FAYETTEVILLE — There is no shortage of material available about the Dalai Lama.
He’s the robed man who often appears in news photos with various heads of state, among them President Barack Obama. There are plenty of books about him, too. The Tibetan religious and political leader has authored dozens of them himself, and countless more have been written about him by others.
But, says Sidney Burris, director of the University of Arkansas’ Fulbright College Honors Program and an English professor, all those films and books and public appearances don’t begin to explain the Dalai Lama.
“He has this human quality that is just unique ” saysBurris, who has heard and seen the Dalai Lamaspeak on more than one occasion. “I don’t think I’ve known anyone who didn’t go away (from a lectureor a meeting with the Dalai Lama) and think he was special. You don’t meet any people like him.”
Burris won’t have to travel to hear a lecture thistime around, as he did when he took a group of UA students to meet the Tibetan monk in India in 2009. The Dalai Lama will come to the UA campus on May 11.
He will speak twice, once during a paneldiscussion about nonviolence and then later that day during a keynote address. Both events will takeplace at Bud Walton Arena.
The university has been trying to arrange a visit from the Dalai Lama since 2007, Burris says. He got word early last year that it would happen in 2011.
Burris calls the Dalai Lama one of the 10 greatest teachers of all time, putting him on par with Plato and Christ.
The reason, Burris argues, is that the Dalai Lama has been able to transcend his particular religion- Tibetan Buddhism - and foster discussions aboutspirituality and faith.
“He’s taken his coreBuddhist beliefs and transformed them into a system that all faith groups can embrace,” Burris says.
In the weeks before the Dalai Lama’s visit to Arkansas, many exhibits, discussions and films will attempt to educate the public about this religious leader. Burris will teach one of the classes, an April discussion about the lineage of the Dalai Lama. Other events include screenings of movies such as “The Sun Behind the Clouds,” which chronicles Tibet’s strugglesagainst China and the DalaiLama’s exile.
Who Is The Dalai Lama?
The Dalai Lama isn’t a name. Rather, it’s a title, and it’s only given to Tibet’s spiritual leader. The current Dalai Lama is the 14th, and he was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama shortly after his birth in 1935.
The boy, who was given the name Tenzin Gyatso, was educated in the temples of Tibet and officially became leader of the mountainous nation in 1950. He, and those he leads, practice a very traditional type of Tibetan Buddhism.
In 1959, however, a Chinese invasion forced the Dalai Lama from his throne and into nearby India. In the decades that have followed, the Dalai Lama has continued to serve as leader for this country in exile.
His nonviolent approach during his efforts to regain Tibetan autonomy has earned him dozens of awards and recognition from scores of countries.
Notably, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
He continues to advocate for a restoration of Tibetan autonomy from Chinese rule.
SOURCE: WWW.DALAILAMA.COM
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FAQ
HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA
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PANEL DISCUSSION - “Turning Swords into Ploughshares: The Many Paths of Non-Violence”
WHEN - 9:30-11 a.m. May 11
WHERE - Bud Walton Arena on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville
BONUS - For this chat, the Dalai Lama will be joined by Sister Helen Prejean, author of the book “Dead Man Walking,” and Vincent Harding, a civil rights advocate who worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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KEYNOTE LECTURE - “Non-Violence in the New Century: The Way Forward”
WHEN - 1:30-3 p.m. May 11
WHERE - Bud Walton Arena
TICKETS - Free for students and $15 to $22 for the public, with tickets to both events being sold for $22-$30
INFO - www.dalailama.uark.edu. Tickets will be available to students on Tuesday, to UA faculty and staff on March 7 and to members of the public on March 15.
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FYI
THE DALAI LAMA BOOK & FILM SERIES
7 p.m. Monday - “The Sun Behind the Clouds,” Fayetteville Public Library
7 p.m. Tuesday - “The Sun Behind the Clouds,” Union Theater on UA campus
7 p.m. March 28 - “Toward a True Kinship of Faiths” (book), Fayetteville Public Library
7 p.m. March 29 - “Toward a True Kinship of Faiths” (book), Union Theater on UA campus
7 p.m. April 25 - “The Unwinking Gaze,” Fayetteville Public Library
7 p.m. April 26 - “The Unwinking Gaze,” Union Theater on UA campus
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OSHER LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE DALAI LAMA SERIES
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Buddhist Principles, Practices & Precepts: Approaches to Religious Life and Identity in Tibet
WHEN - 6-8 p.m. March 31
WHERE - University of ArkansasGlobal Campus building, Room 204, downtown Fayetteville
COST - $25 for OLLI members, $25 for nonmembers, $5 for students
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The Thirteenth and Fourteenth Dalai Lamas: Hard Lessons in Leadership
WHEN - 6-8 p.m. April 14
WHERE - University of Arkansas Global Campus building, Room 204, downtown Fayetteville
COST - $15 for OLLI members, $15 for nonmembers, $5 for students
INFO - Reserve a space in theclasses at 575-4545
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TIBETAN ART
WHEN - 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays through April
WHERE - University of Arkansas Global Campus building, downtown Fayetteville
COST - Free
INFO - This collection of art contains several oil paintings of the Himalayan mountains and Tibetan items. Also included in the collection are religious artifacts and hand-woven fabrics.
Whats Up, Pages 17 on 02/25/2011