“If we can cultivate a concern for others, keeping in mind the oneness of humanity, we can build a more compassionate world.”

- Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dali Lama

 

I first travelled to Nepal in 2015, only a few months after the devastating earthquake that had killed nearly 9,000, wounded 22,000 others, and left roughly 3.5 million people homeless. The devastation was everywhere, buildings had been reduced to rubble, emergency refugee camps were set up in the middle of Kathmandu, and even the holiest of temples were left in ruin. It would been logical to assume despair would take hold.  Instead, I saw resiliency, toughness, and the eagerness to rebuild among the people. Where I looked to find desolation, I found hope. 

 

Just three years later, the conditions in Nepal had vastly improved and key structures were rebuilt and refurbished. Hospitals back open and temples restored. There was still some signs of the earthquake, but in the people we met the their sense of life, happiness, and tenacity remained. In their eyes, I recognized the look of a tired parent, a supporting friend, and a joyful child. The same looks I've seen during difficult times back home. We are more alike than we are different. We are all members of the human race. When we recognize this, we can become more open and accepting of others, and as a result, more joyful. Disasters like earthquakes, tornados, and cancer remind us of these facts. But it shouldn’t take something that drastic to see our common humanity.