Il Dalai Lama come una rockstar: la massima autorità per la religione buddhista ha partecipato al Glastonbury Festival, il più noto festival musicale in Europa. Il capo spirituale tibetano ha tenuto un breve discorso davanti alla folla: “E’ un festival per le persone, non dei governi e dei politici, ed è così che dovrebbe essere”, ha detto. Il solo scopo della vita, ha osservato, è di “essere felici”, ha parlato di amore e di tolleranza, e del perdono come strumento per risolvere i conflitti in Siria e Iraq. E il pubblico ha intonato più volte ‘Happy Birthday to you‘ in vista del compleanno del Dalai Lama, che compirà 80 anni il 6 luglio.
E gli auguri al Dalai Lama non sono arrivati solo dalla folla: Patti Smith ha scritto un poema in onore del capo spirituale.
Queste le parole del canto composto per lui dalla Smith:
A small entreaty
Like the peeling of a lotus
Papering the distance
For you underfoot
One lone skin
To lift and fashion
As a cap to cradle
Your bowing head
An ear to hear
The great horn
A slipper to mount
The temple step
One lone skin
Bearing this wish
May your hands be full of nothing
May your toys scatter the sky
Tiny yellow bundles
Bursting like stars
Like smiles
At the laughter of a bell
Il Dalai Lama si è unito a lei sul palco e ha risposto con queste parole:
“Thank you, thank you. I hugely appreciate so many people’s expression of warm feelings. I very much appreciate it. I dedicate my body, speech and mind to the wellbeing of others, as my main daily practice, so when the people show this warm feeling that gives me more enthusiasm. I very much appreciate it. These singers and musicians… most of them have white hair. I saw their hair was white, but their voice and physical action looks very youthful. That gives me encouragement. Myself, I’m now 80 years old but I should be like you – active!”
Prima di lasciare il palco ha, infine, lanciato un suo messaggio sull’amicizia e la felicità:
“Thank you. We are all the same human beings. We all want a happy life. Actually, each day is a new day. It’s a new birthday. Every morning, when we wake up, think: ‘Now this is a new day, a birthday. I must carry this happy day.’ In order to have a happy day, keep [in your heart] a more compassionate feeling. A sense of concern for other’s wellbeing. That will be the source of happiness. That creates a happy mind, and that brings self-confidence. That creates honesty and truthfulness, so your new day will become a more meaningful day. In that way, you will be more transparent. That brings trust. Trust is the basis of friendship. We are a social animal. Friendship is very important. Friendship cannot be bought with money, or brought by force, only by warm-heartedness. I practice that, so I want to share with those good wishes. Thank you very much.”
