 |
A Buddhist Perspective on the Art of the Mind By JESSICA HAN
Draped in burgundy robes, Lama Pema Wangdak sat before his bustling audience of Juilliard students and faculty on February 3 with a quiet demeanor and a smile on his face. As a hush settled over the audience, Lama Pema softly and calmly began his presentation. "The highest form of art is not created with an instrument, but with the mind—the art of the mind is the greatest form of art."
 |
| Lama Pema Wangdak (right) speaks to master’s degree student Charles Reneau after the lecture. (Photo by Lisa Yelon) |
|
Six years ago, liberal arts faculty member Jo Sarzotti introduced Lama Pema to the Juilliard community. Since 2003, the Juilliard Liberal Arts Department and the Office of Student Affairs have jointly sponsored Lama Pema's regular visits to the Juilliard community, making his discussion of Buddhism an annual one. Each year, his guest appearances are timed to coincide with the first-year students' reading of The Teachings of the Compassionate Buddha. By discussing the fundamentals of Buddhism and his view of life under the influence of Buddhism, Lama Pema provides a greater understanding of Buddhism not only as an established religion, but also as a way of life.Lama Pema was born in western Tibet and has been practicing Buddhism as a monk since the tender age of 7. He later left Tibet for India, where he earned his master's degree in Tibetan studies. In the 1980s, Lama Pema arrived in the U.S., establishing the Vikramasila Foundation of Tibetan Buddhist Studies and Meditation in 1989, based in New York City and Fairlawn, N.J.Lama Pema's lecture was shaped by several questions raised by members of the audience at the beginning of the session. He began by addressing the question of whether Buddhism is a religion. "What is religion and what is religious, truly?" he asked. He said that, according to the Buddhist's definition, those who are attached and obsessed with themselves and have no concept of life outside their own lives are not religious people. To be truly religious, one must acknowledge and accept that "the world existed before us, with us, and will continue existing after us—we are but a speck of dirt in time." Rebirth reflects Buddhism's belief that it is important to go beyond your own life. Lama Pema said, "In life, we are the master of our fate. We will go on, and are then the past and the future. We therefore represent the power and kindness, compassion, freedom from arrogance and possessiveness in life."
In Lama Pema's brief discussion of meditation, he explained that one is, by nature, selfless. Meditation, as he described it, is "research"—a means for one to explore the self in the attempt to find and then embrace the truest and most natural state of oneself.A second question asked of Lama Pema was how one finds peace in this crazy world, and if that path to peace is by means of the mind. His response was, "Life takes effort, and work is work," as he smiled and chuckled to himself. "But effort is the key to success." Of course, joy may exist for no reason—but for the most part, most people's lives are at the service of humankind to provide for and respect others. It is important to reflect the joy in such efforts, rather than the annoyances. The follow-up question he addressed to the audience was, "But what then is the meaning of effort?" According to Lama Pema, it is the joy that one finds in working; "joyous effort," as he calls it, is the key to finding and maintaining inner peace."Understanding yourself—understanding the mind" is part of obtaining peace. He explained that there are three parts to understanding yourself as a person: wisdom, skillful means, and compassion. "Wisdom," he noted, "is everywhere, if you know to look for it." Skillful means refers to how one goes about obtaining that inner peace. Compassion is understanding that all people are equal. In a previous lecture, he used the example of Albert Einstein to illustrate: "Einstein was very, very smart. But he was mortal. His knowledge was important but limited. The plumber, the man who cooked his food, the garbage collector were no less because they are also necessary."As artists, what we truly depend on to find happiness comes from the inside. Work and friendship may be outlived. Creativity, however, is essential to finding peace of mind and quality of life, as it is this creativity that provides inner strength and inspiration that allows us to flourish. "Without art, we would be no different from animals … we would lead animalistic lives. Art," said Lama Pema, "is life."Jessica Han is a first-year student in flute.
|
