March 25, 2009

Lectures and Events Lead Up to Dalai Lama's Visit to UCSB

A series of lectures and events sponsored by UC Santa Barbara will take place on campus and in downtown Santa Barbara in anticipation of the Dalai Lama's visit to UCSB on April 24. They are as follows:

·Beginning Monday, March 30, and continuing each weekday through April 24, UCSB's campus radio station will present on-air readings from the Dalai Lama's "Ethics for the New Millennium." From noon to 12:30 p.m., listeners can tune in to KCSB at 91.9FM to hear readings of consecutive passages from the book, which is the UCSB Reads selection for 2009. The readings are also available through an online Webcast at www.kcsb.org.

·Wednesday, April 1, at 7:30 p.m. at Unity Santa Barbara, 227 E. Arrellaga St. in Santa Barbara: In a talk titled "Who Are the Dalai Lamas?" José Cabezón, the XIV Dalai Lama Endowed Chair in Tibetan Buddhism and Cultural Studies at UCSB, will present the history and evolution of one of Tibet's most important religious institutions.

·Wednesday, April 8, at 7:30 p.m. at Unity Santa Barbara: Gregory Hillis, a lecturer in the religious studies department at UCSB, will present "An Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism." He will discuss the history of the religion, as well as some of its essential doctrines.

·Tuesday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m. at Unity Santa Barbara: writer and photographer Thomas Shor will speak on "A Crack in the World: The True Story of a Tibetan Lama's Journey to the Land of Immortality." He will give a presentation of the Trulshik Lingpa's journey to "open the way" to a hidden land fabled in Tibetan tradition.

A donation of $5 at the door is suggested for Unity Santa Barbara events.

·Wednesday, April 15, at 7:30 p.m. in Campbell Hall, scholar-activists Robert Thurman and Pico Iyer will reflect on the Dalai Lama's ideas and work as a religious leader, politician, scientist, and philosopher in "Why the Dalai Lama Matters." Thurman is the Je Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University. Iyer is an acclaimed observer of Asia and Buddhism, and the author of several books, including "Abandon," "The Global Soul," and "The Open Road."

·Friday, April 17, at 7 and 10 p.m. at Isla Vista Theater: Magic Lantern Films presents a screening of "Kundun," Martin Scorsese's epic film about the life of the Dalai Lama up to the time of his exile. Tickets are $4.

·Wednesday, April 22, at 5 p.m. in the McCune Conference Room, 6020 Humanities and Social Sciences Building: Visiting professor Barbara Gerke presents the history, literature, physiology, diagnosis, and treatment techniques of Tibetan medicine in "Tibetan Medicine and Healing Arts: An Introduction." She also will discuss the education system for traditional Tibetan doctors in India.

·Saturday, April 25, at 10 a.m. in the University Center's Flying A Room: A panel discussion will address issues of ethics in the broader community, as well as the Dalai Lama's "Ethics for the New Millennium." Panelists include Hanna-Beth Jackson, former California State Assemblywoman, who will discuss ethics in government; Judy Guillermo-Newton, director of human resources and organizational development at Montecito Bank and Trust, who will discuss ethics in banking; John Zant, a Santa Barbara journalist, who will discuss ethics in the media; and Mark French, former UCSB women's basketball head coach, who will discuss ethics in athletics. The event is hosted by the UCSB Alumni Association.

About UC Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Our academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, as we draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.