Dalai Lama to share Buddhist beliefs at UCLA
By Daily Bruin Staff
June 4, 1997 9:00 p.m.
Thursday, 6/5/97 Dalai Lama to share Buddhist beliefs at UCLA
Tibetan spiritual leader teaches his ethic of nonviolence
By Matt Grace Daily Bruin Contributor The Buddha never leaves.
With the departure of one comes his reincarnation, perceived by
monks in meditation, and isolated in a peasant mountain village. A
half-century ago, monks traveled in search of their next Dalai
Lama, the incarnation of Avalokitesvara, the Buddha of Compassion.
They found 2-year old Lhamo Dhondrub, who passed several tests to
become the 14th Dalai Lama. He was immediately prepared to assume
the role of political and spiritual leader of Tibet. After China
invaded Tibet in late 1949, the Dalai Lama assumed power at the age
of 15. "He has been both a spiritual and political leader for
Tibet," said Sandra Hunnicutt, a spokeswoman for Friends of Tibet,
a Los Angeles-based group dedicated to providing a voice for the 6
million suffering under Chinese repression. For eight years he
searched for a solution to the atrocities faced by his people until
finally he was forced into exile after a violent uprising in 1959.
Since then he has carried his message of individual responsibility
and universal oneness around the world to end the destruction of
Tibetan culture and alleviate human suffering. Inspired by the
Buddha’s teachings of nonviolence and compassion, the Dalai Lama
will bring his contagious peacefulness to UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion
through Sunday. Hunnicutt believes the Dalai Lama is one of the
most significant figures of the 20th century. She considers him
equivalent to the Pope. "He is walking history," she said. "He is
down-to-earth and he has a great sense of humor – Tibetans are
known for their sense of humor," Hunnicutt added. Tenzin Kacho, a
Buddhist nun helping with the upcoming discussions, sees a
different side of the Dalai Lama. "I received my ordination as a
nun from him. He is the first Dalai Lama to ordain women," Kacho
said with an unabashed smile. "I see him as a very modern Buddhist
with pure principles." "As a Buddhist monk, my concern extends to
all members of the human family and, indeed, to all the sentient
beings who suffer," the Dalai Lama said after winning the Nobel
Peace Prize in 1989. The discussions at UCLA offer an opportunity
for the Dalai Lama to spread the Buddhist principles clearly
expressed in the beautiful oral tradition they originated from. "It
is a great opportunity to learn from direct authentic traditions,"
said Donald Erlenkotter, a professor for the Anderson School. The
oral tradition is much stronger than the written tradition, because
the Dalai Lama himself is believed to be reincarnated through
centuries of enlightenment, he explained. It is through this
tradition that the Buddhists spread their goodwill and kindness
towards others. Rising at 4 a.m. to meditate in a small cottage in
Dharmsala, India, the Dalai Lama lives a simple life while adhering
to a schedule of teaching those who will listen. He believes that
suffering originates from ignorance and the inability to feel
another’s pain. "Yet true happiness comes from a sense of peace and
contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation
of altruism, of love and compassion, and elimination of ignorance,
selfishness and greed," he added. It is his optimism and
understanding of the human condition that draws reverence while
imparting equality to those who share his philosophy. The Dalai
Lama will speak today at the Ackerman Grand Ballroom and at 6:30
p.m. Friday at Pauley Pavilion. Today’s presentation is sold out;
tickets for the Friday speech are available at the Central Ticket
Office for $15. The Dalai Lama will speak in Pauley Pavilion
through Sunday.
