News and Politics

Living More Gracefully in the Gray

by Nicole Hushla, SUNY Cortland, November 27, 2007

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As someone who wasn’t fortunate enough to attend any of the Dalai Lama’s recent appearances in Ithaca, I was able to gather much insight from Reverend Janet Shortall, Associate Director of Cornell United Religious Work. Not only was she privileged to be present for all three events, Rev. Shortall was also one of the lead planners for Ithaca College’s Interfaith Prayers for Peace with His Holiness. In meeting him, Shortall says he is "extraordinarily unassuming, kind and warm" and that he "conveys a lot with mannerisms and few words." She recalls noting how his soft speech contrasts to our own day-to-day crude directness; "you’re warmly received in his presence...his softness indirectly conveys the acceptance within the Tibetan community," says Shortall.

In comparison to his previous visits to the area, Shortall describes the latest as the most "philosophically complex." She acknowledges the challenge of reaching out to a diverse world faced by all the speakers at the Interfaith Prayers for Peace. The thread to all discussion that day aimed at recognizing the common goal of all those religious and without religion: promoting peace, acceptance, and tolerance.

The Dalai Lama defines ‘secularism’ as the acceptance of all religions (including atheism); Rev. Shortall recalls him saying his religion is "the religion of passion." When asked (as an interfaith chaplain) whether or not she shares the Dalai Lama’s belief that the fundamental basis of all religions is to promote peace and happiness, Shortall states "the center of all traditions is to promote peace." "You can translate Buddhism in other traditions...the Dalai Lama references Christianity when speaking here because of its dominance in the U.S.," she says.

I was curious as to the extent to which His Holiness addressed the War in Iraq and Shortall claims he didn’t, the closest reference she heard was in praise of the Peace Corps; "he was there primarily to bless the monastery."

In reading articles and first-hand accounts of his visit, his rather general discussion of peace at first perplexed me. I suppose I had a preconceived vision of the Dalai Lama being with me in the front lines of a peace protest, holding up signs specific to the War in Iraq. The remainder of my interview with Rev. Shortall provided me with an explanation to his subtle approach.

Activism and protesting are typically seen as synonymous but Shortall discussed what she refers to as ‘I’m right, you’re wrong’ politics and how unproductive the argument is in merely imposing one’s opinion on another. "There is little dialogue in I’m right/you’re wrong and such is not spirit giving or life giving," she says. Out-and-out proving one side is impossible, according to Shortall, "activism is about what we’d like to see happen."

She goes on to say that this recent shift for her "converges beautifully" with the Dalai Lama’s teachings. For instance, His Holiness suggested in Ithaca that we send more students and fewer troops overseas; analogically this speaks to the concept of activism vs. protesting. In reference to this, Shortall compares failures in Iraq to the failures of the war on poverty and drugs in that it is occurring whether it is protested or not and activism towards recognizing such failure in broader numbers is the Dalai Lama’s plight. "The more it touches the individual, the more the sense that common ground is achieved," Shortall explains.

Our conversation narrowed to the recent incidents of sexual/racial intolerance in the Cornell/Ithaca community. I asked Rev. Shortall if she thought the discourse generated by the Dalai Lama’s appearances to be effective and relevant in light of this. In response, she spoke of the collective riches in community that were in attendance at the talks, mentioning everyone from representatives of the local soup kitchen to activist/musician Vitamin L. "The coming together of such great mentors due to the Dalai Lama’s arrival served as a reminder that we’re already enriched by community," she says. She continued by saying that it is the community’s abilities in honest/open engagement on grievances and resource providing that will prevent further "going to familiar places of same old same old intolerance."

In my conversation with Rev. Shortall, I believe the underlying message of what all may benefit from lies in her description of Buddhist resources as an echo to what happens in activism, "living more gracefully in the gray" and "willing to ride through the middle." I think with a little introspection, we'd all find that we could afford to be a little more tolerant.

For images of the Dalai Lama's visit to Ithaca, including his colloquy with the Rev. Janet Shortall, click here

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