Performances, Readings and Films Slated in Anticipation of Dalai Lama Visit in 2011

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His Holiness the Dalai Lama

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – From September 2010 until April 2011, the Dalai Lama Film and Book Series will offer a variety of three readings and four films that will help the public better understand the culture and philosophy of Buddhism as well as the central role His Holiness the Dalai Lama plays, not only as leader of the Tibetan people, but also as one of the most respected individuals on the world stage.

From Sept. 25 through 30, members of the Mystical Arts of Tibet group will construct a sand mandala in the Anne Kittrell gallery and demonstrate other aspects of Tibetan culture. The group, featuring the famed multiphonic singers of Drepung Loseling monastery, have become an international phenomenon. The troupe has performed in the major capitals of the world and has been endorsed by the Dalai Lama as a means of promoting world peace and healing through the sacred performing arts of the Tibetan tradition.

The events are in celebration of the Dalai Lama’s visit to the University of Arkansas campus, scheduled for May 11, 2011. They are being sponsored by the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and the Fulbright College Honors Program in conjunction with the Arkansas Union. Discussion of the films and books will be led by Geshe Thupten Dorjee, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, and Sidney Burris, director of the Fulbright Honors Program and a member of the English department.

To accommodate public interest, both on the campus and within the community, the series will meet twice monthly at two locations on consecutive evenings:  the Fayetteville Public Library (FPL) and the Union Theater. For more information, visit http://dalailama.uark.edu. All events are free and open to the public.