By Jana Cunningham

Today, on the 80th birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, the University of Utah and the Utah Tibet Foundation announced he will speak at the at the Huntsman Center, Sunday, Oct. 18 at 1:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale, Monday, July 13 at 10 a.m. and will be available at utahtickets.com/dalai-lama/ or the Huntsman Center ticket office, 801-581-8849.

Tickets for U students are $10, with a limit of two per ID; faculty and staff are $20, with a limit of two per ID and reserved tickets are available to the community for $35, with a limit of six tickets per purchase.

The theme of the Dalai Lama’s presentation will be compassion and universal responsibility followed by a Q&A session. Guests are encouraged to submit their questions prior to the event at global.utah.edu/dalailama.

“It is a great honor and pleasure to welcome the Dalai Lama back to the University of Utah,” said David W. Pershing, president of the U. “He is the spiritual leader of tens of millions of people and has shared his peaceful message with the people of six continents, Congress, Parliament and the United Nations. We look forward to his return to the Huntsman Center.”

The Dalai Lama’s first visit to the U campus was in May 2001. As part of his visit to Salt Lake City this fall, the Dalai Lama will also give the keynote speech at the Parliament of the World’s Religions held at the Salt Palace on Oct. 17

The Dalai Lama has committed his life to three major principles, the promotion of basic human values in the interest of human happiness, the fostering of inter-religious harmony and the preservation of Tibet’s Buddhist culture of peace and non-violence.

Exiled from Tibet in 1959 during the uprising of Tibetans against the Chinese army, the Dalai Lama escaped to India and established the Central Tibetan Administration to meet the needs of refugees and seek to maintain their culture. He has since traveled the globe promoting peace and compassion and in 1989 he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle to free Tibet.

“His Holiness the Great 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet is a gift to the world,” said Pema Chagzoetsang, board member of the Utah Tibet Foundation. “In today’s world, his message of seeking personal spiritual awareness to reflect compassion and kindness is more needed than ever. He has impacted millions of people worldwide through his teachings on human values, tolerance, harmony, peace and the genuine practice of loving kindness. The Dalai Lama has stepped outside traditional roles to make this world more conscious of our humanity.”

Prior to his address at 1:30 p.m., a cultural program celebrating the birthday of the Dalai Lama will be presented by the Utah Tibet Association and the Drepung Loseling Monastery Tibetan Monks. Doors to the Huntsman Center open at 11 a.m.

All local proceeds from the event will go the Utah Tibetan Association to fund the Tibetan Community Center, a gathering place to celebrate and encourage the preservation of Tibetan culture.

U co-sponsors include the Office for Global Engagement, the Asia Center, College of Social Work, Global Social Work, Global Health/Health Sciences, the Hinckley Institute, Tanner Center for Nonviolent Human Rights Advocacy and the Tanner Humanities Center.

In accordance with federal security guidelines, no guns or other weapons will be permitted at the venue for His Holiness’ visit to the U campus. Visitors will be required to pass through a metal detector and have their bags checked before entering the seating area. It is recommended that guests leave personal belongings at home to streamline the process. Guests are encouraged to arrive early.

Jana Cunningham is a communications specialist at University Marketing and Communications. If you have an interesting story idea, email her at jana.cunningham@utah.edu.