The Dalai Lama in Central Park

September 21, 2003 - The Dalai Lama gave a lecture on peace, generosity and compassion before thousands of New Yorkers that gathered at Central Park’s East Meadow on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

The 14^th Dalai Lama was introduced by longtime Buddhist and actor Richard Gere and the two hour lecture was received with great respect and attention by the estimated 65,000 people that crowded Central Park.

The exiled Tibetan leader gave his lecture in English, only requiring a translator a few times, and spoke about the importance of parenting, the differences between body and mind, his campaign to promote nonviolence throughout the world and his feelings against the war: 

“War, I think, is something like legalized violence”, said the Dalai Lama, who also called for people to perform random acts of kindness.

This was the Dalai Lama’s third visit to Central Park as part of a five-city tour that included San Francisco, Bloomington, Washington, D.C., and Boston.

Dalai Lama’s Profile

The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He was born Lhamo Dhondup on July 6, 1935 in the small village of Taktser in north eastern Tibet, and was recognized at the age of two, in accordance with Tibetan tradition, as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the 13th Dalai Lama. He was brought to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, and enthroned in 1940.

In 1950, at age 15, he was called upon to assume the full power after China’s invasion of Tibet in 1949. In 1954 he went to Beijing for peace talks but finally, in 1959, with the brutal suppression of the Tibetan national uprising in Lhasa by Chinese troops, the Dalai Lama was forced to escape into exile. Since then, he has been living in Dharamsala, a small town in northern India, the seat of the Tibetan government in exile, popularly known as "Little Lhasa".

In exile, the Dalai Lama has successfully led his people in the field of education, and the preservation of their ancient and unique Tibetan culture. Besides being the spokesperson of the Tibetan national struggle, he is also recognized as a respected advocate of world peace and inter-religious understanding. Whenever he travels abroad, he is met by heads of state and spiritual leaders from all faiths.

For his lead role in the non-violent Tibetan struggle for freedom, global human understanding, and concern for the environment, the Dalai Lama has received many international awards, including the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize.

© EasyNewYorkCity/Gabriela Diaz