The Dalai Lama will speak on topics ranging from human rights to neuroscience. (Creative Commons)

With recent events such as the Dalai Lama’s retirement and the election of Harvard scholar Dr. Lobsang Sangay poised to define the future of the Tibetan cause, the Dalai Lama will make the rounds from Long Beach to Irvine to speak on topics ranging from human rights to neuroscience.

Starting May 1, the Dalai Lama will confer the Solitary Yamantaka Initiation at the Terrance Theater in the Long Beach Convention Center. As organizers of the event noted, “It is rare that His Holiness would confer an initiation from the Highest Yoga Tantra class of initiations in the United States.”

Later in the afternoon, he will deliver a speech at the Terrance Theater on “Secular Ethics and Meditation.”

On Monday, May 2, the Dalai Lama will speak on “What is True Wisdom” at UCLA, followed by a public symposium in the afternoon dubbed “Buddhism and Neuroscience: A Discussion on Attention, Mental Flexibility and Compassion.” Professor of psychology Robert Bilder, professor of neuroscience Susan Bookheimer, expert in Tibetan medicine Lobsang Rapgay and Buddhist studies professor Robert Buswell will also participate in the symposium.

The Dalai Lama will appear at USC May 3 to speak on “Secular Ethics, Human Values and Society” and to participate in a panel discussion on “Secular Ethics: Origins, Elements and their Function in Society,” alongside professor of philosophy and law Gideon Yaffe, psychology professor Jonathan Haidt, journalist Pico Iyer, Duncan Williams and Antonio Damasio.

The Dalai Lama will then appear at the Carpenter Performing Art Center in Long Beach on May 4 to receive a “Shine a Light” award from Amnesty International and deliver a keynote address on “Human Rights.” He will also visit UC Irvine to discuss “Compassion and Global Leadership” with youth leaders.

These visits occur under the context of a changing Tibetan situation.

In March, the Dalai Lama requested that the Tibetan parliament relinquish him of his “formal authority” as a political leader. Chinese officials dismissed the Dalai Lama’s announcement as a “political show” to draw international attention to the Tibetan cause, yet Tibet’s government-in-exile took the Dalai Lama’s calls seriously, choosing Dr. Lobsang Sangay to spearhead the Tibetan political front.

A spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry denied the legitimacy of Dr. Sangay’s election. China asserts the Chinese provincial government in Tibet – not the Tibetan government-in-exile – holds true jurisdiction over the region. As reported by Reuters:

"The so-called Tibet government-in-exile is an illegal political organisation set up overseas by the Dalai Lama to engage in Tibet independence activities," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a regular news briefing in Beijing's first official reaction to the election.

"No country in the world recognises this organisation," he added, without elaborating.

Nevertheless, Dr. Sangay insists on reaching out to high-level Chinese leaders – particularly Chinese premier Wen Jiabao – to resolve the ongoing issue. Tibetan autonomy, Dr. Sangay insists, is within the interests of the Chinese government. In an interview with the Australian publication ABC, he stated:

There's no point in prolonging this tragedy in Tibet because, you know, even Mao Zedong himself said, wherever there is oppression there will be resistance, you know?

And if the Chinese government solves the issue of Tibet, it will buy a lot of good will.

While differences pervade between their respective viewpoints, Dr. Sangay and China do share common ground on the issue of Tibetan feudalism before Chinese rule, which the Chinese government often uses to justify Chinese rule.

Reach reporter Aaron Liu here.
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