by Viren Mayani - A first hand account

I felt I was touched from within, when actually I was blessed by Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama in front of 3000 avid spectators who had arrived from distances unknown to get a glimpse of this messiah who is homeless by definition but has a home in most physical places around the Globe and to most peoples hearts.

A 1989 Nobel laureate, he is revered as an apostle of peace worldwide. This historic moment occurred at the 1st Emory Summit on Religion, Conflict and Peacebuilding, on Sunday October 21st during the three day visit by His Holiness, wherein He was also scheduled to be installed as Emory’s Presidential Distinguished Professor. This event will remain unparalleled in the tenure of the Gandhi Foundation of USA; an organization promoting the legacies of Gandhi & King in Atlanta and the World at large; an organization to which I subscribe to, as a Board Member.

In a true spirit of cooperation Dr. Laurie Patton; Chair, Department of Religion and Professor of Early Indian Religions along with a few other members of the task force @ Emory University accepted my request to have Gandhi Foundation of USA to participate in the historical visit. My inclusion on the task force was additionally strongly endorsed by my good friend and the Director of Gandhi Center at James Madison University; Dr. Sushil Mittal, who recently hosted His Excellency, Emeritus Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu at his campus. Emory, in complete collaboration with our communities not only allowed us to present the GFUSA’s esteemed “Peace Pilgrim” Award to the Dalai Lama but also issued fifty pro-bono reserved seats to the Foundation for its members; patrons and sponsors for an otherwise sold out event! The support was fantabulous and we are so very grateful for the same.

After some four-odd months, a lot of logistical detail between Emory and GFUSA plus a cumbersome but planned distribution of the prized tickets for the foundation’s patrons by GFUSA’s Secretary Dr. Thrivikraman, also an Emory faculty, the day had finally arrived! On a bright Sunday afternoon, on a pristine stage built within the Woodruff Physical Education Center on Emory Campus, adorned with lounge, fabric-draped chairs and a white acrylic backdrop with lights illuminated from behind it and a hand made floral tribute placed just in front of the Dalai Lama’s seat with a huge Mandala made on the left of the stage; with a sound amplified and so clear that it could pick up every hiss from a 3000+ audience that sat impatiently in their seats although the air conditioning was at its maximum comfort; throughout the minutes up-until the happy presence of His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, ascended the stage with the enlightened four speakers of the Forum, which included: (1) Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson and a University of Illinois’s Visiting Professor Raj Mohan Gandhi on the Hindu perspective. His statements included one deferring to Hindus & Muslims to be tolerant of each other and show restraint for cohabitation. The world is getting global. (2) Rabbi David Rosen on Jewish perspective. He felt that the people need to seek a collective response because the poor have rights too. He frequently referred to the Holy saints. (3) Sister Joan Chittister on the Christian perspective. One of her best quotes “If we let the people lead the leaders will eventually follow” received a standing ovation. (4) The last but not the least the Emory Professor Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na’im on the Islamic perspective. He claimed that enough was being said but it was time to take action, now. He added the famous Gandhi dictate “Be the change”! Gandhiji was sequentially referred to by all panel speakers including his Holiness who said that he felt akin to Gandhiji. Security to the venue was sealed by special-forces and the process was so tried and tested that people who were filtering through, were quietly moved through the crowd with ease and clear directions. There was no reported untoward incident anywhere on campus. The audience was learned and reserved in their behavior.

Having obtained the Press Clearance in advance as well as having a ticket to the event, besides being one of the presenters of Gandhi Foundation’s prestigious Peace Pilgrim Award alongside Chairman Subash Razdan, Executive Director: Dr. Giri Rao, and Deputy Executive Director Anthony Thaliath; it still took a lot of communicating back and forth within Security Officials to allow for the Plaque to be carried-in as well as the bearers of the Plaque themselves.

The moderator of the Forum Dr. Patton, welcomed His Holiness and briefed the audience of His alliance with Emory dating back a few years. She then introduced and invited President James Wagner for his opening remarks followed by Provost Dr. Earl Lewis. Dr. Patton then introduced in great detail, all the four Forum speakers. Dressed in a black salwar-kameez with rich Kashmiri embroidery, Dr. Patton called upon the dedicated leaders and founding members of the Gandhi Foundation of USA to present the honor to His Holiness. The three members listed above and I perched upon the stage and shook the soft hands of His Holiness. Dr. Rao presented the Kashmiri Pashmina Shawl to Him in His hands and he quickly opened it and draped it on his shoulders where it remained until the rest of the event. The Peace Pilgrim Plaque was presented by Professor Raj Mohan Gandhi besides us with the text that said: “The Gandhi Foundation of USA presents the Peace Pilgrim Award to His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the Dalai Lama, for committing His life to dispel the misery of the world by inspiring and invoking the spirit of Non-violence, Social Justice, Peace and Happiness awarded this 21st day of October 2007”, signed by the four GFUSA members on stage. Sparks flew and there was instant electricity when His Holiness accepted the Award with grace and a big hug for Professor Gandhi and Dr. Rao. For some of us who had already descended the stage to follow previously scripted directions, He called us back on-stage, to hug and present a Khata to each one of us individually.

His Holiness’ Opening Remarks included the pain he felt for the sufferings by the people of Darfur. He had never met someone from Sudan before so His immediate reaction in the Green Room was that of reaching out and hugging Professor An-Na’im out of compassion. He compared the Global Peace to the security and quietness attained by an infant who is on her mother’s breast, weaning-off its fears and being in a state of complete bliss. Such should be the affairs of the heart, even between States, He explained. His Holiness suggested that if you are at peace with yourself, you will be at peace within and externally as well. The next to follow were the Forum Speakers who were so electrifying in their messages that the audience remained thirsty for more. The speakers than had an opportunity to give their input to a couple prescreened questions hosted by the Moderator, as by then the time was running out. The event ended with the Consecration of the Mandala for Peace and Compassion .

It was a crystallized moment made for, for The Gandhi Foundation of USA, not only for sharing the stage with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and presenting Him with an honor but to also go down in the annals of history that apart from the Gandhi Foundation of USA, no other outside / non-Emory University agency participated at this mega event!

The Summit was phenomenal and the planning, par excellence. May peace be to all this New Year!