At a recent Free The Children gathering called We Day that brought together 16,000 student leaders in Vancouver's GM Place, the stadium was silent as the 74-year-old spiritual leader turned down sitting in a chair and walked to the edge of the stage to be closer to the young people.
Making an impression
You could tell by the crowd's reaction that he managed to connect with each and every person present. The entire stadium placed their palms together and stood to bow in respect. Teenagers ceased talking. Younger kids looked on in awe.
His Holiness spoke about making the twenty-first century one of peace. He told everyone that to achieve that, we needed more compassion. Then, he spoke of how this all related back to one woman - his mother.
The Dalai Lama told us that in his childhood, she would carry him on his shoulders as he pulled her in the direction he wanted to go. He told us of her kindness. And through the smile that appeared on his face at the very mention of her name, his message was clear.
"A genuine seed of compassion comes from our mother," he said. "We need infinite compassion, infinite affection."
What is compassion?
Sometimes people attribute compassion to weakness. This could not be further from the truth. Certainly, as His Holiness says, compassion is what breeds harmony and peace – two things that only strengthen the world we live in.
"Let us make this whole world a world of smiles," said His Holiness. "Then, wherever we go, we see our friends and immediately you see friendship develop, trust develop."
As the Dalai Lama made light of getting older, he challenged the younger generation to be compassionate as they become leaders. Then, he challenged parents to model compassion by nurturing their children and showing them infinite love that will be modeled throughout their lives.
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