Thursday, March 8, 2012

Thoughtful Thursday with The Dalai Lama

While on a trip to SanFrancisco with friends back in 2009, we stumbled into a pretty cool store where each one of us found a corner that distracted our imaginations and spoke to our capitalist desires (spend! spend! spend!). I was in the back by the t-shirt rack, of course. It was there that I found my most comfortable t-shirt.

And I mean that in a number of ways.

It is made of soft organic cotton, it is kelly green and, these days, it's a little over sized, so with this it fits the standard qualifications of comfort and coolness. However, what it says and what message I am honored to carry with me when I wear it is a comfort to my soul. On the back of the t-shirt is the poem The Paradox of Our Age from his Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama.

If you are unfamiliar with this poem, then I would be honored to share it with you today as I will be sharing it with anyone who happens to read my shirt today. It is a poem about our world and each time I read it I reminded to be the change I want to see in the world.

THE PARADOX OF OUR AGE

We have bigger houses but smaller families;
more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense;
more knowledge but less judgment;
more experts, but more problems;
more medicines but less healthiness.

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble in crossing the street to meet our new neighbor.

We built more computers to hold more copies than ever,
but have less real communication;
We have become long on quantity,
but short on quality.

These are times of fast foods but slow digestion;
Tall men but short characters;
Steep profits but shallow relationships.

It’s a time when there is much in the window 
but nothing in the room.

~HIS HOLINESS THE 14TH DALAI LAMA

This has been the paradox of our age, but I have faith that more and more people are recognizing it for what it is. I believe a new age is coming and I can't wait to be a part of it.

What do you think of this paradox? 
Do you think we are emerging from it or sinking deeper in?

1 comment:

  1. I had not seen this before but as befits the Dalai Lama what a profound message. I love the line about having gone to the moon but not knowing the neighbours! Very true and quite sad. Inspires me to make more of an effort!

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