His Holiness’ Visit to Canada, US and Finland for World Peace

Thursday, 7 September 2006, 11:45 AM

Dharamshala: His Holiness the Dalai Lama left Dharamshala yesterday morning for Vancouver in Canada, from where he will proceed on about a two-week visit to the United States and later to Finland.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will arrive at the Vancouver airport this afternoon where he will be welcomed by the Mayor of Vancouver, Sam Sullivan.

A picture of His Holiness the Dalai Lama hangs on a pole at Buffalo University

On 8 September, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will share the Orpheum stage with a select group of high school students from the Lower Mainland to discuss on natural compassion. Sherli Bond, minister for Education, British Columbia, will deliver the introductory address. In the afternoon, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will engage in a dialogue with leading educators, researchers and policy makers on the theme of educating the heart.

Vancouver has one of the largest Chinese communities in Canada. His Holiness the Dalai Lama will visit the Chinese Buddhist Temple in Vancouver.

On 9 September His Holiness the Dalai Lama will participate in discussions at the Orpheum throughout the day with leading researchers on the topic of mental well-being and happiness. The next day His Holiness the Dalai Lama will give a public talk to multi-national CEOs and social entrepreneurs on connecting for change.

The three-day visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Vancouver is organised by the Vancouver-based Dalai Lama Centre for Peace and Education.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Mind and Life Institute, US, during his last year visit

The first part of his US visit will take him to Los Angeles on 11 September where His Holiness will talk and participate in a conference on world peace through cinema organised by Dr B. K. Modi. His Holiness the Dalai Lama will light candles and offer prayers to mark the fifth anniversary of 9/11 tragedy. Also in Los Angeles His Holiness will give public audience for the Tibetan community.
On 12 September His Holiness the Dalai Lama will give teachings on Nagarjuna’s Commentary on Boddhicitta as requested by Soken Rinpoche. These teachings will last for three days.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will then fly to Denver in Colorado on 15 September and will participate in a BBC world programme called The World Debate along with other Nobel laureates. The following day His Holiness will give an audience for the Mongolian community in Colorado consisting of 800 people and also an audience for the Tibetan community consisting of 300 people.

This is His Holiness’ first visit to Denver in nine years.

On the same day His Holiness will give a keynote address for PeaceJam Foundation’s 10th anniversary celebration to 3000 youths. This will be followed by a question-and-answer session. His Holiness will be interviewed on BBC’s World Programme Hard Talk the same day. Besides His Holiness will participate in the Joint Nobel session, which will be attended by 3000 PeaceJam youths plus 4000 community members. The Joint Nobel session will be participated by other the Nobel Peace laureates.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, governor of California

The next day in Colorado, His Holiness will give a public talk on science of a compassionate life to 13,000 people. The public talk is organised by the Mind and Life Institute, co-founded by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1987.

On 18 September His Holiness will travel to the University of Buffalo in New York City where he will meet with Chinese students and scholars, faculty members of the university and will participate in the university’s distinguished speaker series on promoting peace across borders through education. His Holiness will also inaugurate the Tibetan Law Conference organised by the Law Department of the University of Buffalo under the auspices of Prof. Rebecca French who wrote an authoritative book on the Tibetan legal system and who now teaches at Buffalo University.

Maria Shriver and her group with His Holiness the Dalai Lama during their visit here in August

After his teachings in New York city from 23 to 25 September, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will travel to Los Angeles where he will be called upon by the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger and the First Lady of California, Maria Shriver. In Los Angeles, His Holiness will give the concluding address at the governor’s conference on women and families. After this His Holiness will participate in the proceedings of New York Historical Society and meet the panelists.

In the last leg of his journey, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will visit Helsinki, the capital of Finland where he will give a public talk on a human approach to world peace. His Holiness the Dalai Lama will also give a general introduction on Buddhism for the Finnish Tibetan Cultural Association and the Tibetan community in Finland. His Holiness will participate in a inter-faith group discussion hosted by the orthodox Bishop Ambrosius.

Later His Holiness the Dalai Lama will travel back to Dharamshala.

(www.tibet.net is the official website of the Central Tibetan Administration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.)