His Holiness the Dalai Lama Visits Miami

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, made several stops in South Florida as part of his United States and Canada tour.

The purpose of the tour was to meet with leading scientists and educators at Stanford and Emory universities to engage in dialogues on the state of current research on empathy and compassion, the scientific study of meditation practices for cultivating compassion, and the implementation of such meditation programs in various clinical and educational settings.

Upon his arrival in Miami on Monday, October 25, 2010, the Dalai Lama attended a reception organized by the Florida International University's Department of Religious Studies.

The following day, His Holiness appeared at the Temple Emanu-El in Miami Beach where he was entertained by Latin Grammy Award-winning flautist Nestor Torres. He later discussed "The Significance of World Religions" among representatives of the Jewish faith, the Catholic and Protestant churches, Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, Taoism, and over 1,500 guests.

Thereafter, the Dalai Lama made his final stop at the University of Miami's BankUnited Center in Coral Gables to an auditorium of over 7,000 guests, including University of Miami students, faculty, and staff.

The exiled Tibetan leader's message was on "The Quest for Happiness in Challenging Times." In the hour-and-a-half-long lecture, he addressed many topics including religion, compassion for others, tolerance, and respect. The lecture was also laced with light humor about his English and the former President of the United States.

Although he has great respect for former President George W. Bush, he also expressed his disapproval of his policies.

His Holiness also told the audience that immediately following the lecture, he would depart for India.

By: Daedrian McNaughton

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