The Dalai Lama and Respect
The Dalai Lama requested native Hawaiian food as a way of showing respect for the local culture |
The Dalai Lama was in San Diego this week and I was lucky enough to get a ticket to hear him speak at the University of San Diego. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I was surprised to discovered that His Holiness is an authentic luxury traveler.
The Dalai Lama and Respect
The Dalai Lama arrived by private jet from Hawaii and stayed downtown at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. However, what qualifies him as an Authentic Luxury Traveler - as opposed to just another luxury traveler - is the fact that he went out of his way to connect with local people and show respect for their culture. This included attending a performance of a Native American dance group at San Diego State University.
Since I am constantly encouraging travelers to connect with local people and show respect for their culture, I was really pleased to hear him say that he always shows respect for local people by experiencing their culture. Sometimes this means visiting historic sites, observing the traditions of the indigenous people, or eating unfamiliar food .
“I requested local food from my hosts in Hawaii and the next day they served it for lunch,” the Dalai Lama said. “I didn’t care for the flavor, but I was glad that I showed them respect. It’s very important.”
When I was interviewed on the Women’s Radio Network I talked about my goal of turning every traveler into an ambassador for peace – someone who connects with local people and builds bridges of friendship across international borders. Sometimes simple acts of kindness can accomplish this.
For the Dalai Lama this meant eating some poi that didn’t taste good to him. I think this is a small price to pay for a safer global community – and apparently the Dalai Lama thought so, too.
Best,
Category: Authentic Travel