A Small Act of Kindness at the Dalai Lama’s Compound
Alan, my fiancé, and I were walking quietly along a path at the compound of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The air felt still and reverent, the kind of place where even the trees seem to whisper peace.
Ahead of us walked a beautiful woman, moving gracefully, almost as if she were part of the landscape itself. Suddenly, she stopped. We watched curiously as she bent down, picked up a leaf, and with great care, lifted a small worm from the path.
For a moment, we just stood there, wondering. Then it struck us: she was saving that worm, protecting it from being crushed underfoot. Something about the gentleness of the act, in such a spiritual place, touched us deeply. Alan felt compelled to chase her up and down the path, trying to capture this small, beautiful moment in a photograph.
It reminded me how true spirituality is often found in the tiniest gestures — quiet, compassionate, and filled with respect for all living beings.
This picture was taken from my Humanitarian Medicine trip in Dharamashala, India, October, 2010. We lived in the Tibetan Buddhist Monastery.