The Karmapa Visits the American Embassy School

Here is an article I wrote for NESA (Near Eastern School’s Association):

Touching Peace Within:  The Karmapa Visits the American Embassy School

by Meena Srinivasan (Middle School Faculty, American Embassy School – New Delhi, India)

In honor of the UN International Day of Peace, the American Embassy School in New Delhi hosted His Holiness the 17^th Gyalwang Karmapa. After the Dalai Lama, the Karmapa is the most important spiritual leader for Tibetans and is being groomed to lead the Tibetan people when the Dalai Lama steps down. Only 24, he was born into a family of nomads in Tibet, recognized as the 17^th Karmapa at age 7, and at the age of 14 made a daring escape from Tibet to India.  Like the Dalai Lama, he is regarded as an embodiment of compassion. The Karmapa’s day long visit marked the fourth year the American Embassy School has come together as a community on the International Day of Peace to create a space for reflection and practical acts of peace.

The Karmapa arrived with an entourage of monks who visited classrooms and interacted with students throughout the day. The essence of their message was that peace is a choice we make. In an all school assembly of more than 1000 students and faculty His Holiness guided the school community through a short meditation to illustrate that peace is something natural to all of us; it is right here and now. By relaxing, being present in our body and placing our attention on our breath, we can easily see that peace is not something we have to create; it is already within us. The Karmapa stressed that education must go beyond acquiring knowledge to include our taking that natural peace inside ourselves, expanding it and giving it to others to make a better  world.

In addition to addressing students and faculty in an all school assembly, the Karmapa’s day-long visit included a talk given to parents and high school students about how to cultivate happiness.  Younger students participated in small-group question and answer sessions. His Holiness gave of himself to bless everyone who came to meet him including students, parents, faculty, custodians, gardeners, security guards. 

The visit of His Holiness was especially meaningful because the American Embassy School had an opportunity to share with the Karmapa our long standing partnership with the Tibetan Children’s Village, a community for the education of Tibetan children in exile.

A unique feature of the American Embassy School is our Educators’ Sangha that has been meeting weekly for the past eight years to share in mindfulness, meditation and peacefulness within. The Karmapa’s visit transformed the entire school community into a space of peace for the day, teaching us that “we all have the ability to touch the peace we hold within at any moment, under any circumstances.”

Bodhisattva Vow – Beastie Boys Lyrics

As I Develop The Awakening Mind I Praise The Buddha As They Shine I Bow Before You As I Travel My Path To Join Your Ranks, I Make My Full Time Task For The Sake Of All Beings I Seek The Enlighted Mind That I Know I’ll Reap Respect To Shantideva And All The Others Who Brought Down The Darma For Sisters And Brothers I Give Thanks For This World As A Place To Learn And For This Human Body That I’m Glad To Have Earned And My Deepest Thanks To All Sentient Beings For Without Them There Would Be No Place To Learn What I’m Seeing There’s Nothing Here That’s Not Been Said Before But I Put It Down Now So I’ll Be Sure To Solidify My Own Views And I’ll Be Glad If It Helps Anyone Else Out Too If Others Disrespect Me Or Give Me Flack I’ll Stop And Think Before I React = Knowing That They’re Going Through Insecure Stages I’ll Take The Opportunity To Exercise Patience I’ll See It As A Chance To Help The Other Person Nip It In The Bud Before It Can Worsen A Change For Me To Be Strong And Sure As I Think On The Buddhas Who Have Come Before As I Praise And Respect The Good They’ve Done Knowing Only Love Can Conquer In Every Situation We Need Other People In Order To Create The Circumstances For The Learning That We’re Here To Generate Situations That Bring Up Our Deepest Fears So We Can Work To Release Them Until They’re Cleared Therefore, It Only Makes Sense To Thank Our Enemies Despite Their Intent The Bodhisattva Path Is One Of Power And Strength A Strength From Within To Go The Length Seeing Others Are As Important As Myself I Strive For A Happiness Of Mental Wealth With The Interconnectedness That We Share As One Every Action That We Take Affects Everyone So In Deciding For What A Situation Calls There Is A Path For The Good For All I Try To Make My Every Action For That Highest Good With The Altruistic Wish To Achive Buddhahood So I Pledge Here Before Everyone Who’s Listening To Try To Make My Every Action For The Good Of All Beings For The Rest Of My Lifetimes And Even Beyond I Vow To Do My Best To Do No Harm And In Times Of Doubt I Can Think On The Dharma And The Enlightened Ones Who’ve Graduated Samsara