“One Heart, One Mind, One Universe” will feature four events at the University of Minnesota on May 6-9
The Center for Spirituality & Healing (CSH) at the University of Minnesota and the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota (TAFM) will co-host a special visit by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama on May 8. The theme of His Holiness’ visit, the first official trip to the Twin Cities since 2001, will be “One Heart, One Mind, One Universe.” The Minnesota visit features four planned events:
- Medicine Buddha Empowerment: A Tibetan Cultural and Spiritual Ceremony Promoting Personal and Societal Healing featuring His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, 9:30-11:30 a.m. on May 8 at Mariucci Arena, hosted by TAFM.
- Peace Through Inner Peace: A Public Address featuring His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, 2-3:30 p.m. on May 8 at Mariucci Arena, co-hosted by CSH and TAFM.
- World Premiere of “KIPO! A Circus of Spirit, Song, and Dance from Tibet, the Land of Snow,” 7-8:30 p.m., May 6-8, plus 2-3:30 p.m. May 7, at Rarig Center, presented by TigerLion Arts.
- Second International Tibetan Medicine Conference: “Healing Mind & Body,” 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. May 9, at the University Radisson Hotel, co-hosted by CSH and TAFM.
“The Center for Spirituality & Healing is honored to collaborate with the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota on His Holiness’ visit to the Twin Cities,” said Mary Jo Kreitzer, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, director of the CSH at the University of Minnesota. “The Dalai Lama is a world leader who has collaborated with scientists around the globe to advance the understanding of the power of the mind to heal. At the Center, we have conducted NIH-funded research on the health outcomes associated with Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, a practice that includes meditation and yoga.”
On the morning of May 8, the TAFM will welcome the Dalai Lama to conduct a special “Medicine Buddha Empowerment” initiation, a Tibetan cultural ceremony designed to promote personal and societal healing. The ceremony is open to the public and will be conducted in the Tibetan language with explanations offered in English. Later that afternoon, the Dalai Lama will be the featured speaker at a public address entitled “Peace Through Inner Peace.” His Holiness is revered worldwide for his promotion of such basic human values as compassion, forgiveness and tolerance. His address is expected to touch on the importance of these values in advancing peace, as well as promoting individual health, healing and well-being.
On May 9 the Second International Tibetan Medicine Conference: Healing Mind & Body on May 9 will bring the foremost leaders and physicians in Tibetan medicine and spirituality to the Twin Cities. The CSH hosted the first annual conference in 2001. The Second International Tibetan Medicine Conference will include physician leaders from Men-Tsee-Khang, the Tibetan Medical Institute of His Holiness in Dharmsala, India.
And from May 6-8, TigerLion Arts will premiere KIPO! A Circus of Spirit, Song, and Dance from Tibet, the Land of Snow. KIPO!, which means “happy,” stars local TAFM talent Tenzin Tgawang and features the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA). TIPA is the premier cultural institute, also founded by the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, entrusted with the responsibility of preserving and promoting the ancient, high-spirited song and dance to Tibet.
Tickets for all four events will be available through the Northrop ticket office. For more details, visit the website for these events at www.dalailama.umn.edu.
Minnesota has the second largest concentration of Tibetan Americans in the United States. The Dalai Lama’s return to the state coincides with the official launch of the Tibetan Healing Initiative (THI) at the CSH. For more than 10 years, the CSH has offered graduate courses in traditional Tibetan medicine. These courses bring students to India annually to visit practitioners at the Men-Tsee-Khang in Dharmsala. New THI initiatives will include research on the benefits of blending Tibetan healing with conventional health practices and integrating Tibetan practices into regional clinic and hospital settings.
“The Tibetan American community of Minnesota is overjoyed about the eminent visit of His Holiness,” said Tsewang Ngodup, M.D., president of the Board of Directors for TAFM. “Indeed, we consider it a very special coincidence that it was on May 8, 2001, that His Holiness came to the Twin Cities for the very first time.”
The Dalai Lama was born in Tibet 75 years ago. At age 2, he was recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama continuing a line of political and spiritual leaders spanning six centuries. Living in exile in India since 1959, the Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 and makes frequent speaking engagements around the world promoting non-violence and secular ethics. He frequently states that his life is guided by three major commitments: the promotion of basic human values or secular ethics in the interest of human happiness; the fostering of inter-religious harmony; and the welfare of the Tibetan people, focusing on the survival of their identity, culture and religion.
