UPDATE: Dalai Lama urges compassion at UA visit

By Jon Schleuss

Posted: May 11, 2011 at 10:18 a.m.
Updated: May 11, 2011 at 5:05 p.m.

Jon Schleuss
The Dalai Lama walks on stage at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville as Chancellor Gearhart presents an honorary degree Wednesday.

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FAYETTEVILLE — The Dalai Lama, in his visit to the University of Arkansas Wednesday, said he's hopeful the world can have a "century of dialogue" to replace the 20th century's violence.

The Tibetan spiritual leader in two public sessions Wednesday called for activism and nonviolence.

University of Arkansas Chancellor G. David Gearhart awarded the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner an honorary UA degree Wednesday afternoon. The thousands in the audience all stood clapping in response.

The chancellor introduced the Dalai Lama in the afternoon's keynote address. The Dalai Lama thanked the crowd, including all of Arkansas, which took him three tries to pronounce right.

"Thank you. I am a simple human being," he said.

The Dalai Lama is the traditional high priest of Lamaism, a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Mongolia. The current title holder is believed by adherents to be the 14th incarnation of the "Bodhisattva of Compassion" and patron saint of Tibet. Bodhisattvas are considered enlightened beings who have postponed their own nirvana and chosen to take rebirth in order to serve humanity. The current Dalai Lama was born in 1935. The first Dalai Lama was born in 1391.

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The Dalai Lama has been in exile in India since 1959, after tensions between China and Tibet escalated. The Dalai Lama has spent the past 35 years traveling and advocating for Tibetans inside China and Tibetan refugees in India.

Shortly after 3 p.m. the Dalai Lama finished his keynote address and took questions submitted previously on the internet.

One question, "What are your future plans after stepping down from the role as political leader of Tibet?"

He said this was nothing new and that his government had begun elections as far back as 2001.

"I also suggested to the Chinese Communist Party that they should seek retirement," he began, before being interrupted by applause."

Sidney Burris, director of Fulbright College Honors Studies, said that Wednesday's event was funded by $100,000 from the UA's Distinguished Lecture Series and $107,000 came from ticket sales. He said this money would pay for the expense of the events, the travel and security of the Dalai Lama.

Earlier, the Dalai Lama participated in a panel discussion with Sister Helen Prejean, author of “Dead Man Walking,” and former Martin Luther King, Jr. associate Vincent Harding in Bud Walton Arena.

The Dalai Lama said a researcher had tallied up the number of people killed in the 20th century. "He said this was more than 200 million."

"So I tell people that this century should be the century of dialogue," he told the audience.

The Dalai Lama sat cross-legged on a red chair next to Sister Helen Prejean and Professor Vincent Harding.

Hundreds in the audience — in the auditorium and online — sat rapt as they listened to his teachings.

"The human being is a social animal. Thus, the survivor depends on the rest of the community," the Dalai Lama said.

The Dalai Lama said he traveled to Northern Ireland, an area with a high level of violence. He said a person had organized victims from both sides of violence in one room.

"When I entered the room each person's face was full of sadness and anger. We started talking and after one or two hours we had a meal together," he said.

After the meal, the atmosphere completely changed, he said.

"When I returned to the region later the people I had met previously were happier," he said.

Information for this article was contributed by Chris Branam.

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