Published by: World Tibet Network News, Thursday, Mar 14, 1996

Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 12:51:07 -0500

From: Office of Tibet

March 14, 1996

Contact: Debra Ladner

Office of Tibet

212-213-5010

Dalai Lama Will Visit Mid-West and West Coast

To Further Interreligious Dialogue and

Give Teachings to the Chinese Community

The Dalai Lama will visit the Mid-West and the West Coast from July 22, to August 2, 1996, during which he will participate in dialogue with representatives of the Christian community, give Buddhist teachings to the Chinese community, and address the student community. This will be His Holiness' fifteenth visit to North America.

The Dalai Lama is to participate in an interreligious dialogue in Gethsemani, Kentucky, from July 22 to 25, which will be attended by prominent Buddhist and Christian scholars from all denominations. The Conference will serve as a follow-up to the Parliament of World Religion conference held in 1993. Gethsemani has been chosen as a venue due to its connection with the late Thomas Merton with whom the Dalai Lama had close ties. For several years, the Dalai Lama has been calling for closer interaction between the different religions of the world, and he is expected to make a fervent call in Gethsemani for better understanding between Christian and Buddhists through dialogue. For detailed information contact Sister Mary Margaret Funk at 317-787-3287 or Grace Warthom 502-549-4133.

The Dalai Lama will next visit Bloomington, Indiana, where he will give a public talk at Indiana University. He will also lay the foundation stone for the Tsongkhapa Sanctuary. For more information please contact Professor Elliot Sperling at 812-855-2233 or the Tibetan Cultural Center at 812-855-8222.

The Dalai Lama's next stop is Chicago, Illinois. He will be in Chicago from July 27 to 29 to participate in a conference at DePaul University on "Socially Engaged Buddhism and Christianity." Besides Buddhist and Christian scholars from North America, participants will also be coming from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. The conference will explore ways in which spiritual practices lead to action in the world. For more information on the conference contact Barbara Bernstein at 708-256-7415. For information on a public talk and other events in the Chicago area contact Steve Schroeder at 847-640-2288.

His final stop is Los Angeles, California, where he will give a three day Buddhist teaching and initiation at the specific request of the Chinese community there. This historic event will be the first time ever that His Holiness will give teachings exclusively to the Chinese Buddhist Community. Many Chinese Buddhists throughout the world revere the Dalai Lama as their spiritual leader. The teachings, to be held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, are being sponsored by Compassion and Wisdom Buddhist Association in conjunction with over a dozen other Chinese Buddhist temples and associations. For detailed information contact Gene Lin at 818-445-2508.

The Dalai Lama departs for India on August 2, 1996. The Dalai Lama last visited the United States in September 1995 when he met with President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and House Speaker Newt Gingrich.