The Compassionate Instinct

I do think proximity can inspire altruism, especially when we see suffering up close and firsthand—for example, when people from developed countries find themselves in developing countries or in countries in crisis. This can serve as a lifelong wakeup call for them. Moreover, in today’s world, with the advance of communications, we can see situations happening live on television or through photographs instantly relayed through e-mail or satellite transmission, and this immediate proximity to crisis brings the story home to people.

G G: But even with those technological advances, can we really expect levels of foreign aid to rise significantly from their present levels? Perhaps it’s an indication that human beings are really just self-interested animals?

J E: I am optimistic about this for several reasons. For one thing, the United Nations secretary-general has proposed the establishment of a fund for humanitarian emergencies that could jump-start operations where needed. This would be a useful improvement on what we currently have, the Central Emergency Revolving Fund, which at $50 million is simply too small for responding to major crises.

Second, I am heartened by the recent news that the European Union has agreed on a proposal about how its members can meet the goal of pledging 0.7 percent of their gross national incomes on aid, thereby increasing their contributions by over $25 billion [in U.S. dollars] by 2010. This is not at all too much to ask.

I am also encouraged by the inspiring global generosity that we saw for the survivors of the tsunami. It showed humanity at its best, when life was at its worst for millions of people on the other side of this planet. In addition to the billions of dollars from individuals and corporations, a record number of governments also contributed. I refuse to believe that this response was a fluke.

Finally, we need to recognize that giving to the less privileged gives us a sense of satisfaction. This Christmas, I witnessed many dedicated volunteers standing in the cold, ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. The passersby who paused to put money in the kettle did not continue on their way with a look of regret, but with a smile.

GLOBAL COMPASSION: A CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE DALAI LAMA AND PAUL EKMAN

Paul Ekman

EMOTIONS UNITE AND DIVIDE the worlds, both personal and global, in which we live, motivating the best and the worst of our actions. Without emotions there would be no heroism, empathy, or compassion, but neither would there be cruelty, selfishness, or spite.

Bringing different perspectives to bear—Eastern and Western, spirituality and science, Buddhism and psychology—the Dalai Lama and I came together in conversation and sought to clarify these contradictions, in hopes of illuminating paths to a balanced emotional life and a feeling of compassion that can reach across the globe.

As the leader of a millennia-old spiritual tradition as well as a nation in exile, the Dalai Lama holds something resembling divine status among his fellow Tibetans. He is the world’s principal living advocate of nonviolence and the winner, in 1989, of the Nobel Peace Prize and, in 2007, of the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award given to a civilian by the U.S. government. He is denounced and at times publicly despised by the leaders of the People’s Republic of China, which has occupied Tibet since 1950.

Yet he is also more than a religious and political leader: In the Western world his celebrity approaches that of a rock star. He has authored several best-selling books and is nearly always traveling, speaking, and inspiring audiences that number in the thousands. He is also strongly interested in integrating the findings of modern science into the Buddhist worldview.

I first met the Dalai Lama in 2000, when I attended a small conference on destructive emotions organized by the Mind and Life Institute, in Boulder, Colorado. Whether through a shared sense of playful and probing curiosity, our commitment to reducing human suffering, or a conviction that we were likely to learn from each other, the Dalai Lama and I immediately found an unexpectedly strong rapport across the wide gulf of the intellectual heritages we each represent.

During the weekend of April 22–23, 2006, the Dalai Lama and I sat down for the first of three dialogues, which were to total 39 hours of intimate exchange over a period of 15 months. In the following dialogue, adapted from our book Emotional Awareness, the Dalai Lama and I explore the nature and prospects of global compassion. To the Dalai Lama’s right sat my ally in this endeavor, Thupten Jinpa, who served as the translator for the meeting.

THE LIMITS OF COMPASSION