Gold robes, gold medal

Yesterday, the Dalai Lama was presented with the US Congress' highest civilian prize, the Congressional Gold Medal. From an Associated Press article:

President Bush, raising Beijing’s ire, presented the Dalai Lama on Wednesday with the U.S. Congress’ highest civilian honor and urged Chinese leaders to welcome the monk to Beijing.

The exiled spiritual head of Tibet’s Buddhists by his side, Bush praised a man he called a "universal symbol of peace and tolerance, a shepherd of the faithful and a keeper of the flame for his people."

The Dalai Lama's presence in the Rotunda all morning was shown on CNN. He connected easily and freely with all the members of Congress, and even with the president. A friend watched the entire event, and shared some reflections that I'd like to pass along.

One thing she noticed was the Dalai Lama's flexibility. When someone spoke to him of serious or tragic things, he was serious and listened with empathy. When the speech was light, he laughed. He was a perfect mirror, flowing seamlessly with the mood, although always maintaining his own calm. This can be accomplished only by people who have very little sense of ego.

In the same vein, he didn't take himself too seriously. During his speech, he called himself the spokesman for Tibet, then corrected himself to say spokesperson. Grinning, he added, "That's my first mistake." When he received the gold medal, he smiled at it appreciatively, then held it up to show everyone, like an exuberant child. On the way out the door, he turned to give everyone a joyful wave goodbye.

My friend also commented specifically on President Bush. She said he looked "a bit out of sorts" for the first half or so-- perhaps even "out of his league." :-) This probably came from relating to this oddly-dressed man of a foreign religion from his own self-identity as a born-again Christian. But as the morning progressed, and the Dalai Lama simply showed his boundless delight and hope, it became easier for Bush (and everyone there) to relax his identity and to care less about their differences. At the end, Bush guided the Dalai Lama out of the room on his arm.

There is a universal way to connect people through friendliness and common purpose. If it can cross the divide between a fundamentalist Christian who has gone to war and a peace-advocating Buddhist monk, it can cross any divide. There is hope for the world.

Of course, we can't ignore the politics either. The presentation of this medal infuriated China, which was calculated. China is vulnerable right now: It is in the process of one of its famed Five-Year Plans, and it is looking toward hosting the Olympics in 2008. Now is the time to exert pressure on China to reform its politics, its economy, its environmental and legal practices. China is in the hotseat.

I couldn't help wondering how Taiwan will use this opportunity. China's relationship with Taiwan is obviously quite different than that with Tibet, but still, Taiwan has a few axes to grind with its larger neighbor. And as with Tibet, the issues are often buried in careful, diplomatic silence. Will now turn out to be the time to speak up and start airing the challenges more publicly?

I find myself with some sympathy for China, actually. It has extremely difficult problems to deal with. First and foremost, there is an enormous and growing gap between the moneyed, educated, exuberant middle class that is exploding in cities like Shanghai, and the poor populations of the countryside. Although China doesn't want to stop the economic growth along the coasts, it cannot afford the social unrest that is already brewing among portions of its own populace.

Can the world afford a civil war in China?

Furthermore, even as China grumbles that the West is talking about environmental restraint just as the developing nations are getting their piece of the pie, it is well aware of the serious damage already going on in its own nation. China is choking on its own CO2 emissions, and understands well the threat of future water wars. It may complain about having to tighten its environmental belt, but it is already paying the price of rampant growth and will have to face the logic at some point. One challenge will be doing so while simultaneously saving face.

And through it all, the Dalai Lama simply smiles and receives his Congressional Gold Medal. An amazing being-- he has no Grand Agenda beyond being as present as he can, laboring with complete devotion and patience toward world peace. He works with great energy, but no ego. Stepping lightly, he has a major impact everywhere he goes. What a model for the world from this unworldly leader.

The US Congress may have had a political agenda in inviting him to the Rotunda, but I would guess they received something far more valuable from the Dalai Lama's presence. I hope they cherish that and perhaps even act from that place more often.