For Abbot Rinpoche, this was his first time back to Tibet since escaping as a young child in 1959. The evening will start with a short slide show of the three-week trip and be followed by a talk entitled Stories from Tibet: Inner and Outer Freedom.

Abbot Rinpoche received his formal education at Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Gangtok and Sampurnananda Sanskrit University, Varanasi, India. He served as Professor of Tibetology in Sikkim, India, for 17 years. He has partaken in many inter-faith dialogues and since 1990 has been travelling and teaching in many countries.

Abbot Rinpoche has been a regular visitor to Ireland since 1990. His most recent lecture at NUI Galway in 2002 attracted a capacity crowd. His ability to express the wisdom of the Buddhist teachings in an accessible way, along with his warm, friendly, manner, and interesting stories, make his teachings a joy and show their relevance to everyday life.

The meeting has been organised by NUIG's Political Discussion Society and the Mind, Body and Soul Programme. It will be held in the O'Flaherty Theatre, Main Concourse, NUIG, on Monday November 7 at 8pm. Admission is free.