The Dalai Lama's Advice for Right Now
Dan Harris interviews His Holiness the Dalai Lama and neuroscientist Richard Davidson about coping with pandemic anxiety, the nature of self, and the power of compassion. The Dalai Lama shares surprising insights on happiness as a refugee and his daily meditation practices.
Deep Dive Analysis
17 Topic Outline
Dalai Lama's Current State and World View
Managing Anxiety and Fear through Oneness
Dalai Lama's Personal Meditation Practice Recommendation
The Practice of Wise Selfishness and Altruism
Tonglen Meditation for Difficult Emotions
Dalai Lama's Daily Routine and Analytical Meditation
Views on China and the Panchen Lama Controversy
Advice for Coping with Grief and Loss
Perspective on America's Role in the World
Dalai Lama's Relaxation Methods
Richard Davidson's Relationship with the Dalai Lama
Neuroscience of the Self and Meditation's Impact
Unpacking the Dalai Lama's Humor and Cosmic View
The Dalai Lama's Happiness as a Refugee
Detailed Explanation of Dzogchen Meditation
Scientific Evidence for Compassion's Benefits
The Future of the Dalai Lama Institution
8 Key Concepts
Wise Selfishness
This concept suggests that taking care of others is the most effective way to care for your own happiness and well-being, as individual interests are deeply intertwined with the community and depend on others.
Oneness of Humanity
The mental model of viewing all people as part of one human family, recognizing global interdependence, which the Dalai Lama suggests can help reduce anxiety and foster greater happiness and connection.
Sensorial Consciousness
Refers to the mind's primary functioning through the five senses (eye, ear, smell, taste, touch). In meditation, one attempts to temporarily stop the functioning of this consciousness to access deeper states of mind.
Analytical Meditation
A practice involving deep reasoning and inquiry, such as searching for an independent 'self' or the nature of reality. The goal is to realize that no such independent entity can be found, which is considered the basis for overcoming negative emotions.
Dzogchen
A style of meditation practice, meaning 'the great perfection' in Tibetan, which aims to enable a person to rest in the primordial, pristine, luminous, and vast natural state of the mind, transcending concepts and the distinction between subject and object.
Dynamic Range of Emotion
The ability to experience and express a wide spectrum of emotions, from profound sadness to laughter, in rapid succession without lingering. This responsiveness is seen as appropriate to the moment and is often observed in young children and highly experienced meditators like the Dalai Lama.
Contemplative Neuroscience
A scientific field that investigates the effects of meditation and contemplative practices on the brain and body. This field was significantly influenced by the Dalai Lama's challenge to scientists to study positive human qualities rather than just pathologies.
Impermanence
A fundamental Buddhist concept asserting that everything is transient and subject to change. According to Tibetan Buddhist beliefs, while all phenomena are impermanent, awareness itself is continuous, without beginning or end.
9 Questions Answered
The Dalai Lama suggests shifting from self-centered thinking to a vision of humanity as one interdependent family, recognizing that our well-being depends on others, which can help reduce anxiety.
Wise selfishness is the understanding that taking care of others is actually the best way to take care of your own happiness and well-being, as individual interests are deeply intertwined with the community.
The Dalai Lama states that his life hasn't changed much, as he regularly undertakes long periods of isolation and meditation, sometimes for weeks or months, which he finds useful for protection against illness.
In Buddhism, the strong feeling of an independent, self-centered 'I' is considered the basis of all negative emotions, and analytical meditation aims to reveal that no such independent self can be truly found.
The Dalai Lama advises transforming sadness into determination, emphasizing that one should not feel helplessness, but rather make continuous effort, even through failures, and not worry excessively about problems that are either solvable or unsolvable.
Neuroscientific meta-analyses suggest there is no single, specific location for the 'self' in the brain; rather, the 'hotspot' for self-related processing is distributed and context-dependent, aligning with the Buddhist view.
The Dalai Lama challenged neuroscientists like Richie Davidson to shift their focus from studying pathologies to investigating the virtuous side of human nature and the potential for positive emotions, thereby helping to establish the field of contemplative neuroscience.
Yes, scientific data show that even brief compassion practice (as little as 7 hours over weeks, or 8 minutes for behavioral changes) can produce measurable changes in brain regions associated with positive emotion (ventral striatum) and perspective-taking (temporoparietal junction), and can also decrease inflammatory molecules in the body.
Richie Davidson believes this suggestion is largely wrapped up in the current political situation, with concerns about China appointing the next Dalai Lama, and ending the lineage could be a way to resolve that.
13 Actionable Insights
1. Practice Wise Selfishness
To achieve your own happiness and well-being, turn your attention outward and take care of others, as altruism is the ultimate source of happiness and will make you feel better.
2. Analytical Self-Inquiry Meditation
Practice analytical meditation, especially upon waking, by searching for the ‘I’ or an independent self beyond body and mind, recognizing its absence to dismantle the basis of negative emotions and cultivate concern for others’ suffering.
3. Practice Tonglen Meditation
Practice Tonglen meditation by envisioning a suffering person, inhaling their difficulty (anger, suspicion, suffering) into yourself, and on the out-breath, transforming it and breathing out compassion, forgiveness, and wishes for their ease and happiness. Start with a loved one and then extend to others.
4. Early Morning Mind Meditation
Practice meditation in the early morning by trying to stop the functioning of sensorial consciousness (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) to experience an empty, pure, and fully alert state of mind, gradually increasing the duration.
5. Transform Sadness to Determination
When facing sadness or grief, transform it into determination, persisting with effort despite failures, rather than feeling helplessness or giving up.
6. Shape Your Brain Positively
Take responsibility for actively changing your brain in a positive direction through intentional practices, rather than passively allowing external forces to shape it.
7. Regular Compassion Practice
Engage in compassion practices regularly, as even brief periods (e.g., 8 minutes or 30 minutes daily for two weeks) can produce measurable positive changes in your brain and behavior, including increased altruism and perspective-taking.
8. Embrace Global Oneness
Shift your thinking from an isolated national perspective to viewing yourself as part of a single human family and world community, as this more realistic thinking can help reduce anxiety.
9. Wake Up with Altruism
Upon waking up each morning, think about altruism, as this practice brings inner peace and inner strength.
10. Rational Problem Approach
If a problem has a solution, there’s no need to be discouraged; if there’s no way to overcome a problem, there’s no use worrying too much.
11. Appreciate Human Life
Appreciate your life as a human being with a wonderful brain and resolve not to waste this precious gift.
12. Relax with Animal Videos
To relax and find peace, watch television programs featuring animals, especially peaceful ones like deer, to counteract complicated or troubling news.
13. Join Meditation Challenge
Join the free 21-day Pandemic Resilience Challenge starting June 10th to cope with anxiety, fear, loneliness, and boredom by establishing or restarting a daily meditation habit with guided videos.
7 Key Quotes
If you think only America and isolate you yourself, then sometimes you feel you yourself something lonely.
Dalai Lama
Altruism is the ultimate source of happiness.
Dalai Lama
The sense of an independent self is considered in Buddhism to be the root of all of our difficult emotions.
Dan Harris
If there is a way to overcome, then no use to discourage. If the problem, no way to overcome, then no use, too much worry.
Dalai Lama
What the Dalai Lama was asking me to do is look at a person and find out what's right about them. It really is a completely different orientation.
Richie Davidson
One of the things that is so extraordinary about the Dalai Lama is the dynamic range of his emotion. He has a greater dynamic range of emotion than any other human being I've ever encountered.
Richie Davidson
We can actually take more responsibility for changing our brains in a positive direction rather than leaving willy-nilly to the forces around us to change our brain.
Richie Davidson
2 Protocols
Dalai Lama's Recommended Meditation for Beginners
Dalai Lama- In the early morning, try to stop the functioning of sensorial consciousness (eye, ear, smell, taste, touch).
- Remain in the resulting empty state, experiencing pureness without form, sound, smell, taste, or touch, while remaining fully alert and not like deep sleep.
- Gradually extend the duration of this state, from a few seconds to minutes (e.g., 20-30 seconds, then one, five, ten minutes), to gain deeper experience of the mind's pureness.
- Then, focus on deeper meanings, such as compassion, understanding that your own well-being depends on others, and that altruism is the ultimate source of happiness.
Tonglen (Giving and Taking) Meditation
Richie Davidson- Envision a particular person who is suffering or experiencing difficulty, starting with a loved one with an uncomplicated, close relationship (family member, friend, or pet).
- On the inhale, envision taking in their difficulty, suffering, or disturbance into your own self.
- On the out-breath, transform that difficulty and wish them ease, relief from their suffering, or happiness, giving compassion and love.
- Repeat this process, taking in the problem on the in-breath and giving compassion on the out-breath, using natural breathing.
- Gradually move on to other categories of people after practicing with a loved one.