27 January 2012
'Sold Out' signs at the ready for Dalai Lama visit
Tickets for His Holiness The Dalai Lama's eagerly anticipated first appearance in Dundee will go on sale next week.
His Holiness will deliver the University of Dundee's Margaret Harris Lecture on Religion when he makes a historic visit to the city as part of a UK tour on Friday, June 22nd. The event takes place at the Caird Hall at 1.45pm on that date.
The talk, entitled 'Education of The Heart', takes place during the University's Graduation Week celebrations.
Tickets for the lecture, costing £25, £15 and £10 (concessions available), will be on sale at Dundee City Box Office, City Square, from Wednesday, 1st February.
Tickets for public talks in Edinburgh and Inverness sold out within 48 hours of going on sale, and organisers are anticipating a similar response for the Dundee event.
His Holiness will visit Dundee as a guest of the University and Dundee City Council. He will arrive in the UK a week earlier and will also deliver talks in Manchester and London, as well as in the Scottish cities, as part of his tour.
His Holiness's visit to Dundee will see him welcomed to the city by a pipe band and members of the public before delivering his lecture. This event will top off a week of graduation ceremonies held by the University at the Caird Hall.
The talk will focus on a message that His Holiness has been communicating for many years. Although the West has been immensely successful in respect to what he refers to as education of the brain, he has a very keen interest in also highlighting the need for a balanced approach which includes an education of the heart by cultivating love and compassion.
The visit is being co-ordinated by Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association, and the University of Dundee Chaplaincy Centre are one of the key partners who have helped to organise it. University Chaplain Rev Dr Fiona Douglas said the appearance of one of the world's most inspirational spiritual leaders was a major event in Dundee history.
"His Holiness will bring a message of love and compassion that resonates with people of all faiths, and none," she said. "We are very privileged to have His Holiness as his guest, and to have him deliver the Margaret Harris Lecture on Religion.
"Opportunities to hear from this much loved and respected leader in person are rare, so we are delighted to be able to offering this opportunity to the people of Dundee. The rate at which tickets were snapped up for the Edinburgh and Inverness events show the interest there is in this visit and I'm sure we will shortly see the 'sold out' signs go up in Dundee as well."
Dundee Lord Provost John Letford added, "It is a privilege for Dundee to be visited by His Holiness The Dalai Lama. His spiritual leadership and unstinting promotion of human values will be well received in the city of discovery."
Tickets for the Caird Hall lecture will be on sale from Wednesday, 1st February. In order to ensure as many people are possible are able to access tickets, briefs will be strictly limited to two-per-customer.
They will be available to personal callers to Dundee City Box Office, City Square from 9am, and online at
www.dundeebox.co.uk from 9.30am. Any tickets remaining after personal and online purchases are dealt with may be available over the telephone by calling 01382 434940.
Notes to editors:
THE EDINBURGH INTER FAITH ASSOCIATION
The Edinburgh Inter Faith Association (EIFA) has been highly successful in bringing numerous high profile religious and spiritual leaders or Nobel Peace Prize laureates or nominees to Scotland and has either co-ordinated or jointly co-ordinated visits in the recent past by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, His Holiness Swami Chitanand Saraswati Ji, Chief Rabbi David Rosen, Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh Ji, Sister Joan Chittister, Arun Gandhi grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Archbishop Elias Chacour, Mother Meera, Nobel Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maquire and many other globally known figures.
EIFA will partner with the Dundee City Council, the University of Dundee, the City of Edinburgh Council, The Highland Council, The National Library of Scotland and The Representative of His Holiness The Dalai Lama for Northern Europe to deliver the visit programme. Victor Spence is the visit co-ordinator for the visit in Scotland. Victor Spence will also liaise with organisers of The Dalai Lama's visit to Manchester and London which are part of a wider visit to the United Kingdom.
This is the Dalai Lama's 5th visit to Scotland in a near 20 year period. The most recent visits were in November 2005 and June 2004.
HIS HOLINESS THE 14TH DALAI LAMA OF TIBET
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual leader of Tibet. He was born on 6 July 1935, to a farming family, in a small hamlet located in Taktser, Amdo, northeastern Tibet. At the age of two the child, who was named Lhamo Dhondup at that time was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lamas are believed to be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and patron saint of Tibet. Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who have postponed their own nirvana and chosen to take rebirth in order to serve humanity.
Now living in exile in India His Holiness The Dalai Lama is a Nobel Laureate as well as being one of the most known, loved and revered religious and spiritual leaders in the world today.
His Holiness has travelled to more than 62 countries spanning 6 continents. He has met with presidents, prime ministers and crowned rulers of major nations. He has held dialogues with the heads of different religions and many well-known scientists.
Since 1959 His Holiness has received numerous awards, honorary doctorates, prizes, etc., in recognition of his message of peace, non-violence, inter-religious understanding, universal responsibility and compassion. His Holiness has also authored more than 72 books.
His Holiness The Dalai Lama describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk.
For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
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