The visit is taking place under the auspices of Ithaca’s Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies, which is the North American seat of the personal monastery of the Dalai Lama.
Titled “Dharma Talk: Eight Verses on Training the Mind,” the Dalai Lama’s presentation at Ithaca College will be held from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in Ben Light Gym. “Eight Verses on Training the Mind” is a classic text of the mind training (lojong) genre, providing concise instruction on how to engage with the world in a more compassionate and idealistic way, whereby the ideal becomes the real. This fundamental mental transformation is based in traditional Tibetan Buddhist metaphysics and epistemology and presents rational, practical steps by which to change one’s way of interacting with the world and oneself. Suggested reading to prepare for this event would include the Dalai Lama’s “The Compassionate Life.”
In addition to his Ithaca College talk, during his Oct. 9–10 visit the Dalai Lama will be giving a public lecture titled “A Human Approach to World Peace” at Cornell University and conducting an interfaith dialogue on “Prayers for World Peace” at the State Theatre. Tickets for those events will also be on sale beginning May 23.
For more information on the Dalai Lama and the Namgyal Monastery, visit www.namgyal.org.