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Andrew Kostic
| Lunch With the Dalai Lama: 'As if we were talking amongst friends' |
Two years ago, Andrew Kostic, a senior at Colgate, was one
of some 30,000 people to hear the Dalai Lama speak at
Rutgers University.
On Tuesday, the psychology major from Fairfield County,
CT had lunch with His Holiness. In fact, Kostic welcomed the
Tibetan holy man to Colgate on behalf of the students and
chatted with him over lunch at the home of President
Rebecca Chopp. And, afterwards, Kostic was in the audience
when the Dalai Lama spoke to a packed house at Sanford
Filed House.
"It was everything I could ask for and more," he said Tuesday
night.
Kostic was at the Dalai Lama's table in part because he has
done what His Holiness has not done in almost 50 years: visit
Tibet. The Dalai Lama is the head of the Tibetan government
in exile, living in India as seeking autonomy for his homeland
within China.
In the fall semester of 2006, Kostic spent four months in
Tibet. He said he traveled, studied Lhasa and learned the
Tibetan language.
On Tuesday while welcoming the Dalai Lama to Colgate,
Kostic spoke in both English and Tibetan, much to the delight
of His Holiness.
"When I said 'thank you' in Tibetan, he laughed," said Kostic.
"I don't think he expected to hear that. I think he approved
of my Tibetan language skills."
Kostic said the Dalai Lama asked him about the students he
studied with in Tibet. He said the Tibetan students and
Chinese students get along, but that they lived in very
separate communities.
"He seemed truly interested in what I saw," said Kostic, who
has a job as a paralegal waiting for him in Washington, D.C.
upon graduation.
When the Dalai Lama spoke at the field house Tuesday
afternoon, Kostic said it was easy to see the man truly
understood the topic of his lecture: The Art of Happiness.
"He is an extremely happy person, and you an see the
happiness emanating from him," he said. "It was a disarming
lecture."
Kostic especially enjoyed the Q & A after the lecture ended.
"It looked like he had fun on stage," said Kostic. "I liked his
quips on the side. You can see he does practice what he
preaches."
It looked like Kostic had some fun of his own on Tuesday.
"It was a whirlwind day, but I don;t think I took the smile of
my face all day," he said. "This is the perfect capstone for me
and my time at Colgate."
And, the perfect reminder of the Dalai Lama's visit and
Kostic's role in it is the gift he received at Tuesday's
luncheon. Kostic said he received a "khatak", the traditional
long white scarf blessed by the Dalai Lama.
Fittingly, translated from Tibetan, "khatak" means "ribbon of
happiness".
2008.4.22
of some 30,000 people to hear the Dalai Lama speak at
Rutgers University.
On Tuesday, the psychology major from Fairfield County,
CT had lunch with His Holiness. In fact, Kostic welcomed the
Tibetan holy man to Colgate on behalf of the students and
chatted with him over lunch at the home of President
Rebecca Chopp. And, afterwards, Kostic was in the audience
when the Dalai Lama spoke to a packed house at Sanford
Filed House.
"It was everything I could ask for and more," he said Tuesday
night.
Kostic was at the Dalai Lama's table in part because he has
done what His Holiness has not done in almost 50 years: visit
Tibet. The Dalai Lama is the head of the Tibetan government
in exile, living in India as seeking autonomy for his homeland
within China.
In the fall semester of 2006, Kostic spent four months in
Tibet. He said he traveled, studied Lhasa and learned the
Tibetan language.
On Tuesday while welcoming the Dalai Lama to Colgate,
Kostic spoke in both English and Tibetan, much to the delight
of His Holiness.
"When I said 'thank you' in Tibetan, he laughed," said Kostic.
"I don't think he expected to hear that. I think he approved
of my Tibetan language skills."
Kostic said the Dalai Lama asked him about the students he
studied with in Tibet. He said the Tibetan students and
Chinese students get along, but that they lived in very
separate communities.
"He seemed truly interested in what I saw," said Kostic, who
has a job as a paralegal waiting for him in Washington, D.C.
upon graduation.
When the Dalai Lama spoke at the field house Tuesday
afternoon, Kostic said it was easy to see the man truly
understood the topic of his lecture: The Art of Happiness.
"He is an extremely happy person, and you an see the
happiness emanating from him," he said. "It was a disarming
lecture."
Kostic especially enjoyed the Q & A after the lecture ended.
"It looked like he had fun on stage," said Kostic. "I liked his
quips on the side. You can see he does practice what he
preaches."
It looked like Kostic had some fun of his own on Tuesday.
"It was a whirlwind day, but I don;t think I took the smile of
my face all day," he said. "This is the perfect capstone for me
and my time at Colgate."
And, the perfect reminder of the Dalai Lama's visit and
Kostic's role in it is the gift he received at Tuesday's
luncheon. Kostic said he received a "khatak", the traditional
long white scarf blessed by the Dalai Lama.
Fittingly, translated from Tibetan, "khatak" means "ribbon of
happiness".
2008.4.22