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| To Be In His Presence Dalai Lama at 'gate: That 'Once in a Lifetime' Was Today For Many |
Almost to a person, people filing out of Colgate's
Sanford Field House Tuesday afternoon were
impressed -- even awed -- by the presence of the
Dalai Lama. Most called his two-hour speech and
question and answer session a once in a lifetime
experience and were happy to have been there.
Across College Street and well away from the field
house, the sounds of well-orchestrated protests
filled the warm afternoon air. Members of a small
sect of Buddhist monks at odds with the Dalai Lama
and pro-China supporters chanted and waved signs
and both Chinese and Tibetan flags.
Afterward, as the crowd filtered out toward
College Street and the protests, a long gray line of
New York State Troopers filled the middle of the
street.
The protests were in sharp contrast to the rest of
the day, which had the air commencement, reunion
and a big home football game. Before noon, traffic
increased and pedestrians filled the sidewalks.
Whitnall Filed filled with vehicles and a fleet of law
enforcement vehicles cruised the streets.
It was clear, Tuesday was no ordinary day.
From the stage of the field house Colgate President
Rebecca Chopp recalled a trip she made to
Vancouver, BC, Canada to see the Dalai Lama speak.
That was two years ago and it set in motion the
involved process that led to almost 5,000 people
flocking to campus to see His Holiness.
Chopp then introduced Robert Ho, a Colgate
alumnus, philanthropist and one of the Dalai Lama's
biggest boosters in North America. It was on Ho's
private jet that the Dalai Lama arrived at the
Hamilton airport Tuesday morning.
Ho told the audience that he thought having the
Dalai Lama address the students, faculty and staff of
Colgate would be a wonderful gift for the
community.
Then, seated in a large wooden chair in the middle
of the stage, his image projected on mammoth video
screens on either side, the Dalai Lama compared the
20th and 21st centuries. The 20th century was one
of bloodshed and violence, he said. His Holiness said
he believed the 21st century would not be the same,
but making that change was up to each individual.
Animated, gesturing, often laughing, the Dalai Lama
urged his audience to find compassion within, build
strong self-esteem and foster positive emotions.
"We need to think seriously about the causes of
happiness," the 73-year-old Dalai Lama said. "Good
result, happy result, entirely depends on good
action, constructive action."
After his speech, the Dalai Lama answered questions
that had been submitted earlier by students, faculty
and staff.
The Dalai Lama's latest stop on his North American
tour was part of Colgate's Global Leaders Lecture
Series and funded by the Colgate Parents and
Grandparents Fund.
Posted 2008.4.22
Sanford Field House Tuesday afternoon were
impressed -- even awed -- by the presence of the
Dalai Lama. Most called his two-hour speech and
question and answer session a once in a lifetime
experience and were happy to have been there.
Across College Street and well away from the field
house, the sounds of well-orchestrated protests
filled the warm afternoon air. Members of a small
sect of Buddhist monks at odds with the Dalai Lama
and pro-China supporters chanted and waved signs
and both Chinese and Tibetan flags.
Afterward, as the crowd filtered out toward
College Street and the protests, a long gray line of
New York State Troopers filled the middle of the
street.
The protests were in sharp contrast to the rest of
the day, which had the air commencement, reunion
and a big home football game. Before noon, traffic
increased and pedestrians filled the sidewalks.
Whitnall Filed filled with vehicles and a fleet of law
enforcement vehicles cruised the streets.
It was clear, Tuesday was no ordinary day.
From the stage of the field house Colgate President
Rebecca Chopp recalled a trip she made to
Vancouver, BC, Canada to see the Dalai Lama speak.
That was two years ago and it set in motion the
involved process that led to almost 5,000 people
flocking to campus to see His Holiness.
Chopp then introduced Robert Ho, a Colgate
alumnus, philanthropist and one of the Dalai Lama's
biggest boosters in North America. It was on Ho's
private jet that the Dalai Lama arrived at the
Hamilton airport Tuesday morning.
Ho told the audience that he thought having the
Dalai Lama address the students, faculty and staff of
Colgate would be a wonderful gift for the
community.
Then, seated in a large wooden chair in the middle
of the stage, his image projected on mammoth video
screens on either side, the Dalai Lama compared the
20th and 21st centuries. The 20th century was one
of bloodshed and violence, he said. His Holiness said
he believed the 21st century would not be the same,
but making that change was up to each individual.
Animated, gesturing, often laughing, the Dalai Lama
urged his audience to find compassion within, build
strong self-esteem and foster positive emotions.
"We need to think seriously about the causes of
happiness," the 73-year-old Dalai Lama said. "Good
result, happy result, entirely depends on good
action, constructive action."
After his speech, the Dalai Lama answered questions
that had been submitted earlier by students, faculty
and staff.
The Dalai Lama's latest stop on his North American
tour was part of Colgate's Global Leaders Lecture
Series and funded by the Colgate Parents and
Grandparents Fund.
Posted 2008.4.22
Mass transit for a day, Buses were used to shuttle
ticket-holders from the Grand Union parking lot
to campus.
ticket-holders from the Grand Union parking lot
to campus.
Pro-China protesters called on the Dalai Lama to
support the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...
which he has done repeatedly during his cross
country trip.
support the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...
which he has done repeatedly during his cross
country trip.
Monks of the Western Shungden Society
buttonholed people and protested along College
Street Tuesday.
buttonholed people and protested along College
Street Tuesday.