Back in 1989, my spiritual journey took a big leap, outwards and inwards.
I traveled to India and Nepal, meeting many teachers and amazing people of different religions. While I was in Kashmir, I was living in the beautiful area of Pampore, where saffron grows. Biking to the big city of Srinagar, I saw in the English newspaper that His Holiness the Dalai Lama had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Even though I knew very little of him, and got to see his photos and the reverence given to him by the monks in Ladakh, I was so happy, as if my mom or dad had won it.
I said to myself that I needed to meet him in person, and so I went to Dharamsala, where he and thousands of Tibetans had settled after escaping Tibet in 1959.
My first meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama was extremely meaningful and changed my life forever. During my brief interaction with him, I was speechless, absorbing the moment, his energy, and his blessings. I then sat under a tree still within the compound; sitting in awe I felt tears in my eyes and my heart open like a big smile. And to top it off, as the last person interacted with him, I heard him say, “A big heart is the best religion.”
This stayed in my heart, and in 1992, as I was one of the organizers of his visit to Argentina, we published a small book of his teachings, and of course called it Un Buen Corazón es la Mejor Religión (A Good Heart is the Best Religion).
This was the beginning of what is now a 30+ year journey with Tibetan teachers and their teachings.
All I can say now is Thugjeche, the Tibetan for “thank you,” which literally means “a big trace in my heart.”
Warmly,
Alejandro
