I teach secular ethics at TCV Suja, a boarding school created for refugee children (most of whose families are still in Tibet), and have been getting along really well with the Principal, Karma Tharchin. He's an incredibly kind man and you can tell he really loves his students and cares for their well-being to the point of which he's adamant and very hardworking on the issue of introducing critical-thinking based instruction to TCV Suja.
He invited me to join TCV Suja for Tibet, Our Country Day (H.H. The Dalai Lama's birthday), which they've recently declared Compassion day, where I got to see a traditional Tibetan monastic debate, hear a few examples of traditional Tibetan music, and drink some traditional butter tea, all prepared by students from as young as Kindergarten. They were adorable! However, the highlight was probably the blessing provided by H.H. The Karmapa, a major spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism whose lineage goes back 200 years before the Dalai Lama's! He spoke quite a bit on the nature of compassion, as well as the importance of recognizing and acting on your own compassion, otherwise it fades away.
He invited me to join TCV Suja for Tibet, Our Country Day (H.H. The Dalai Lama's birthday), which they've recently declared Compassion day, where I got to see a traditional Tibetan monastic debate, hear a few examples of traditional Tibetan music, and drink some traditional butter tea, all prepared by students from as young as Kindergarten. They were adorable! However, the highlight was probably the blessing provided by H.H. The Karmapa, a major spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism whose lineage goes back 200 years before the Dalai Lama's! He spoke quite a bit on the nature of compassion, as well as the importance of recognizing and acting on your own compassion, otherwise it fades away.