Summary

The author recounts a personal encounter with the Dalai Lama in a Long Beach restaurant on April 21st, 2012, after the spiritual leader used the restroom.

Abstract

On the occasion of his friend Cat's birthday, the author attended a celebration at a Greek restaurant in Long Beach, California. The celebration took an unexpected turn when Cat and a friend reported spotting the Dalai Lama entering the men's room. Initially skeptical, the author investigated and confirmed the sighting, even exchanging a brief greeting with the Dalai Lama as they passed in the hallway. The author was struck by the lack of security around the spiritual leader and felt a sense of calm and positive energy from the encounter, which left a lasting impression. The Dalai Lama's visit to the restaurant was en route to a speaking engagement at the Long Beach Convention Center.

Opinions

The author initially doubted the claim that the Dalai Lama was in the restaurant, suggesting it might have been a regular Buddhist monk from a nearby temple.
The author was amazed by the lack of security surrounding the Dalai Lama, contrasting it with the level of protection typically afforded to figures like the Pope or the President.
Despite not being a follower of Eastern spirituality, the author acknowledged feeling an unexplainable sense of calm and positive energy from the Dalai Lama's presence and greeting.
The experience was memorable for the author, who is reminded of it whenever seeing the Dalai Lama's name, despite occasionally forgetting the encounter.

SPIRITUAL LEADERS PEEING

The Dalai Lama Said Hi to Me After Using The Bathroom

Well hello Dalai

The little wheels go click-click Photo courtesy Assam Times CC licence

This is not a joke answer. As unbelievable as it sounds this really happened.

It was April 21st, 2012 and I lived in Long Beach, California. There was a large event going on at the Long Beach Convention Center, but there was always some large event going on there every weekend. My condo was a few blocks away.

That date meant for me that it was my friend Cat’s birthday. We had been friends since we were teenagers. She announced one of her 4 birthday celebrations would be at a Greek Restaurant in Downtown Long Beach on Facebook. I clicked the button confirming my attendance.

I left my apartment that afternoon and walked a few blocks to the restaurant. Cat, her boyfriend, and a few other familiar faces I had met previously were seated at a table. We ordered, we ate, and then Cat and a friend went to the bathroom as girls do.

A few minutes later they came jogging back to the table with a look of excitement.

“The Dalai Lama just went into the men’s room!” Cat exclaimed.

“What? No way.” I stated flatly. Then I explained, “Must have been a Buddhist Monk. There’s a temple down the street…”

“No! That was thee Dalai Lama! I’m positive! Go to the men’s room and look!”

Cat wasn’t one to make things up but what the hell would the Dalai Lama be doing taking a piss in a Long Beach restaurant?

This place would be swarming with security if he was here. Wouldn’t it? I got up to investigate. Also I had to pee.

I got to a point where I could see the bathroom door. There was a single Buddhist monk waiting outside the door. As I got closer the men’s room door opened.

And there he was.

The holiest of hollies.

The 14th reincarnation of Buddah.

The frigging Dalai Lama.

I kept my trajectory as he kept his with his handler walking behind him. When we were about to cross paths, he looked at me and said, “Hi!”

I think I grunted a hello and nodded. Or I may have been too in awe. I went into the bathroom and tripped out on the fact that I was using the same urinal the Dalai Lama just used. I held some pee and peed in the toilet too just in case.

“Did you see him?” Cat excitedly asked as I returned to the table.

“Yup.”

“Woah!” Gasped her other guests. “And it was really him!?”

“Yeah, that was the Dalai Lama all right. He said hi to me.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but what the hell is he doing here?” I said as I took out my smart phone. I looked it up and saw he was due to speak in a half hour at the Long Beach Convention Center

“Oh, that’s what’s going on at the convention center.” I said as I looked up. “That’s probably where they are walking to right now.”

I pointed out him and his handler walking past people on the street who had no idea that they were passing the Dalai Lama.

The thing that I was amazed at was the lack of security. If you know the history, especially of the current Dalai Lama, you would think that he would be flanked with body guards the whole time like the Pope or the President. Nope. One handler who did not seem at all concerned about me walking past him in a small hallway.

He definitely had a presence. I’m not into the whole eastern medicine and spirituality, but this dude was absolutely radiant with positive energy. I felt a calmness from him saying hi to me that’s difficult to describe and I’m a writer. It’s an experience I often forget but every time I see his name I’m reminded of our moment in time together.

Source/proof: https://www.dalailama.com/pictures/his-holinesss-visit-to-long-beach