The Book of Joy

for the tea break. I explained that we still had a half hour but asked the
Archbishop, whose energy level we were monitoring closely, whether he
needed a break.
“No.”
“You’re okay?” I asked again, aware that the Archbishop might push
himself beyond what would be good for his health.
“He’s doing very well,” the Archbishop said, referring to the Dalai
Lama. “He’s behaving like a human being.”
“So you describe me as mischievous person,” the Dalai Lama joked
back. “So when I’m at a very holy or formal meeting, I truly am thinking
that I wish something would go wrong.”
“Now people are going to know that when the Dalai Lama comes into
a room, and maybe he’s sitting with presidents, he’s looking around and
hoping that one of the chairs will break.”
“So that’s why,” the Dalai Lama continued to explain, “when I first
met President Bush, we immediately became close friends on the human
level—not official level—human level. We were sitting together, when
some cookies were served. Then I asked, ‘Which one is the best?’ And he
immediately said, pointing to one, ‘This one is very good.’ He acted like
a normal human being, so we became very close. Some other leaders,
when we are meeting, there’ll be some distance. Then the second time,
little closer, third time, little closer.” With each time, he was moving his
head a little closer to the Archbishop.
“When I was very young, in Lhasa, I used to receive copies of the
American magazine called Life. One issue had a picture of Princess
Elizabeth, the future queen, at some very big official function. The
princess was reading a message with Prince Philip by her side. The wind
had blown Her Majesty’s skirt like that.” The Dalai Lama was puffing his
robes out. “Both Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip pretended like
nothing had happened, but an American photographer took the picture.
When I saw that picture I laughed. I really thought it was very funny.
Sometimes, especially in formal occasions, people act as if they are
different and special. But we all know that we are all the same, ordinary
human beings.”