On a Memorable Trek to Kindness With the Dalai Lama

I didn’t think I’d go.  

But it was too good an opportunity to pass up, even if the timing was bad.  In late 2024, I learned about an amazing trip that yoga therapist and BCA Facilities Director Bob Matsueda was planning to Northern India in 2025. 

I signed up to go on the India trip, committing myself to monthly Zoom orientation meetings to work out travel logistics and learn about India.

From Oct. 21 to Nov. 11, 2025, Matsueda led our group of 23, mostly retired, mostly Sansei, many BCA temple affiliated, on a three-week tour of Northern India. The trip was a transformative experience. I encountered the spiritual traditions of Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam and Christianity in ways I had not experienced before and which can’t be shared here for lack of space. And, of course, there was Buddhism.

For that encounter, we begin with our trek to Dharamsala, the location of the Tibetan government in exile and the home of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, since his escape in 1959.  

The journey there was notable. Starting from Amritsar in a nine-car caravan, it was 152 miles of tortuous travel over roads that were gridlocked in the city, cattle obstructed, potholed, dusty, often unpaved and under construction, then narrow and winding as we gained elevation viewing beautiful vistas as we neared the Himalayas.

The Dalai Lama’s home, Tsuglakhang Buddhist Temple, is a part of Dharamsala that overlooks the Kangra Valley in a densely populated suburb called McCleod Ganj, filled with commercial shops.

The outer portions of the temple are easily accessible, but being allowed into the inner sanctum for an audience with His Holiness took months of preparation.

Matsueda wrote to the temple administration, explaining who we were, many of whom are Buddhists, and how our pioneer Issei grandparents’ experiences in America were not dissimilar to those of the Tibetan diaspora — people looking for a better life.

Tibetans in exile are a diaspora of 150,000 people who fled Chinese rule and are led by the Dalai Lama. The primary goal of the Tibetan government-in-exile is to safeguard Tibetan culture, religion and language, provide education for the children, and maintain Tibetan identity in exile while advocating for freedom in Tibet.  

An important clarification to note is that the Dalai Lama’s impact on other Buddhist traditions worldwide is actually relatively limited, including Jodo Shinshu.

His worldwide appeal comes from the compelling narrative of his and the Tibetan people’s plight against Chinese government oppression, but their actual numbers are quite small.

Nevertheless, His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, is, without a doubt, the most recognizable Buddhist in the world and he has been a tremendous spokesperson for all Buddhists. His global efforts in promoting kindness, peace, love, and mindfulness have helped to propel Buddhism and Buddhist teachings to the forefront of modern spirituality.

Several years ago, I attended two visits by the Dalai Lama in Southern California, both in large arenas. It was like attending a rock concert — huge crowds, congested traffic, long lines and a tangible air of excitement.

In both instances, His Holiness did not disappoint. Charming, affable and completely natural, we were enthralled with his warmth and genuineness, his compassion and kindness undeniable.

On the day of our audience, I was glad that I had brought my ministerial robes and wore them. The usual strict protocols we encountered everywhere in India were enforced: No cellphones or electronics, nothing in pockets, no bags or purses.

We were finally escorted to a shady courtyard to wait, facing an open porch. Two Indian soldiers appeared, holding machine guns and flanked the porch. His Holiness appeared in a golf cart accompanied by monks.

At age 90, he looked frail. He was carefully placed in a chair on the shaded porch, surrounded by attendants. One by one, we slowly filed before the Dalai Lama. 

To each person before him, he gave outstretched hands to touch and hold, all the while gazing into eyes and smiling. Sometimes, he touched a cheek. I never saw him speak. Each member of our group approached His Holiness wearing a traditional white Tibetan scarf given to us when we arrived at our hotel, a sign of welcome and purity.

My turn came. I stood before him and felt the magnitude of his gentle demeanor. He held my hands, touched my face and looked at me with a deep penetrating gaze of kindness. 

I took off my ministerial okesa, folded it, and holding it in my hands, said, “I would like to give my okesa to His Holiness.”  

He grabbed the okesa out of my hands, swung it over his head and onto his shoulders, looking very pleased. 

I explained through the interpreter that this was a commemorative (Federation of Dharma School Teachers’ League) okesa representing 125 years of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism in America. I hoped he understood. 

In that moment, I felt the full force of our shared Buddhist connection and the dedication needed to live and share the teachings. It was a brief but powerful encounter and one I will never forget.