The Dalai Lama's visit to Middlebury

As part of a trip across the Northeast United States, the 14th Dalai Lama, leader of Tibetan Buddhism and inspiration for many around the world, made two appearances just a short distance up Route 30 from Whiting at the Nelson Recreation Center of Middlebury College. The visit was well covered by the regional press and by Middlebury College.

The seventy-seven-year-old Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, last visited Middlebury College in 1990. He also attended an event on campus in 1984. He recalled his past visits in his addresses to the large crowds in the arena, but focused his attention on the future. "The past is past," he said, "and is put in history books. We cannot change it. Our future is open."

The religious leader urged compromise, concern for others, pursuit of ideals rather than material possessions, and a quest for understanding the inner workings of people and things. The theme of his Friday, Oct. 12, address was "Educating the Heart." The following morning, he spoke on the topic of "Finding Common Ground: Ethics for a Whole World."

Tenzin Gyatso was born on July 6, 1935, to a farming family in northeastern Tibet. He was named the 14th Dalai Lama when he was just two years old. Following a failed Tibetan uprising against China in 1959, the Dalai Lama fled his native country. He has made his home and headquarters in Dharamsala, India, and has traveled the globe speaking on issues relating to world peace, human rights and the environment. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Price in 1989. Though the ruler of a theocratic government in exile, the Dalai Lama embraced democratic principles in the early 1990s. (See biography.)

After his appearances in Vermont, the Dalai Lama traveled into Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York State. He concluded his trip to the U.S. with an event in New York City today.