Have you heard the latest about Tiger Woods? The mistress count is up to 14, with Jessica Simpson as a potential Miss Fifteen. And in his official apology, he said that in recent years he had “drifted away” from the Buddhist values of his upbringing. “Buddhism,” he added, “teaches that a craving for things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security. It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint.” And he ended by promising to rededicate himself to the way, in order "to become a better man."

When the Dalai Lama heard about this, he remarked, “Whether you call it Buddhism or another religion, self-discipline, that’s important… self-discipline with awareness of consequences.”

Well, I think Tiger Woods should have consulted a different Dalai Lama. Perhaps, he should have consulted the Sixth Dalai Lama, instead of our current Fourteenth. If you’ve never heard about the Sixth Dalai Lama, let me tell you a bit about this remarkable man, and the parallels to Tiger’s life.

The Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso, was the only one to have rejected life as a celibate monk. At night he would slip out of the palace in disguise and frequent Shol-town, the brothel area in Lhasa. Before dawn he would tiptoe back to his living quarter, and resume his duties as the Dalai Lama in the morning. A brilliant poet, he wrote of this experience:

Residing at the Potala Palace
I am Rigzin Tsangyang Gyatso
But in the back alleys of Shol-town
I am rake and a stud!

His carousing was done in secret, much like Tiger Wood’s trysts with his many mistresses. But the possibility of being discovered weighed heavily on his mind, just as it must have with Tiger. He wrote a poem about this as well…

The old dog at the gate
has a more subtle soul
than most human beings.
Please don't tell them
how I left at dusk
and came back in at dawn!

Eventually, he was discovered by servants, who traced his footprints in the snow. And he wrote a poem about this as well!

I sought my lover at twilight
Snow fell at daybreak
Secret or not
No matter
Footprints have been left in the snow

Now people gossip about me.
I am sorry for what I have done;
I have taken three thin steps
And landed myself in the tavern of my mistress.

The regent of Tibet was enraged, and sought to force Tsangyang into his vows. He appealed to the Panchen Lama to give the young man his full monastic ordination at the earliest possible time. However, at the ordination ceremony, the 20-year-old Tsangyang Gyatso surprised everyone by insisting to renounce his monastic vows, threatening to take his own life otherwise. The lamas and nobles finally gave in, freeing the Dalai Lama to live as a layman.

After this point, he continued to live at the palace, dressing as a layman in blue silk brocade instead of ochre robes, wearing his hair long instead of shaved, and living the carefree life he so enjoyed. In the evenings, he would visit the brothels of Shol-town at the foot of Red Hill, where he gambled, drank barley beer, caroused with the regular folk and indulged in the carnal pleasures of a different woman every night. Sometimes he would venture a little farther afield into Lhasa, where he drank wine and mingled with the daughters of the aristocracy. An amorous visit upon one's daughter by Tsangyang Gyatso was considered an honor, and homes where he had spent the night were often painted yellow thereafter to commemorate the romantic interlude. It was said that many, many houses were painted yellow in Tibet during this time.

To this day, the Sixth Dalai Lama has been revered by the Tibetan people, and his love poems are now a national treasure. Here are two of my favorites:

If I could meditate on the dharma
As intensely as I do on you, my darling
I could attain enlightenment
in just this one lifetime

I incline myself
To the teachings of my lama
But my heart secretly escapes
To the thoughts of my sweetheart

Just think about how much courage and honesty it took for this young man to remain true to his heart under the tremendous pressures and expectations of his position. He didn’t check himself into rehab. He stood with his head held high, proudly embraced his true nature, and like the Sammy Davis of his time... he sang into the night, “I gotta be me!”