The Dalai Lama, recipient of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, will visit the Twin Cities in May 2001.
“We are excited to have one of the great world leaders of our time come to Minnesota and look forward to welcoming his message of peace and compassion,” said Mary Ann Lundquist, co-chairwoman of the Dalai Lama’s visit.
The Dalai Lama, exiled political and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, has the capacity to inspire Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, said Indira Junghare, University professor of South Asian studies.
“Genuine compassion is based on a clear acceptance or recognition that others, like oneself, want happiness and have the right to overcome suffering. On that basis, one develops concern about the welfare of others, irrespective of one’s attitude to oneself. That is compassion,” the Dalai Lama wrote in his 1995 book, The Power of Compassion.
Hello Dalai
This is his first visit to Minnesota, which is home to the second largest Tibetan immigrant population in the United States, Lundquist said.
The two sponsors of the visit, the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota and the Tibetan Association of Minnesota, invited the Dalai Lama in 1997. In 1998, a Minnesota Tibetan traveled to the Dalai Lama’s home in Dharamsala, India, and presented him with a scrapbook of Tibetans living in Minnesota, Lunquist said.
The Dalai Lama accepted the invitation to Minnesota because of the more than 700 Tibetans living in the Twin Cities area, she said.
Since fleeing Tibet after its 1950 occupation by China, the Dalai Lama has advocated the return of peace to his country.
He is the author of numerous books, including “Ethics for the New Millennium,” released last year. His life was featured in the movie “Seven Years in Tibet.”
The Dalai Lama’s Twin Cities itinerary hasn’t been determined, but will include a public address.
More information will be released in a few weeks, Lundquist said.

Tammy Tucker covers religion and welcomes comments at [email protected].