For centuries, the world looked upon Tibet as a mysterious place hidden behind the highest Himalayan peaks. The Tibetans themselves were content in their splendid isolation. The Chinese occupation broke that isolation, and then the internet blew away most of the myths and mysteries around Tibet. If any part of their occupation could be considered a blessing, it was that it uncovered the amazing Tibetan spiritual culture for the whole world to share.

While the Western world focused on the study of science and mathematics that propelled the industrial revolution, the Tibetans focused on the study of Buddhism and human consciousness, which ushered in a quiet spiritual revolution on the roof of the world. While the West built Harvard, Oxford, and their iconic universities, the Tibetans built huge monastic universities, such as Sera, Drepung, Gadhen, and Tashi Lhunpo, with thousands of monks studying in them. The cream of the Tibetan society was in those monasteries. This system produced thousands of spiritual masters, and a community premised on compassion and altruism. 

The spiritual way of life is taught early in life and keeps growing through age and maturation. There is a gradient if you will. While it is not uncommon to see younger Tibetans practice, do prostrations, and pilgrimages, it becomes ubiquitous for elderly Tibetans. Just as our phones and tablets are now an integral part of our lives, so are the rosaries and prayer wheels for the Tibetan elders. As we rush off anywhere, we seldom forget to grab our phones, in the same way as the elders head for their rounds of the stupas, or monasteries; they rarely forget to grab their rosaries. It is an inseparable part of their being, just as our phones have become.

Spirituality is the lifeline of the Tibetan people. Without it, they would lose their soul and their foundation. Most Tibetans find some time and space for it in their daily lives. For many, the time spent on spiritual practice is the most important and meaningful part of their day. Just setting aside this special time every day for inner growth, to reflect, meditate, and calm the mind for all the challenges of the day ahead can be immensely useful for many people. 

I believe that one of the most fascinating and useful beliefs of Tibetan spirituality is its emphasis on how the mind can be trained – and this belief, this knowledge, has huge importance for the whole world. We can clearly and demonstrably see that our bodies can be shaped, toned, sculptured, and modified. But, since we cannot physically see the changes in the human mind, it becomes that much harder to believe that our minds too can be trained and disciplined. Knowing that human minds can be transformed with simple meditation is a game-changer for personal transformation and perhaps even societal change.

It is liberating to know that humans can change for the better, and all that this may take is training the mind. Now, this may seem far-fetched to some segments of society, but Buddhist practitioners have brought about enormous personal transformation by meditation and training their minds, making them stronger and more balanced so that the next time an unexpected storm of life comes, they do not break but can face it with more courage. At the same time, they are able to maintain humility and equanimity when a current of achievement or good fortune comes their way.

As a Tibetan, I feel that the Tibetans’ spiritual heritage is of immense global importance, and I know we are not the only ones who think this way. People who study the world at a macro level and the contributions of major civilizations have compared Tibetan spirituality to the Amazon forests! Just as the Amazon forests are vital to supply life-giving oxygen to the world, the Tibetan heritage can be the spiritual oxygen that the world needs in these days of global conflict, inequality, and rampant greed. I would like to think that it can be the catalyst for a spiritual awakening.

America is a great country, but we can see many things that do not seem right. The pain of racism and bigotry is on the rise, and the chasm between the haves and have-nots is always increasing. Many people are unhappy, and there is a lot of pain and suffering right now. In this context, I’m motivated to share what little I know of Tibetan spirituality because I believe it has enormous potential to help.

In this effort to make Tibetan spirituality vibrant, relevant, and beneficial to the whole world, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has played an unparalleled role. The beauty and blessing of the Tibetan spiritual heritage as espoused by him is that one does not have to be a Buddhist to be touched by Buddhism, to find meaning in it, for it to envelop and bless their life. The concept of universal responsibility as global citizens to embrace compassion, the idea of secular ethics, and the idea of something beyond religion can benefit everyone irrespective of one’s faith, race, ethnicity, or nationality. If we distill the core of this message, it is both simple and compelling: all living beings are the same in that they want happiness and do not want to suffer, that we are all connected and interdependent in some way, that every one of us is responsible for the happiness of every other living being.

In his book, Happiness From a Buddhist Perspective, H.H. the Dalai Lama states that happiness is an essential goal of all people and then explains how one can draw on the wisdom of the Buddhist tradition to achieve satisfaction by transforming the mind. His Holiness explains how, in this tradition, there is a special instruction called Mind Training that focuses on cultivating concern for others and turning adversity into advantages that can be of great benefit to people seeking to end suffering and improve happiness.

Another compelling reason to take a second look at Tibetan spirituality is this idea of promoting lasting happiness. I saw an inspirational video of another Tibetan spiritual master, Geshe Lhakdhor, who directs the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives at Dharamsala in Northern India. In that presentation, he highlighted the fleeting nature of happiness that comes from external sources simply because external things like the weather, wealth, friends, or even life partners may change. On the other hand, if we can train our minds, develop inner qualities of compassion, cultivate warm-heartedness, and care for others, it can give us happiness over a long time.

The other encouraging teaching that Tibetan culture emphasizes is that each of us is already good enough. We do not need to become someone else. The seeds of goodness are already in each one of us. The same Geshe Lhakdor I mentioned earlier asks us, “Each of you has upgraded your phones many times. When will you upgrade yourselves?” We don’t need to change and become someone else to be happy. We only need to upgrade to a better version of ourselves. 

I am excited to think that Tibetan spirituality can act as a catalyst for personal transformation to bring inner calm and balance, and I’m excited to think that in this way it can contribute to society and global peace and well-being. I write this with some conviction knowing that society is a collection of individuals, and, if something contributes to the inner peace of individuals, then by default it contributes to the society as well. This train of thought is worth a look at because we know that peace is not something we can mandate on a society. In fact, it is challenging to legislate it. Viewed from this lens, as a Tibetan, I celebrate our spiritual heritage and hope that it can be a catalyst for all of us to live more balanced and compassionate lives in a post-pandemic world.