Thomas Merton and the Dalai Lama
Yesterday was the 86th birthday of the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader. He is a compassionate and often playful spiritual leader who is also a symbol of anticipated freedom for his Chinese occupied nation.
Someone posted a photo of the Dalai Lama with Thomas Merton, the late Trappist monk whose prolific writing has influenced many, myself included. Merton became increasingly committed to what we tend to call interfaith dialogue, with a focus on mysticism . They met several times not long before Merton's untimely death in 1968 in Dharamsala, India where the Dalai Lama was living in exile.
They quickly developed a mutual respect and affection. Again and again over the years in his public teachings the Dalia Lama has held up Thomas Merton as a model for interfaith conversation and desire for world peace. Visiting the Abbey of Gethsemani in 1996, Merton's home for many years, the Dalai Lama said:
I always consider myself as one of [Thomas Merton's] Buddhist brothers. So … I always remember him, and I always admire his activities and his life-style. Since my meeting with him … I really follow some of his examples … So for the rest of my life, the impact of meeting him will remain until my last breath. I really want to state that I make this commitment, and this will remain until my last breath.
It's worth noting that Merton developed a meaningful friendship with another Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, and they too explored interfaith conversation. Thich Nhat Hanh is now 94 and widely recognized for his wisdom. I wonder what gifts would have been shared with the world if these three, all well ahead of their time in respecting other religions, had been able to deepen their friendships?
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