Thursday, September 24, 2009 7:30 p.m.
Calgary Buddhist Temple
207 6th Street NE, Calgary

The Dalai Lamas: A Cultural Heritage of Embodied Compassion
a free public lecture by

Dr. James Apple
U n i v e r s i t y  o f  C a l g a r y

The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, enjoys respect and fame as a spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. As the title “Dalai Lama” has entered global consciousness, few people know its beginnings, meaning, or the system of reincarnation behind it. This presentation provides an overview of the long and rich history of the fourteen men who have held the title of Dalai Lama. The presentation also examines the cultural heritage of embodied Buddhist compassion that the Dalai Lamas furnish to followers of Tibetan Buddhism.

James B. Apple is an Assistant Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Calgary. He received his doctorate in Buddhist Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His publications include Stairway to Nirvāṇa (State University of New York Press, 2008) and “Redescribing Maṇḍalas: A Test Case in Bodh Gayā, India” in Introducing Religion: Essays in Honor of Jonathan Z. Smith (Equinox, 2008).

Presented by: The Numata Chair of Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religious Studies, University of Calgary
For more information, call 403-220-5886
www.ucalgary.ca/numatachair