[Feb. 15] Icon of Tibetan Buddhism, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has been fighting for the freedom to express his religious beliefs in his home country of Tibet for generations now - something those of us in large cities like Miami take for granted. His nephew, 45-year-old, Jigme K. Norbu, had taken on his Uncle's mission of spreading awareness of the suffering of the Tibetan people. With messages of compassion and beliefs in reincarnation, Buddhism promotes ideas that encourage healthy relationships. While he has been unable to fully share his life experiences with love ones due to exile from Tibet by the Chinese government at an early age, His Holiness has never lost sight of the main mission - to educate others on the plight of the Tibetans, although suffering, always focused on growing in healthy ways.
The young man, Jigme K. Norbu, a native New Yorker, had set out on Monday, February 14th, 2011, for another one of his walks to grown the awareness in the United States on the plight of the Tibetans. The goal - to walk from St. Augustine to West Palm Beach. He was killed in the evening after being hit by an SUV driven by a young man and his children. Countless Buddhists monks and nuns have either been killed, severely abused or have suffered at the hands of the Chinese for expressing themselves. A believer in open, honest, and assertive communication, the Dalai Lama has never condoned the behavior displayed by the Chinese government on his people.
What can we learn, as a people, from the messages of the Dalai Lama? How does living in a big city like Miami harden us?
Ask yourself how often you have driven by someone that looked like they really need help. What did you feel? How did you react? What about when someone in your home needs assistance with something and 'you’re not in the mood'?
What we often forget is that building healthy relationships starts at home. Having been to see the Dalai Lama speak, I have heard him say first hand numerous times that we need to nurture our own feelings, in our home, as well as at the global level to truly understand the impact of compassion on our relationships. He has often said that each person and each interaction we have impacts the events at a global level.
The goal for Jigme K. Norbu was surely not only to promote awareness of the suffering of his people. The message was more than that. As with the Dalai Lama, the messages usually include showing us how each event that takes place in our world affects us, whether we realize it or not. Take a moment today to show compassion for someone in your life, whether it’s someone you know or a complete stranger.
For more on Jigme K. Norbu. read the story on CBS Miami.
How compassionate are you in your relationships? Do you show others you care for them? Are you good at taking others' feelings into consideration?
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Read more on Examiner.com: Trust makes for a healthy relationship!
Comments
Insane. Anyone should be able to march peacefully and demonstrate anywhere without fear of being killed for it.
This is very sad.
What a horrible accident!
I'm saddened to hear of the death of Jigme K. Norbu.
How horrible also for the young man who accidentally hit him. How tragic.
This is such sad news.
My deepest sympathies to His Holiness. Jigme Norbu dedicated his life to raising awareness among all who value freedom worldwide about the ongoing struggle of the Tibetan people to worship and observe their cultural traditions in safety and freedom. One can only hope that this tragic loss will achieve what Jigme Norbu had hoped to accomplish - concerted action by men, women, and children around the world to improve the lives of Tibetans who are suffering greatly. Thank you for helping to inspire your readers in this regard, Belky.
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