop focusing on our differences!

I love to listen to the Dali Lama. He always has uplifting information to impart.

Wise words, thank you!

Blessings to you ! May your beautiful teachings spread throughout the world!

One humanity. Let’s drop all the worry and fear around our differences. We are all born the same, we all breath the same. We have think and feel in the same way, and eventually our bodies will die the same way ... there is no need for worry, hatred and fear around differences.

Love his advice

Most inspiring! Thank you. We are all one🙏

Always a pleasure to hear those wise words xx

Peaceful! Namaste 🙏🏽

wonderful thank you

Develop positive emotion :)

Such wisdom! And so simple❤️

so much wisdom in a few minutes.

Full of wisdom, why isn’t he in charge of everything?

The concept that we are the same at birth and in death, so why not in the life in-between, makes one think! Thank you.