I first learned about the Dalai Lama and the plight of Tibet
back in the early 1980s while teaching English in Japan. One of my students, a near fluent lawyer who
wanted to practice debate, asked if I would edit a legal document for her. I
said I’d be happy to read it and correct any grammar, punctuation, and spelling
errors, but didn’t know enough about the law to comment on its legality. “Oh I don’t think you need to worry about
that too much,” she said with a smile.
The document turned out to be a draft of the Tibetan
Constitution that she was writing for and with the Dalai Lama. It was based on the United States
constitution, and as you might imagine was both familiar and easy to edit. Though I wasn’t able to meet His Holiness
then, and have only exchanged smiles with him since, I have followed his
tireless efforts on behalf of his country and world peace with great
interest. Whether or not you accept
that he is the incarnation of Avalokitesvara, the Buddha of Compassion, one
cannot look him in the eyes and not be grateful he is on the planet.
You can imagine my excitement when I learned that there
would be a “Light Protest” on August 7th and 8th on the Shangria sim
in Second Life to support the worldwide “Candle for Tibet” project. If you haven’t heard about the project, it
is a peaceful and inspirational way for folks around the world to express their
support for a free Tibet. The events on
August 7th and 8th were to protest China’s treatment of
Tibet just before the start of the Beijing Olympics.
In Second Life, the protest was spearheaded by SpaceJunky, a
real life Australian band that is touring SL to promote its new CD “Resident
Alien.” Having never heard of SpaceJunky, and not being too keen on aliens, I would have passed on the whole event
if I hadn’t gone to the Candle for Tibet Web site and seen the Dalai Lama’s
kind, familiar face smiling out at me.
Remembering his gentle voice urging the crowd of 500 to, “open your arms to change, but don't let go of your
values,” I not only attended the candle vigil on August 7th,
but made a point of chatting with Space Junky’s lead singer Shakti Cianci as
well.
Shakti, whose real life name is Tania Smith, is probably
best known for her song “Temple of Love.”
A powerful story about the Dalai Lama returning to Tibet, Shakti says
she originally assumed that Temple of Love was just a love song. “But that
never felt totally right,” she says. “I
always knew there was more to it.” It
wasn’t until she began making one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry from old Tibetan
amulets, and had a chance to visit the Potala Palace in Tibet, that all the
pieces clicked.
“We came to a room with hundreds of candles outside,” says
Shakti. “I thought, 'this reminds me of
the line in my song ….inside these
walls a thousand candles have burned in promise of your return.’ Then our guide Ken said, ‘this is called the
room of a thousand Buddhas, and was also the room of the sixth Dalai Lama, who
wrote songs that Tibetans still sing to this day.’”
Shakti sang Temple of Love in the room, and the monks were
so moved that they gave her the blessing of the sixth Dalai Lama’s hat. “It was an amazing experience," she says. "And this was
when we realized the song was about the Dalai Lama’s return to Tibet and the
Tibetan people’s message of love to the world."
Temple of Love has since been made into a video that
has been green lighted as a contender to be shown on the Emmy award winning TV channel "Current TV."
Filmed in Tibet, it includes footage of what Shakti calls a “mystical
experience.” To see the video and cast
your vote in favor of Temple of Love, please visit Current. I think you’ll agree that Shakti has
captured the essence of what the current Dalai Lama meant when he said, “Love
and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot
survive.” Or as Shakti likes to say, "May we all enter the temple of love."
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