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29 June, 2005

China's version of Panchen Lama allowed out to meet the masses

Several reports have been released with details of an appearance by China's version of the 11th Panchen Lama, the second highest ranking leader in Tibetan Buddhism, under the Dalai Lama (Chinese official dispute this organization, and claim the Panchen Lama ranks above the Dalai Lama). Regardless, the fate of the Panchen Lama recognized by the Dalai Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, who has not been seen in public for ten years, remains unknown (see our earlier post).

The 11th Panchen Lama, who is rarely seen in public, held head-touching ceremonies to bless more than 60 000 believers during a trip to Tibetan-inhabited areas of southwest China's Sichuan province from June 12 to 28, the Xinhua news agency said.
Read the release at Mail & Guardian Online, CBC News, and Radio Australia.

16 June, 2005

Dalai Lama meets Norway's Prime Minister

The UNPO (Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization [i]) web site today ran a piece discussing the meeting of Norway's Prime Minister, Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik [i], and His Holiness The Dalai Lama on June 15th. The articled cited this as "taking a principled stand" which was "opposed to bowing down to China's pressure". The article also reflected on the fact that "The prime minister's act of welcoming His Holiness the moment the Tibetan leader got out of his car complimented the warmth and spontaneity with which the Norwegian public has been greeting His Holiness since his arrival on Tuesday."

Read the entire article on the UNPO web site.

15 June, 2005

Dalai Lama prays for Aung San Suu Kyi as her birthday approaches

The Democratice Voice of Burma today ran this piece out of Oslo where, depending on the source, the Dalai Lama is visiting for two or three days:

Exiled Tibet spiritual leader His Highness Dalai Lama told DVB, on 15 June, that He is always praying for Burma’s [i] democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi [i] and He prays that she would be released soon.

His comment came four days before her birthday, during a conference in the Norwegian capital Oslo [i] where DVB is based. He expressed his pride for Aung San Suu Kyi, as a fellow Nobel Laureate, for her efforts for peace. Dalai Lama is visiting Norway for three days as part of His latest European tour.

When asked what He has to say to the generals of Burma’s military junta, State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), Dalai Lama giggled heartily and said that as Buddhists, the generals should follow the teachings of Lord Buddha in their political activities.
Read this article on the DVB web site.
About the DVB

Dalai Lama is in Norway for two days

The Norway Post is running an article about the visit by His Holiness, which began yesterday. From that post:

"Tibet's spiritual leader, Dalai Lama, on Tuesday began a two-day visit to Norway [i] at the invitation of the Norwegian Tibet Committee and the Storting Tibet Committee. This is his 9th visit to Norway since his first visit to the country in 1973."
Read the rest of the article at The Norway Post web site.
A second article covering this story is available from the Aftenposten web site, also with a photo

Site chosen for 9/11 talks in Wood River, Idaho

Updating an earlier post, from a report published by the Idaho Mountain Express this morning: "Representatives organizing a visit by the Dalai Lama to the Wood River Valley in September announced this week that the Wood River High School football field has been chosen as the site for the exiled leader of Tibet's two public appearances. On Sunday, Sept. 11, His Holiness will deliver a "Message of Compassion and Healing," timed to commemorate the tragic 9/11 terrorist attacks on the East Coast four years ago."

Read this entire piece on the Idaho Mountain Express web site.

14 June, 2005

Dalai Lama "in the hearts" of young Tibetans

In what appears to be a rebuttal to a story circulating earlier in the month, Pankaj Mishra, a noted Indian author, appeared at a talk organized by the Friends of Tibet, stated that "Resistance in Tibet has taken the form of complete loyalty to His Holiness the Dalai Lama". It was also observed that Tibetans living in Tibet have a stronger devotion to religious practice than those exiled. "China", he said, "has created a picture for the outside media which finds it difficult to erase the stereotypical notion of Tibet."

Read the entire article at the Phayul.com web site.

Chinese Diplomats in Scandinavia protest visit by Dalai Lama, who speaks out for Tibetan self-rule

A story running in the Australian online newspaper today discloses that the Dalai Lama has called for greater self-rule by Tibetans. The Chinese government warned that His Holiness should not engage in political activities during his trip to Scandinavia. Chinese diplomats protested the official reception of His Holiness, and China had "expressed concerns to the Swedish" about the visit.

Read the entire article at The Australian web site.
6/15: This story is also now being carried on the Hindustan Times web site as a story called "Dalai Lama defies Beijing, calls for greater Tibetan autonomy"

The Dalai Lama to visit Germany June 16-17

Dharamshala, June 14 - His Holiness the Dalai Lama will visit Berlin, Germany, from 16-17 June at the invitation of the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT).

The ICT is a non-profit membership organization with offices in Washington DC, Amsterdam and Berlin.

On 16 June, His Holiness will confer the Light of Truth award on behalf of the ICT to Vaclav Havel, former President of the Czech Republic, Dr. Otto Graf Lamdsdorff of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation and Mrs. Irmtraut Wäger of Deutschen Tibethilfe eV.

The award is in recognition of their "outstanding contribution to public understanding of Tibet and its current plight".

His Holiness will also meet leaders and parliamentary members, including the President of the Parliament, Dr. Wolfgang Thierse.

You can read the entire press release at the Phayul.com web site.
06/16/05: this story is also now being carried by the WebIndia123.com web site.

11 June, 2005

China: issues regarding Tibet can be discussed if Dalai Lama stops "separatist” activities

In a piece running today in the Telegraph (of Calcutta, India), it is being reported that the government in China is not satisfied with the position taken by the Dalai Lama regarding the autonomy of Tibet. In a statement last March during National Uprising Day, the Dalai Lama said that “Tibet’s future lies” with China. In this, His Holiness was softening his position of Tibetan independence, and restating his desire as simply greater autonomy for Tibet. It was reported that yesterday that "Chinese vice-minister for foreign affairs Wu Dawei told a group of visiting Indian journalists that all issues regarding Tibet could be discussed if the Dalai Lama stopped his “separatist” activities.", and that changes in the Dalai Lama's views did not represent “substantive changes”. According to this article, the Chinese insist that the Dalai Lama will need to publicly give up any demand for an independent Tibet and "proclaim that Tibet “was and is part of China”."

Read the entire article on the Telegraph web site.

09 June, 2005

Dalai Lama to live a long life, enters into a semi-retirement

Phayul.com is reporting today on a story out of Dharamsala. The Dalai Lama has responded to the prayers of Tibetans with regards to his living a long life, and assures them that "the current plight of Tibet necessitates him to live long so that he could continue his endeavor for the cause of his people until the issue of Tibet is resolved." In an extension of that sentiment, His Holiness responded to requests for him to assume a more significant role in the Government in Exile by saying that elected leadership needed to to govern without his shadow as this was the way to political maturity which would be needed when "the Dalai Lama is no more". To allow this to occur, His Holiness announced that he would reduce his executive role and would enter into "semi retirement". To counter the concerns of the Tibetan people over this reduced role, the Dalai Lama said he would continue to work for the cause of Tibet in terms of helping to achieve dialogue with Beijing and in terms of continued efforts to mobilize international support for the Tibetan cause.

Read the entire article at the Phayul.com web site.

08 June, 2005

And, on a different note altogether .....

The website contactmusic.com today ran a piece about comments actor Owen Wilson ("Starsky and Hutch") made after attending a lecture by the Dalai Lama. To me this seems a bit like the nightlight complaining about the darkness in the room. Here is a transcript of that post:

Hollywood actor OWEN WILSON has dismissed spiritual leader the DALAI LAMA as a "corny" purveyor of "goofball ideals".

The STARSKY AND HUTCH star, 36, went to hear the Tibetan holy man speak to "impress a girl" - but he found himself utterly nauseated by the audience and speaker alike.

He fumes, "The crowd made me want to throw up. At the end of his corny lecture, with a bunch of goofball utopian ideals, he opened it up to questions.

"Somebody asked, 'What's the answer to world hunger?' And his answer was like, 'Sharing!' And everyone oohed and aahed like he'd just solved the problem.

"Somebody else asked, 'What's the solution to racism?' And he came back with, 'We all have the same colour of blood,' and everybody was swooning.

"I just couldn't believe what the big deal was."

Update June 12: This story has now also been picked up by the Ireland Online web site.

07 June, 2005

Dalai Lama to visit Sweden, Norway

A piece appearing on the Phayul.com web site today reported on plans for His Holiness to visit Sweden and Norway later this week. The invitation for a visit came from the Center for Cognitive Psychotherapy and Education, and at the joint invitation of the Norwegian All Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet and the Norwegian Tibet Committee. The piece stated that this trip is "likely to benefit the people in general and the community as a whole from His Holiness’ consistent message of non-violence, good heart and universal responsibility, as well as also bring more awareness to the just cause of Tibet." The trip, which has been planned for nearly two years, will occur from June 11-14, with His Holiness speaking at the 5th International Congress of Cognitive Psychotherapy on June 13. Tickets are nearly sold out.

You can read a detailed report at thePhayul.com web site.

04 June, 2005

Photo of Dalai Lama is returned to original location

Phayul.com is reporting today that officials at Aberdeen University have bowed to pressure from the public and, despite the original protests from Chinese students, has placed the portrait of the Dalai Lama back in the spot that it had been removed from on May 29th. According to that report, "A university spokeswoman said the picture had been re-hung earlier this week. She was unable to say how many complaints were made about its removal. She said previously "The university respects the Dalai Lama's position as the head of state and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people and honoured him with an honorary degree of doctor of laws in May 1993."

Read the entire article at the Phayul.com web site.
Read our post about this incident from 5/29.

Seattle Tibetan's Celebrate Dalai Lama's Birthday early

A piece on the Phayul.com web site today discussed the celebration of the Dalai Lama's 70th birthday by Tibetans living in Seattle. His Holiness turns 70 on July 6th. The celebration began with the recitation of a long life prayer by Sakya Jigdal Dagchen Rinpoche. More than 150 people attended the celebrtation, which is being called the largest of such gatherings by Tibetans and their friends in Seattle. "We have organized this as a gesture of our gratitude and reverence to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and also to rededicate ourselves to the path shown by him," said Tashi Namgyal Rinpoche.

Read the entire article at the Payul.com web site

02 June, 2005

Student/Faculty tickets on sale for November CA events

The Stanford Daily Online is today reporting that student and faculty tickets are on sale for the events featuring the Dalai Lama which will occur at Stanford University in early November of this year. Those wishing to purchase tickets must appear at the box office in person and present valid student or faculty ID. Tickets for the general public will go on sale June 13 through the ticketweb web site.

The Dalai Lama will lead a meditation session on November 4 at 9:30am in Maples Pavilion. Student tickets are $10, non-student tickets are $35-50.

Tickets for the conference, "Craving, Suffering and Choice: Spiritual and Scientific Explorations of Human Experience", which takes place November 5 at 10:00am in Memorial Auditorium, are $30 for students and $70, $85, or $100 for non-students. At this event, His Holiness will speak to neuroscientists from Stanford and other universities.

A third event will be held at Memorial Church at 2:30pm on Nov 5, and tickets will go on sale in the fall. This is a conversation between the Dalai Lama and Dean of Religious Life, Scotty McLennan, entitled “The Heart of Nonviolence”, and is sponsored by the Heyns Lecture Series and the Aurora Forum.

Read the entire article at the Daily Stanford Online web site.