Big Thoughts, Human-sized Canvas
If I could wrap my Dad up in two words, it would be thundering tenderness. He’s a man with the shortest temper I ever saw, and at the same time he’s got the biggest heart. Some of the greatest conflicts are not between two people but between one person and himself. He knows what’s right and he…
I have three treasures which I hold and Keep.
The first is mercy; the second is economy;
The third is daring not to be ahead of others.
From mercy comes courage; from economy comes generosity;
From humility comes leadership.
It’s rather significant, we think, that those who have no compassion have no wisdom. Knowledge, yes; cleverness, maybe; wisdom, no. A clever mind is not a heart. Knowledge doesn’t really care. Wisdom does. We also consider it significant that cor, the Latin word for “heart,” is the basis for the word courage.
“If our essential nature is kind and compassionate,” I asked, “I’m just wondering how you account for all the conflicts and aggressive behaviors that are all around us.”
The Dalia Lama nodded thoughtfully for a moment before replying, “Of course we can’t ignore the fact that conflicts and…”
