Dear Dalai Lama

Howard’s letter was featured in the collection “Dear Dalai Lama” for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday.

25 July 2014, NSW

Dear Dalai Lama,

As your Holiness's 80th birthday approaches, it is a wonderful opportunity to thank you for the love you have brought into this world through your teachings, reflections and writings.

I have been deeply inspired by all your books. You show people of all faiths the glorious joys of now. I love your Book of Love and Compassion in particular. It has helped me to see, and to show others, how every single moment is overflowing with abundant miracles and goodness.

Loving kindness fills every word you speak, every action you take and every idea you share. The things you have celebrated and the joy you have shown us all will always leave the world and its people with more compassion than otherwise might have been the case.

I especially enjoyed For Tibet With Love [1st Tibetan Film & Arts Festival in Australial at Sydney Opera House in the summer of 2011. The music, the conversation and the poetry and prose captivated all and filled our hearts with much joy.

Your talks in many places about happiness have helped so many of us to learn how to be happy by choice rather than to live the conditional happiness programmed into our communities by advertising and the false hopes that material possessions and things can lead to a state of happiness.

I wish your Holiness every blessing and goodness in 2015, the year of your Holiness's 80th birthday. May the kindness and compassion you foster and promulgate be returned to you in abundance. And may your positive personal example continue to inspire, nurture and uplift all those who have the good fortune to know you or to know of you.

In love, solidarity and kindness now and always.
Howard Bell
(Approaching the Spring Equinox 2014)

Practising lawyer, teacher, research supervisor, social researcher, human rights and sacial justice campaigner.