Executives from San Diego State, University of California San Diego and University of San Diego joined to announce the inaugural public visit of the spiritual leader of Tibet, His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama, to San Diego on April 18 and 19.
His April visit will consist of a two-day event and will be the second stop on his 12-day North American tour. The seminar, “Compassion Without Borders,” includes three major public events addressing themes of climate change, peace and justice and universal ethics. A private conference prior to the UCSD event will reflect on his passion for neuroscience and its relationship with consciousness and compassion.
“This event will bring together people of different faiths, secularists and non-secularists, scientists, scholars and artists to celebrate our shared values. This event will bring the community together and focus our attention on internal values of the humanity so desperately needed in today’s challenging world,” said Lama Tenzin Dhonden, the Dalai Lama’s official personal peace emissary, who helped to organize the “Compassion Without Borders” symposium in conjunction with the three local universities.
The supreme religious leader of Tibet and 1989 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Tenzin Gyatso, is the 14th Dalai Lama. Now 76, he continues to spend most of his time on the road, visiting universities and giving compelling speeches to crowds worldwide. This will be the Dalai Lama’s first visit to San Diego.
The Dalai Lama selected San Diego as a result of the vast interest the universities showed in having him as a guest.
“We consider students to be a seed that needs to be watered and taken care of, so in the end it can maintain a balance in this challenging world,” said Venerable Lama Tenzin Dhonden.
His largest and final event will be held at 9:30 in the morning on April 19 at SDSU Viejas Arena, where he will be lecturing about “Upholding Universal Ethics and Compassion in Challenging Times.”
Tickets for “Compassion Without Borders” will go on sale Feb. 22 via the symposium’s official website. The fee will be $10 for students with a valid Red ID and $25 for general admission.
“We are delighted our students will be present to learn about different cultures and traditions, but most importantly, to hear it directly from a world leader and Nobel Prize winner,” said Nancy Marlin, SDSU provost.
