Buddhist Teachings - Geshe Tenzin Namdak la
It was our honour to host Geshe Tenzin Namdak la once again in Shikshantar. Geshe la spoke to the children of Classes VI & VIII on the themes of ‘Discovering Myself: Building Self-Identity with Clarity and Confidence’ and ‘Mindful Living, Mindful Self: Discovering Who You Are’ respectively. His good-humoured approach and lifetime of unusual experiences captivated the attention of all the students.
Geshe Namdak la began by talking to the children about carefully regulating one’s internal environment to seek happiness and send out positive energy at all times. Self-awareness can be worked upon through different ways, either through meditative introspection or even participating in sports, which enables one to live in the present moment. Using the analogy of clouds passing through a clear blue sky, he said that when we understand the temporariness of thoughts and how our inner environment is entirely dictated by ourselves, we become more flexible when facing life’s problems.
The curious children pitched in at several points to provide unique analogies - “Life is a roller coaster of emotions which we should accept and learn to balance”, “If you can learn from your disturbances, then you can still create beautiful things like a pearl from an oyster” - or to ask Geshe la how they could apply the teachings in their daily lives effectively. Geshe la gladly answered the children by telling them that gradual evolution from awareness to focused mindfulness will allow mastery over negative external forces.
A number of students wanted to ask Geshe la either about dealing with outside distractions or about being unaffected by negative forces. Geshe la brought up the Buddhist tradition of sand mandalas that are dissolved upon completion as a symbol of impermanence. As long as we maintain inner balance by learning to let go of our negative thoughts, outer inconveniences can be easily weathered.