Acclaimed artist Rima Fujita feels lucky to have met His Holiness, the Dalai Lama many times. She says, “I respect and love him because he is an extremely receptive and caring person. He notices small and sensitive nuances of life. He treats everyone the same – the rich, poor, famous, not famous. Once, he noticed me from three feet away and smiled and said, “Oh, it’s you!” When he approached me, I felt a wave of warmth as if from a stove. When he took my hands,  I felt energy stream from his hands into mine. Many Tibetans believe that he is the reincarnated Buddha of compassion. I don’t know if it is true, but it is not important to me. I certainly know that he is an extremely hard working man who has cultivated this enormous ability to care for others.” 

She adds,” I always get very emotional when I meet him, I tear up and end up saying nothing! Once he gave me a Tibetan hug (you put your forehead against your friend’s), and said to me like a child, “Let’s take a photo together!” He noticed that my assistant had a camera and told her, “Take a picture! Take a picture!” He was so excited!” That childlike enthusiasm at his age, says Rima is the result of deep spirituality.

When she had an official audience with him last year in New York, it was a different story though. She recalls, “For some reason, he was in the worst possible mood. My audience was the first in the morning, right after a government meeting. Perhaps something had happened during the meeting, or maybe he was simply tired. When I was escorted into the private audience room by several security guards, he came to greet me at the door. He saw me and said, “Oh, it’s you. I know you,” without any enthusiasm. It made me feel so nervous that I just wanted to disappear! He is usually very friendly. Then, I gave him a kata (white scarf), and so did he. His manner was very polite and genuine but he seemed so tired. I felt really bad for him. Even though I grew more and more nervous, I realized that he was listening to every single word I said. Then, at the end, I gave him my drawing of his late beloved dog and his face lit up with a huge smile, and he started to laugh with joy. His mood completely changed. I was so relieved that my drawing added a smile to his difficult morning!”

Trying to unravel the man’s mystique, Rima says, “He is a living example of  hard working greatness. He is so humble and genuine. I love it when he says, “Don’t trust what I say because I am the Dalai Lama. Find out yourself , analyze it, study it and judge for yourself.”  Many religious leaders tend to say, “Trust me. If you believe what I say, you will be happy.” He is my inspiration because he constantly says, “I am just a simple monk. I am just a regular human being. If I can do it, you can do it, too. Never, never, never give up. If you fall, get up and walk again.”

When Rima co-hosted a Peace Summit in the US with the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu and Betty Williams, there was one young woman in the auditorium audience who she says was, “emotionally unstable.” Rima recalls, “She would scream loudly every time His Holiness would speak or she would keep murmuring loudly. The next day, instead of expelling her from the auditorium, he made her sit very close to him. She became quiet after that and did not say a word! I witnessed his wordless wisdom and compassion again at that moment and how it changed someone who was disruptive and negative.”

The fact that her idol has a home in India is not the only reason she loves the country. She says, “Coming from a Zen back ground (that is all about simplicity, order, discipline), I am drawn to India’s rich colors, glitter, chaos, ambiguity and of course, its amazing culture. I love the food, the arts, architecture, complex religions, fragrance, pujas, I can go on and on! I have many Indian friends and till today, I am  trying to figure out their “yes.”  Even when they know that it is a “no,” they say “yes”! They told me that it is a cultural thing – it is not good to say “no!”

And even though she does not live in Japan, Rima’s love for the country has grown even more after the recent tragedy. She shares,”I have always been a proud Japanese, but this time my respect for  Japan has grown even deeper. Though I have lived in the US for 33 years, my heart is still very Japanese. I have never wanted to be anyone else. You must never forget where you come from or your roots. Trying to be someone else never takes you anywhere good. We are given all what we need within us, and we just have to cultivate it and be our best.”

More about Rima on  http://www.rimafujita.com
http://rimafujita.blogspot.com