If I were the Dalai Lama

At a workshop a month ago a lovely man was sharing his experience of attending a talk by the Dalai Lama. He spoke of the happiness and peace that the Dalai Lama exuded, the feeling in the room, the fellowship of the large group.

The thought that occurred to me was- how peaceful and happy would you or I be if you were told from early childhood that you were special, that you were a spiritual leader, that you were 'the one'? It worked for Jesus!

The Buddha was raised as a wealthy prince, so beloved by his parents that they did not want him to see anything that would upset him. He was told that he was special.

I looked up Muhammed to see what kind of childhood he had. He too had a privileged upbringing, his parents died early, but- and I don't know this for sure- there was a good chance that he too was treated as very special. They were wealthy people and after his parents death Muhammed was raised by his grandfather and Uncle.

How would you behave if you were told (and you believed) that you were the face of God on Earth? How would you treat people if you were told that you were a great teacher?
Would you find it easier to speak directly to the Divine if you had been told that you could? If you believed that you were valuable and special?

What if you believed it now?