Dalai Lama reschedules University of Utah speech for June


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SALT LAKE CITY — His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet is scheduled to speak at the University of Utah on June 21, university officials and the Utah Tibet Foundation announced Friday.

Tickets go on sale April 1 to university students, staff and faculty. The sale of tickets for the general public will start at 10 a.m., Monday, April 4. Tickets can be purchased at utahtickets.com or the Rice-Eccles Stadium ticket office, 801-581-8849.

The Dalai Lama's planned visit to Utah in October for an address at the university and to take part in the Parliament of the World's Religions was canceled, along with all other appearances, after physicians at the Mayo Clinic ordered him to rest.

According to an official statement from the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, he has been receiving treatment for a prostate issue at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and he is expected to resume his regular schedule in March.

U. President David Pershing said in a statement "it is a great honor and pleasure to welcome the Dalai Lama back to the University of Utah. His health and well-being are of utmost concern, and we are happy he is doing well and we will have the opportunity to hear from him."

Pema Chagzoetsang, board member of the Utah Tibet Foundation, described the Dalai Lama as a "gift to the world."

"In today's world, his message of seeking personal spiritual awareness to reflect compassion and kindness is more needed than ever. He has impacted millions of people worldwide through his teachings on human values, tolerance, harmony, peace and the genuine practice of loving kindness. The Dalai Lama has stepped outside traditional roles to make this world more conscious of our humanity," Chagzoetsang said in a statement.

The Dalai Lama previously visited the University of Utah in May 2001.

The Dalai Lama, who is 80 years old, has committed his life to three major principles: The promotion of basic human values in the interest of human happiness; the fostering of interreligious harmony; and the preservation of Tibet's Buddhist culture of peace and nonviolence.

He was exiled from Tibet in 1959 during the uprising of Tibetans against the Chinese army. He escaped to India and established the Central Tibetan Administration to meet the needs of refugees and maintain their culture. The Dalai Lama has since traveled worldwide to promote peace and compassion. In 1989, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent struggle to free Tibet.

The theme of the Dalai Lama's presentation will be compassion and universal responsibility followed by a question-and-answer session. Guests are encouraged to submit questions online prior to the event. People who submitted questions prior to his planned visit in October do not need to resubmit their questions.

Tickets for U. students will be $10, with a limit of two per UCard; faculty and staff are $20, with a limit of two per UCard; and reserved tickets are available to the community for $35, with a limit of four tickets per purchase. There will be a limited number of obstructed-view tickets available for $30.

Tickets for the Dalai Lama's planned visit last fall sold out in a matter of minutes.

Prior to the Dalai Lama's address at 1:30 p.m., the Utah Tibetan Association will present a cultural program. Doors to the Huntsman Center open at 11 a.m. All local proceeds will go to the Utah Tibetan Association to benefit the Tibetan Community Center, a gathering place to celebrate and encourage the preservation of Tibetan culture.

University co-sponsors include the Office for Global Engagement, the Asia Center, Global Social Work, Global Health/Health Sciences, the Hinckley Institute, Tanner Center for Nonviolent Human Rights Advocacy and the Tanner Humanities Center.

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Marjorie Cortez

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