Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.
– Dalai Lama XIV
This week I was contacted by Tenzin Lama, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, who I met a year ago through a mutual friend. He asked if I would be willing to interview and write an article about his friend, Furtemba Sherpa. He let me know that the two of them will be together for a free talk and energy healing session this Saturday, January 18th, from noon until 2 p.m. at Tere’s Zumba Studio. The studio is located at 5108 1/2 W. Adams Blvd. in Los Angeles.
When I researched the story of Sherpa, I discovered that he is a man from Nepal who set out, in 2003, to ride his bicycle across 151 countries in support of a more loving, healthy world. He was moved by the poverty, violence, and environmental changes that he saw happening in his homeland. At the age of 10, Sherpa ran away from his home in the countryside to live in the city and find work. His intention was to alleviate the burden on his parents of having another mouth to feed, to find work, and to send money back to his family. In the city, his eyes were opened to some of the difficult conditions people were facing, such as addiction, violence and homelessness. Remarkably, in his twenties, after years of hustling around the city, washing dishes and other such jobs, Sherpa ran a successful clothing store and a restaurant.
During that time, something caught Sherpa’s eyes whenever he would visit his parents. He noticed that the “the forest around the village and the glaciers on the mountains were disappearing. The river, once mighty, was turning into a mere meandering stream. In the countryside, there was war brewing that pitted siblings against each other and fathers against sons.” It was these happenings that inspired him to run away from home, yet again. On Dec. 25 2003, Sherpa embarked on the ride of a lifetime.
In his life and on his travels, Sherpa shares many of the same values that we work to cultivate in the students of our school district. Sherpa believes that we are all connected and that our actions affect one another, for better or worse. He also believes that “solutions are best found through mutual respect, dialogue, and understanding, rather than violence.”
One of the things that we work on with the students in our district is developing a sense of responsibility for our actions and feelings. It is through reflecting on the way we feel and the way our actions are affecting those around us that we deepen our sense of compassion and understanding for ourselves and others.
It seems appropriate, as we approach Martin Luther King Jr. Day, that we reflect on the effect that we can have on the world by choosing loving thoughts and actions. I once heard a man on the radio describe the way he felt when he went to hear Dr. King speak. He shared the invigoration he experienced as he was called into a deeper sense of integrity and purpose by the words of the great leader. The word integrity is similar to the word integrated. It is about being connected and in alignment with who we really are. It seems that when we are connected to who we truly are, it is natural for us to be more compassionate with others.
One of the most effective tools we have for influencing positive change in our world is to shine a light on the best part of the people around us. When we see the potential and affirm it as real, the people around us respond. Much of what I do in the lunch groups I facilitate is to see the best in my students and encourage them to act in alignment with that greatness. Talking to Sherpa, I get the sense that by cycling and interacting with people around the world, many who are struggling, he is able to transmute that darkness into light and encourage hope in the hearts of those who meet him and hear his story.
So take the time to ask yourself what ways you can act more in alignment with who you are. It is amazing how much better I feel when I reach out and interact with the people around me. I make friends everywhere I go. Earlier today, I was at the district office and noticed a man wearing a shiny ring. I asked him about the ring and he told me that he received it for the years he worked at Hughes Aircraft. I told him that my father had worked at Northrup Grumman. He made a joke about feeling sorry for my father, as the companies are rivals, and we were fast friends. In the past, I might have ignored the ring and missed that opportunity to make the world a friendlier place.
Sherpa, as you can see by watching the videos on his website, has made friends around the planet by following his inspired vision. When asked why he feels compelled to ride his bicycle across the planet, sharing a message of world peace, environmental protection, and social harmony, he replied, “I must do it for my family and for the children of the world.” So take a couple of hours out of your day, from noon to two o’clock, on Saturday, and listen to Shurpa share his story. Tenzin Lama will also give a talk and do some Reiki energy healing. It will be an afternoon of inspiration, hope, and healing.
To learn more about Furtemba Sherpa, visit his website, www.Furtemba.org
Edward Biagiotti is the Inclusion Specialist for Culver City Unified School District. He is also co-host of the popular radio show, Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed, live each week at 3 pm on www.UnityOnlineRadio.org