The Teachings

The four-day event was meant to be taken as a bulk-package, but previous obligations (and a sold-out audience) limited my engagement with His Holiness to the first two sessions. The purpose of his visit was to breakdown the meaning and teachings behind two important texts on how to develop and cultivate an awakened (or, enlightened) mind: The Commentary on Bodhicitta and A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. The purpose of my attending, was out of sheer curiosity.

The Dalai Lama made it clear that his lectures were not meant as religious dogma for acquisition of more followers, but rather as a forum for philosophical debate surrounding these ancient texts. His first point of the session was on the abundance of religions present in his current homeland of India, including the second highest population of Muslim followers. He glowed while recounting the countless children growing up there with such a variety of religious hymns, chants, and colorful celebrations. In a world of many faiths, he noted that effort must be made to cultivate mutual religious understanding to  ensure harmony and keep conflict at bay. An important factor is the sharing of respective spiritual knowledge in cultivating this understanding, and he advised that unless a clear path points you into the direction of a particular faith, it is best to remain in the religious tradition of your upbringing.

As a woman brought up with many different faiths and no particular belief system to follow (yet, spiritually rooted), this made sense. To hear with my own ears one of the most recognized worldly teachers and a man of the highest order of the entire Buddhist faith tell a room full of New Yorkers to embrace our individual differences and love one another for it, was a very humbling moment.

Compassion and the Five Elements

“Non-Violent Action stems from Non-Violent Emotion – this is the practice of Compassion.” Reminds me of when my mother taught me “Actions Speak Louder Than Words,” and the profound truth that how we relate and interact with the world around us is a direct extension of who we are and what we wish to cultivate in this lifetime. We are the masters of our own destiny.

While compassion is a major foundational point in Buddhist Philosophy, the 5 Elements are the hub of Buddhist Science – a concept I am very familiar with as it is also a major player in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The law of the 5 elements reveal the cyclical nature of life, beginning and ending with what was translated as “Empty Space” (which can also be referred to as consciousness, and considered the 5th unseen element in Buddhist Science and Tibetan Medicine).

Empty Space (always present) –> gives rise to Energy (Wind) –> which gives rise to Heat (Fire) –> which melts to make Liquid (Water) –> that hardens to become Solid (Earth) –> and then Dissolves back into the Empty Space.

The above diagram (meant to be drawn in a connected circle) is the basic foundation for the macroscopic world. It is the law of how things work and came to be in many traditions, and therefore can be used as a model for healing and medical treatment. The theory states that if the nature of the world around us can be understood through the law of the 5 elements, then it is through them that it (and we) can also be mended. Resonating with my education and profession, I agreed whole-heartedly.

Tibetan Medicine

Similar to the principles of Chinese Medicine, I had the fortune of studying medicine of the Tibetan tradition first-hand in Lhasa, Tibet for a month of clinical rotation nearly ten years ago. A major difference in the TCM 5 Elemental Law is the inclusion on Metal and Wood, and the absence of Wind. Just as Western Science has their medical model of treatment, so does Buddhist Science and TCM. Treatment success and protocol can only be understood (and therefore validated) when properly evaluated through their respective models.  It is for this reason that I find traditional medicines so fascinating.

Tibetan Medicine has been passed down through the centuries by beautifully created Thangkas – detailed drawings of various aspects of physiology, pathology, diagnosis and treatment. Below is my favorite Thangka, explaining the process of human development, from embryo to birth.

Closing Statement

During my day with the Dalai Lama, I sat in the very last row of the very highest balcony in Radio City Music Hall – and I was captivated. How a man, seated cross-legged in a chair in the middle of a stage, speaking about religious texts I have never read, mostly in a language I cannot understand could captivate and fill such an expansive space as if it were an intimate gathering is incredible. Perhaps someday I will have the chance to see him again, perhaps to witness the rich religions cultures of India or visit is home-away-from-home in Dharm Sala…

As artist Jeremy Penn notes (contributor of the portrait at the top of this post), unlike Lama’s of the past, HH the Dalai Lama has the privilege to speak around the world, shrinking the gap between faith, politics and followers. I am thankful I had the opportunity to experience this privilege.

Depending on your location will depend on the availability (and price) of duck meat. Most specialty food stores will carry some form of packaged duck breasts, but beware that they can be pricey for the amount you get. New York is famous for its exportation of whole Long Island Ducks, which are large and last for several savory meals. It does have a slightly gamey taste and can get tough if over-cooked, although I find it quite delicious.  Its versatile flavor can be a perfect compliment to many meals.

According to traditional Chinese Dietary Medicine, Duck meat is neutral in temperature and is therefore suitable for many constitutional types. It heavily nourishes the yin of the body, and regulates water metabolism by simultaneously nourishing the lungs, spleen and kidneys. Such symptoms as edema, excessive thirst or profuse sweating may be reduced by adding some duck meat to the diet. As we enter the winter season, hearty meats like duck and lamb can deeply nourish, warm and rejuvenate the body.

Some of my favorite ways to eat duck:

Roasted

By far the easiest way is to buy a whole duck, cover it with garlic and spices, stuff it with potatoes and shallots and roast it in the oven for a couple of hours.  The skin will get nice and crispy and the meat perfectly tender. Serve it up with some fresh vegetables and you’ve got a gourmet meal.

Soup

Once the whole duck has been generously carved, a perfect way to utilize the nutrients left is to boil it up as soup.  Throw the entire carcass into a pot of boiling salt-water to make a delicious duck broth.  Add vegetables and spices of your choice.  The left-0ver meat should fall easily off the bone adding extra protein to a very nourishing and delicious soup.  Below is a duck stew that my colleague Grace and I made as a pre-Thanksgiving meal.  We used turnips, carrots, yams, potatoes, shallots and squash which made for a delightfully sweet broth.

Duck Broth

Duck pizza? I said the same when I first saw it on the menu at Pairings - a lovely wine bistro in Minnetonka, Minnesota.  But, let me tell you, this one is worth trying to re-create at home (or just stopping by if you are in the neighborhood).  Goat Cheese, roasted duck breast, tart cherries, butternut squash and piles of arugula adorned a thin-crust pizza dough toasted with an olive-oil glaze.  Amazing!