By Pam Walatka

If you were in a tiny village in Nepal, served by a footpath instead of roads, you would know when the Tibetan traders were coming down the trail, because you would hear their bells and laughter.

Tibetans are good-natured. There are few peoples on earth who like to laugh more. Even though they live in a harsh, forbidding environment “on the roof of the world,” they can see the humor in almost anything. The Tibetan traders make a long, arduous journey from Tibet, through Nepal and down into India, laughing all the way.

Small wonder that their spiritual leader is known for his good nature. The Dalai Lama, selected in his youth to be the political and spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism and of Tibet, wears his responsibility with humility and grace. And a terrific sense of humor.

His message is simple: He wants people to be kind to each other. He advises people to keep whatever religion they already have - he sees no need for Christians to convert to Buddhism.

“The Wisdom of Forgiveness,” by the Dalai Lama and Victor Chan (Riverhead Books/Penguin, paperback 2005), recounts Chan’s long experience as a confidant of the Dalai Lama.

When they first met, Chan was afraid that his being Chinese would be a problem, because the Chinese had forced the Dalai Lama out of Tibet, had killed or imprisoned many Tibetans, and were trying to wipe out Tibetan culture. Chan writes, “I was worried that he might be hostile.” Instead, Chan was greeted with kindness and giggles (about his moustache).

Searching for something to say, Chan “asked him if he hated the Chinese. … His reply was immediate and succinct. And it was in English. ‘No,’ he said. His Holiness doesn’t hate the Chinese. As a matter of fact, he forgives them with no reservations.”

Chan describes the Tibetans he met as “gentle, generous and prone to belly laughs. The fact that I’m an ethnic Chinese did not stop them from being helpful to me. (The Dalai Lama) and his countrymen practice a very simple religion - they practice being kind to one another.”

The Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize. Chan writes, “At the heart of the Dalai Lama’s peace philosophy is his ability to cultivate forgiveness: ‘If I develop bad feelings toward those who make me suffer, this will only destroy my own peace of mind. But if I forgive, my mind becomes calm.’”

One way that the Dalai Lama achieves this peaceful attitude is to realize the interconnectedness of all aspects of the universe and the interconnectedness of all living beings.

This philosophy comes not just from high-mountain tradition, but also from the Dalai Lama’s interaction with modern scientists. He frequently holds or attends scientific conferences.

Stanford University is home to an ongoing research project on forgiveness. Stanford’s Dr. Fred Luskin studies how forgiveness can help people become healthy. Hundreds of volunteers who have participated in the Stanford Forgiveness Project have experienced results. They say they feel better emotionally; and physically.

Almost anyone could profit by learning to be more forgiving. Cultivating the art of forgiveness is a lot like taking a bat The people who think they don’t need it are the people who need it most.