The Book of Joy

“We slept throughout the daytime and walked past the Chinese
soldiers at night. My sister had serious pain as we were walking. The day
passed with walking and hiding. The pain that I went through while
coming to India was nothing compared to the pain of leaving my family
far behind. Since I left my family, I found no joy in everything I did. I no
longer enjoyed bus singing, the sight of flowers blooming, the rainbow—
the freedom inside me was taken away. I felt myself buried in a deep
sorrow with no hope of survival. I was dying slowly inside. The journey
to India was the scariest and toughest journey I had ever gone through.
“My father and I came to Dharamsala, and he took me for shopping
and left me in the school, saying that he will come the next day, but he
lied to me. I waited for him anxiously, crying every single hour that was
passing by. Soon, I got many friends, a loving school, and caring
teachers, and the blessing of His Holiness. I felt a spot of joy inside me,
and I started enjoying my life here in exile. Now I find joy in everything,
my loving fellow students, attending classes, and I feel somehow myself
again, but I strongly wish to see my mother and to be with her in my own
land—that would be the greatest joy of my life. Thank you.”
The boy bowed forward and walked back to join the other
students.There was a long silence as we absorbed the power and pain of
the children’s stories. Finally the Dalai Lama turned to the Archbishop
and said, “So, you must congratulate them. Their English is better than
me?”
“I must be careful,” the Archbishop said, “but yes. They speak very,
very, very, very well. Beautiful. Beautiful. All of them, even the young
ladies, through their pain.” The Archbishop said thank you in English and
in Tibetan. Then the Dalai Lama led the Archbishop over to some posters
where the children had displayed their pictures and stories about joy. The
first one was titled “Joy in Family,” and there were others on “Joy in
Music” and “Joy in Nature.”
“‘I want to hug my parents,’” the Dalai Lama read from one of the
posters. “‘There’s deep joy and love in a hug.’ Very good. Wonderful. ‘I
will look after my parents when they grow old. I shall never abandon
them.’ Very nice.” In drawing pictures of what gave them joy, most of the