[Please note the venue change from the previous announcement] 

The University Programs Cultures & Concepts Committee in partnership with The Fulbright College Honors Program and The Religious Studies Program will present a documentary film showing of “10 Questions for the Dalai Lama” with director Rick Ray on Monday, March 31st, 2008 at Giffels Auditorium, 2nd floor of Old Main, at 7:00pm.

Rick Ray examines some of the fundamental questions of our time by weaving together observations from his own journeys throughout India and the Middle East, and the wisdom of an extraordinary spiritual leader. This is his story, as told and filmed by Rick Ray during a private visit to his monastery in Dharamsala, India over the course of several months. Also included is rare historical footage as well as footage supplied by individuals who at great personal risk, filmed with hidden cameras within Tibet.

Part biography, part philosophy, part adventure and part politics, 10 Questions for The Dalai Lama conveys more than history and more than answers - it opens a window into the heart of an inspiring man. Ray will briefly talk about his experience and answer questions following the documentary film showing.

The event is free to all students, faculty, staff, and guests. For more information about the Cultures & Concepts Committee, contact Roberto Noensie at (479) 575-5255.

University of Arkansas Students for a Free Tibet will host a candlelight vigil in support of the Tibetan people this Tuesday, March 25, in Giffels Auditorium on the 2nd floor of Old Main at approximately 7:15-7:30.  The student group’s advisor and Tibetan Buddhist monk Geshe Thupten Dorjee will speak, and his student Rinzin Dorjee will perform a chant and blessing for Tibet.  There will also be a short film.

Prior to the vigil, beginning at 6:00 pm in Giffels Auditorium, Professor Sidney Burris will present a lecture on His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and the history of Tibet leading up to the 1950 Chinese invasion. 

The lecture and vigil are part of the U of A History of Non-Violence class taught by Professor Burris and Geshe Dorjee; but this event is open to the public.  All are welcome to attend.

University of Arkansas
Tibetan Film Series Presents

The Tibetan Book of the Dead
Directed by Ishu Patel
Narrated by Leonard Cohen

Thursday, March 27 at 7:00 pm
Chemistry Auditorium (CHEM 132)
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Admission is free and open to the public

[Please note the venue change from previous screenings. The Chemistry Building is located just to the southwest of the Peace Fountain in front of Old Main.]

Death is real, it comes without warning and it cannot be escaped. An ancient source of strength and guidance, The Tibetan Book of the Dead remains an essential teaching in the Buddhist cultures of the Himalayas. Narrated by Leonard Cohen, this enlightening series explores the sacred text and boldly visualizes the afterlife according to its profound wisdom.

Part 1: A Way of Life reveals the history of The Tibetan Book of the Dead and examines its traditional use in northern India, as well as its acceptance in Western hospices. Shot over a four-month period, the film contains footage of the rites and liturgies for a deceased Ladakhi elder and includes an interview with the Dalai Lama, who shares his views on the book’s meaning and importance.

Part 2: The Great Liberation follows an old lama and his novice monk as they guide a Himalayan villager into the afterlife using readings from The Tibetan Book of the Dead. The soul’s 49-day journey towards rebirth is envisioned through actual photography of rarely seen Buddhist rituals, interwoven with groundbreaking animation by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Ishu Patel.

SPECIAL INTRODUCTION AND Q&A SESSION

Tibetan monks Geshe Thupten Dorjee and Rinzin Dorjee will provide an introductory chant, and will be available to answer questions about the film and about their lives in exile following the screening.

The Tibetan Cultural Institute of Arkansas will hold an informal public organizational and informational meeting on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 at 6:00 pm.  The meeting will be held in the Willard and Pat Walker Community Room of the Fayetteville Public Library, located at 401 W. Mountain Street in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The Tibetan Cultural Institute of Arkansas, founded by Ven. Geshe Thupten Dorjee and Professor Sidney Burris, is dedicated to helping the Tibetan people preserve their culture and religion within the emerging global village. The Institute pursues its objectives through education, through providing the public with teachings, demonstrations, exhibits, lectures, films, study trips - in short, with any activity that artfully showcases one of the world’s oldest and most comprehensive civilizations.

This meeting is free and open to all interested members of the public.