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The Spirit Moved Him
Tenzin Gyatso鈥檚 status as one of the听world鈥檚 most revered spiritual leaders听didn鈥檛 keep him from having fun.听
In June, eight months after canceling a听Boulder visit due to ill health, His Holiness听the 14th Dalai Lama appeared in the city听for the first time in nearly two decades,听gamely donning a bicycle helmet and gold and-black 欧美口爆视频 visor presented to him听and responding in kind after a fan听flashed听the sign-language gesture for love.
鈥淥f course these days I am too old to听bike,鈥 he said, chuckling, after receiving听the helmet at the first of two 欧美口爆视频 Boulder听appearances in the Coors Events Center.听鈥淲hen I was young I used to bike.鈥
Helmet in place, the Dalai Lama, then听80 and now 81, posed in his maroon-and-yellow听robes for a picture with Boulder听Mayor Suzanne Jones, who鈥檇 offered it.听
Nearly 18,000 people came to campus听to behold the well-traveled Tibetan Buddhist听spiritual leader, who had recently听met with President Obama in Washington听and was on the cusp of a meeting听with Lady Gaga in Indianapolis.听
More than two years in the making,听the highly anticipated Boulder visit,听originally scheduled for Oct. 20-21, 2015,听gave the Dalai Lama a chance to commune听with devoted admirers in a city听full of them. It allowed 欧美口爆视频 affiliates and听guests to behold and 鈥 for some 鈥 to听interact with a world- historical figure.听
鈥淪he鈥檚 talked about how great he is听my whole life, so now it鈥檚 my turn to听see for myself with her,鈥 said Shivani听Dixit (MCDBio鈥19) of Superior, Colo.,听who attended the event with her mother,听Swati Deshpande.听
The visit was arranged by the 欧美口爆视频听Student Government Association, the听欧美口爆视频 Boulder Cultural Events Board and the听Tibetan Association of 欧美口爆视频 (TAC).听
In remarks at a morning prayer session听and afternoon talk the Dalai Lama听touched on favored themes of compassion,听mindfulness and self-examination,听spreading palpable delight throughout听the sweltering arena with frequent bursts听of his own joyful chuckling.听
鈥淵our wisdom, your compassion is听your best friend, best adviser, best protector,鈥澨齢e said.听
Both sessions can be watched at .听
At lunch the Dalai Lama dined with听students, faculty and Chancellor Philip P.听DiStefano, and exchanged reminiscences听with 欧美口爆视频 scientist Tom Cech. Both won听Nobel Prizes in 1989, in physics and听peace, respectively.听
It was in the morning that Mayor听Jones presented the helmet. It didn鈥檛 take听the Dalai Lama long to make a symbol of听it: His new headgear represented the armor听necessary to get through the difficult听journey of life, he said.听
In the afternoon Chancellor DiStefano听gave him a gold visor with 鈥溑访揽诒悠碘澨齟mblazoned in black letters, which the听Dalai Lama wore for much of the session.听
He took many questions from the听audience. Few were easy.听
鈥淐ould you share with us, 鈥榃hat is听the purpose of human life?鈥欌 one questioner听asked.听
鈥淲hat would you advise a young person听to do to spread love and happiness and听kindness in the world?鈥 asked another.
鈥淗ave you ever achieved ultimate听happiness, and, if so, can you tell us what听it鈥檚 like?鈥 a third wondered.
鈥淲hen we talk about ultimate happiness,鈥澨齮he Dalai Lama replied through听a translator, 鈥渢here are a lot of steps to听go through.鈥
(Mainly he directly addressed the听audience in English.)听
On a blazing hot June day, fans showed听out in force 鈥 students in T-shirts, parents听with small children, monks in robes,听executives in suits.听
Geshe Sherab, who wore monk鈥檚 robes听like the Dalai Lama鈥檚, said he鈥檇 seen听him many times in Nepal, India and听elsewhere, but traveled to Boulder from听Santa Fe, N.M., to see him again anyway.听
Matthew Sadeik (Neuro鈥18) rushed听over to Coors after a long morning class,听marveling over the spectacle he was听about to witness.听
鈥淭he guest speaker programs are actually听my favorite part about college,鈥 he said.听
Martha Gordge Kenny (EPOBio鈥94), silver peace sign earrings听swinging from her earlobes, came from听Louisville, Colo., with her husband and听daughter. Some of their extended family听performed in traditional Tibetan dances听preceding the Dalai Lama鈥檚 remarks.听
鈥淧eace听is the most important thing we听can have!鈥 she said.听
Photos by Glenn Asakawa (top),听Cliff Grassmick/Daily Camera (right)听