BellaOnline Forums Relationships Married No Kids The Dalai Lama and crying baby on plane article

I found this article interesting,even the Dalai Lama had to listen to a screaming baby on the whole flight. I say keep kids out of business class.


Everything in life has a teachable moment. The Dalai Lama's class today is on Crying Baby on Plane. The Seattle Times has the lesson plan.

Few people can claim to have more patience than the Dalai Lama.

But this week, His Holiness himself suggested he couldn't compete with Seattle mom Jeannie Livingston.

It so happens that Livingston, her husband, Rob, and their children Madeline, 3-�, and Will, 22 months, were flying home from a business trip in Singapore last week. At a stopover in Tokyo, the Dalai Lama stepped on board, sitting directly behind their seats in business class.

Four days later, while accepting an honorary degree at the University of Washington, the Dalai Lama said compassion needs to be cultivated from birth. He used the flight as an example.

Everything was "nice" for a start and he gave the children candy, the Dalai Lama said. But then the toddler stayed awake all night, "shouting, crying and moving." The mom patiently comforted him, keeping him occupied and walking with him.

"The whole time I thought if I was in that position, I may not have that sufficient patience," the Dalai Lama told the crowd, laughing.

i really have a lot of respect for the Dalai Lama. i actually saw him when he came to our local university. they had an all inclusive religious service which was beautiful. also my DH taped the speech he gave the next day which unfortunately we couldn't get tickets for. it was really good as well. i have a book of his and he really gives some great advice on living. i was raised catholic but i'm very open to other religions which espouse more progressive values.

indigo

It made me laugh that the Dalai Lama gave the children candy and then the toddler stayed awake all night "shouting, crying and moving." That'll teach him to give sugar to kids next to him on a flight! Tee-hee. He's providing fodder for his own lessons!

Probably no connection in reality, but the sequence in which the story is written is funny!

I thought this was so wonderful and hilarious. The timing was too perfect with our babies on planes thread.

I love the Dalai Lama. I was thinking about this lesson on my walk this morning. Despite how horrrible that must have been for him, he turns his feelings around into respect for the mother for her incredible patience. I feel that way too about parents (good ones who work hard at it), and it is a great way to think about it. I think all of us feel that, when we're being annoyed by a crying baby. It makes you grateful that you're not the parent having to listen to that EVERY night, and pace on a plane for 6 hours straight while everyone is fuming. Not that I ever would want to be on a plane dealing with that, but I do respect parents because their job seems really hard.

I use a similar coping strategy in situations like this, but mine is tinged with Schadenfreude rather than respect for the parents. Instead of admiring their patience, I am grateful that my exposure to their irritating offspring is only temporary. I know, I'm not very noble, but I'll leave that to the Dalai Lama...

Does this mean that mothers are now better than the Dalai Lama, too?

Ooooh. I hadn't thought about that, but yes, I guess that's what he's saying. Sigh.

Ooooh. I hadn't thought about that, but yes, I guess that's what he's saying. Sigh.