When Philadelphia locals found out that their National Constitutional Center would be awarding the Liberty Medal to Tibetan spiritual leader and Buddhist teacher Dalai Lama this month, they decided to make Oct. 27 a Day of Kindness to honour him for his teachings and fully embrace his message of peace and kindness.
"Everyone could tell you stories of how they've been treated unkindly," J. Nathan Bazzel, executive director of the Day of Kindness, told Philly. "There is a need for kindness."
The Day of Kindness was held on Tuesday, the day after the Dalai Lama received the Liberty Medal and a month after Pope Francis visited Philadelphia to preside the World Meeting of Families. It also happened to be the date in 1682 when Philadelphia was founded by William Penn.
Both the Dalai Lama and Pope Francis not only teach about love and kindness but demonstrate them as well in their day to day lives. That is why the Day of Kindness organisers believe the two religious leaders are worthy of admiration.
"His Holiness Pope Francis and His Holiness the Dalai Lama are our inspiration," they write on their website. "But this day is about how we can create a kinder city and perhaps a kinder world."
"We want to create a space for kindness to happen. If we extend an invitation for citizens to become reacquainted with their hopes for a kinder world, we believe they will respond," they add. "We don't know where it all ends, but we do know that the human spirit cannot be contained."
The team behind the Day of Kindness consists of individuals from various sectors—CEOs, artists, entrepreneurs, and many others including the unemployed. All of them share the same desire to celebrate the kindness of the human spirit and cause a positive change in the world.
