Tibetan leader pays rare visit

5:18pm Friday 16th May 2008

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Buddhists in Oxford are looking forward to welcoming the Dalai Lama to Oxford at the end of the month.

The Dalai Lama is a figurehead of the Buddhist community across the world and the Tibetan leader is coming to Oxford at a time of tension between his homeland and China.

But it is understood the Dalai Lama will not use the talk, at the Sheldonian Theatre, on Friday, May 30, to focus exclusively on the political situation.

The talk has been organised by So-Wide, the Society for the Wider Understanding of the Buddhist Tradition. The Dalai Lama is its patron.

So-Wide is a charity that works to develop the study of Buddhism and the use of Buddhist practices for therapy and professional development.

Spokesman Jennifer-Jayne Clews said: "We're really looking forward to the Dalai Lama's visit and we expect it to be a fascinating talk.

"It will be the first time he has been to Oxford since he visited the city about 15 years ago to talk at the Oxford Union.

"He could talk about the situation in Tibet, but we understand that this will not be solely a political speech."

Geoffrey Bamford, a trustee of So-Wide, added: "Buddhism matters. It's a practical tradition, like science - except that science has forgotten about people's actual experience, and this is all about experience and how we make it better.

"So it offers a 'third way' between dogmatic religion and empty secularism.

"Humanity is in a crisis and we need fresh insight. The Dalai Lama will talk about this."

He will be talking and answering questions about the crisis of humanity, science, cross-cultural harmony and wellbeing.

So-Wide is affiliated to the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies, an educational institution which provided £2.6m for Europe's first endowed Professorship in Buddhist Studies.

Oxford's new Lord Mayor Susanna Pressel will meet His Holiness at the Sheldonian Theatre and following the talk a reception will be held at Oxford University's Divinity School, although the visit to Oxford is not a university event.

For more information, see www.ocbs.org