Just watched MISSION: JOY on Netflix with the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. A beautiful documentary about a beautiful friendship. Their laughter and joy is infectious and they offer their insights about joy coming from within, and from the feeling inspired by helping others—not from objects or wealth. Desmond Tutu mentioned about Doctors Without Borders and the amazing work that they do to help others.

Highly recommended—and check out the film’s instagram page @missionjoyfilm and their website missionjoy.org. Special shoutout to Geshe Thupten Jinpa, the Dalai Lama’s translator, who gets a nice cameo in the film.

Thinking about this in the context of the immense suffering of the various genocides currently being perpetrated: the fact that millions of people around the world care deeply about the victims is a source of hope.

But how do we change the hearts and minds of the perpetrators and those who don’t care? That’s harder, but it’s clear that they act out of fear and are under the grip of fear—the amygdala grasping the brain.

Both Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama have suffered and witnessed great suffering (Tutu chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa; the Dalai Lama has spent time with monks traumatized by the Chinese regime). But they both have a deep wellspring of joy, cultivated through prayer and meditation.

Meditation can be walking in nature, making pottery, writing poetry, as well as the classic forms of meditation and prayer.

Just look at the joy in these pictures!