Hi Everyone,

Recently, I was in Dharamsala, India, to give a speech at the Tibetan Medical College that the Dalai Lama sponsors. I was one of four American “scientists.” That was interesting—the cross-fertilization among Tibetan and western doctors, with Buddhist monks and astrologers very much in the mix. It was also a treat to have, once again, some time with the Dalai Lama, to feel his support for the marriage between Buddhism and psychology, as well as his interest in our work at the Center for Mind-Body Medidcine.

The most moving part of the trip however was the time I spent with Tibetan refugees: teenagers who had recently fled Tibet and former political prisoners.

When Joan Borysenko (my fellow speaker and CMBM Advisory Board member) and I met with former Tibetan political prisoners, I wasn’t at all sure how they would respond to our “touchy feely” approach. These are enormously tough people, many of whom were tortured for years in Chinese prisons, and they’ve emerged with their creativity and courage intact.

It turns out also that they are wonderfully open and welcoming, modest, and humorous. One of them, a long-haired guy with a beard who is regarded as one of Tibet’s leading artists, said, “I know our suffering is not as bad as other people you’ve worked with. We look OK, and we have enough food. And we are tough, and we can laugh, but inside we’re all hurting. The memories of being helpless and strung up and beaten do not go away. Our worries about our families in Tibet –who are still treated as potential terrorists even if they have done nothing–follow us every day of our lives.”

The woman who leads the political prisoner group told us, “There are 600 of us. All of us need your work. And I wish to learn how to do this with others.” Pretty much every one of the 15 in this group nodded his or her head.

I hadn’t planned on long-term work with Tibetan refugees when I went over — I thought the visit would be rewarding but essentially a one-off experience. But I was so moved by the refugees — by their openness, kindness, intelligence, and humor, as well as by the depth of their ongoing suffering — that I now feel committed to developing a program for them.

I welcome any support, suggestions, and guidance from the Holistic Primary Care community on how we can develop effective programs to help refugees from Tibet.

Of course, I will keep you posted on our progress in this direction.

Warmly,

Jim

James Gordon, MD
Founder and Director,
Center for Mind-Body Medicine

Contact Dr. Gordon at: centeradmin@cmbm.org

Donate to the Center for Mind-Body Medicine at: www.cmbm.org