Chicago Millennium Park
Located in downtown Chicago on Michigan Avenue between Randolph and Monroe Streets, the 24.5-acre park is an unprecedented center for world-class art, music, architecture and landscape design, where you can experience everything from interactive public art and ice skating to al fresco dining and free classical music presentations by the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus. Among the park’s prominent features is the dazzling Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the most sophisticated outdoor concert venue of its kind in the United States, designed by Frank Gehry, one of the world’s greatest living architects.
The pavilion stands 120-feet high, with a billowing "headdress" of stainless steel ribbons that frame the proscenium opening, connecting to an overhead trellis of crisscrossing steel pipes that define the lawn seating area. The Pavilion has 4,000 fixed seats and capacity for an additional 7,000 people on the lawn. With its open-air "acoustical canopy", the Jay Pritzker Pavilion is among the most technologically advanced outdoor concert venues in the world, with digital innovations and enhanced sound, designed to create an acoustical environment that provides an unforgettable listening experience. More info...
I didn't think I would be able to get the photo in the blog but here it is! thanks to the Chicago web page. The Dalai Llama sat under the shell. From where I sat he was sitting in the meditation position. Some people sat the same on their blankets. 10,000 people gathered at 1PM today to hear the teaching of the 14th Dalai Llama of Tibet. I went with three new friends from Chicago. We travelled by L train, picked up our lunch from the Corner Bakery-good half sandwich and soup and headed toward Millenium Park. The weather was perfect, mixed sun and clouds and in the 60's. I arrived at our "lawn seats" with the lunch just as the Dalai Llama was being introduced by Mayor Dailey. We ate lunch and then laid back on the ground to rest and listen to his hour teaching and 1/2 half hour of questions and answers.
"When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us. In the practice of tolerance one's enemy is the best teacher." His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
The Dalai Llama's teaching today included:
-inner peace is the most important, not material things.
-turn off the Ipod's, music, TV and sit and think. It is okay not to be entertained every minute of the day. Think and reflect on what it is to "be me." Just think.
-Anger should be objectified. Feel it and image it to be...a ball, whatever and then the angry energy is diminished in its power. It is energy, that is all. We make the choice how to use it or let it go. If someone hurts us it is a "time to teach" the way of non-violence.
-Compassion within us must be nourished. It is the highest goal for humans. We have the ability to develop compassion. The Dalai Llama told the story of the Tibetan monk held in a "Chinese gulag" for 18 years. The Dalai asked him, "What was the most difficult challenge you faced during your imprisonment?" the monk replied "When I felt I was loosing compassion for the Chinese who held me captive." (I thought of Dow and the years he held me emotionally captive and how I tried to be compassionate toward him. Dow never changed his behavior. I need to confront him non-violently especially as to how he raised Jason.)
-The world is so interdependent in all ways that war is obsolete. The time for war within human history is past.
-We must work with the children to teach dialog as a way to solve problems for the next generations.
-Divorce is okay if no children involved.
I lay on the ground and listened to his words of wisdom and rested. I think I might have even fallen asleep for a few moments-in the middle of 10,000 silent, respectful, caring persons. I thought I would have been so tense if Dow were with me, I never would have fallen asleep. I was so comfortable for the first time in my 64 years as he spoke healing words for my soul. What a blessing to be alive, to listen to a wonderful teacher. What a gift for this day. :-)
When I arrived home, I wrote the blog and became increasingly tired. I lay down about 6PM and thought, "I'll rest for an hour," I didn't wake up till 9 PM. I give the rest over to the Dalia Llama, his words soothed my soul at a very deep level. A blessing to be a single person, to be able to rest when called by my body on a Sunday afternoon. I feel so much better. I plan to eat a little something, then read the Sunday Chicago Tribune.
Andy Kay, a Chicago artist who created the backdrop for the talk was asked what drew him to the collaboration, "The Dalai Lama is the only world leader who has the courage to sate that war is obsolete." After experiencing the destruction of war at Walter Reed, I too want to speak the message loud and clear for the rest of my life, "War is obsolete!"
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