Dalai Lama to IU
by: Kushang Vashi
Have you ever wondered why IU is significant to the Dalai Lama? IU is significant to the Dalai Lama because his older brother Emeritus Thubten Norbu is a professor at IU. Professor Norbu has been part of the IU faculty for nearly 50 years. In 1979, Professor Norbu founded the Tibetan Cultural Center. Due to Tibet's close relationship with IU, Indiana University President Patrick O'Meara is grateful to have an influential world leader as part of IU's history.
On October 27, 2007 at the Assembly Hall in The University of Indiana in Bloomington from 2-4 p.m., the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso presented a public talk called "Compassion: the Source of Peace." This address was part of a six-day visit sponsored by the Tibetan Cultural Center and Chamtse Ling Temple in Bloomington. Alex France, a senior at Signature School, said, "Although I wasn't able to go this year due to the seats being sold out, I recommend that people go next year for a cultural experience." On October 23, Gyatso participated in an interfaith ceremony at St. Paul's Catholic Center. Before arriving at I.U, the Dalai Lama's first stop in the United States was at Washington, D.C. During his visit to Washington D.C, he met with President Bush and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. On October 17th, President Bush awarded Gyatso with the Congressional Gold Medal, in which he was recognized for his efforts to establish peace, nonviolence, human rights, and understanding of religion. This was the Dalai's Lama fifth visit to IU.
Tenzin Gyatso was born on July 8, 1935 in Taktser, Amdo. Unlike the Pope, who has spiritual authority over the Roman Catholics, the Dalai Lama doesn't have spiritual authority over the Buddhists and is an important religious, political, and literary figure. Gyatso is part of the Gelug sect in Buddhism. He is influential for winning the Noble Peace Prize in 1988 at Oslo, Norway, and for being the leader of the exiled Tibetan government in India. He was born the 5th child out of 16 in his family. On November 17, 1950, Gyatso assumed temporal power after China's invasion of Tibet in 1949. One of the most significant events of his life came in 1992. In 1992, the Dalai Lama initiated a small step towards democracy by having a direct election of the Kalons by the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies and establishing a judicial branch.
Sources:
1) www.gunga.at/g_foto/2004/ DalaiLama/DalaiLama.jpg