Dharma session - Venerable Dorji Damdul
The session by Venerable Geshe Dorji Damdul with the children of grade VI on 27th of October 2023 was engaging, to say the least.
Children enjoyed listening to the dreams and experiences of Geshe La when he was a child of their age. This struck an immediate bond between the children and him which was visible throughout the session. Venerable said he liked the atmosphere of the school campus which sent out positive vibes of peace, compassion and inclusivity. He added that the children were indeed lucky to be studying in a school like Shikshantar.
Geshe La opened his talk by first requesting the children to move closer to the place he was sitting which saw them take to him like a friend. He then set out some ground rules for them, that of having ‘Listening ears’ to all his questions before raising their hands to answer. His first question ‘What would you like to do in life?’ drew enthusiastic responses from them, those ranging from how they would like to reach their full potential, being sensible and successful, to helping others
and also making their country proud.
Referring to the announcement on an airplane which asks passengers to first secure their oxygen mask before helping others, Geshe La helped children understand the importance of inner happiness before spreading and sharing it with the world. He took the conversation forward by asking them to identify causes of happiness and unhappiness within them. He used the metaphor of ‘clapping hands’ to elaborate on the combination of ‘internal’ and ‘external’ forces that cause unhappiness. He gently led the children into understanding that the core to being happy lay in removing the internal forces, such as, ignorance through use of ‘wisdom’, selfishness by nurturing ‘kindness’, dependence by cultivating ‘interdependence’. Working to control the internal forces caused happiness that was everlasting.
The takeaways from the session were multiple and children were glued. They had innumerable questions to strengthen their understanding of themselves. It was a session which gave food for thought to young growing minds on seeking happiness no matter what the circumstances, avoiding anger and mastering the skill to be ‘calm’ in adverse situations.