By Kim Vo
On a research project for the United Nations, professor Tom Nazario interviewed Tibetan children who had crossed the icy Himalayas searching for refuge and the Dalai Lama. After he was done, Nazario kept returning to the Indian village where many of the refugees lived, often bringing books and volunteers from the University of San Francisco, where he teaches. The Dalai Lama, who also lives in the village of Dharamsala, befriended Nazario, calling him “Little Professor.”
One day, according to Nazario, the Nobel Prize winner and Tibetan spiritual leader said, “I should really come to the university and thank your president for all you’ve done.”
On Friday, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, is scheduled to lead an interfaith service on campus, then hold a private meeting with the local Tibetan community before giving an afternoon talk. Later, he will discuss “A Human Approach to World Peace” at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco. That event is sold out, and the University of San Francisco events are reserved for students, faculty and employees. The USF events will be broadcast live on the radio and Internet.
The Dalai Lama is a popular figure in North America, and the San Francisco visit is part of a United States tour. He is also visiting Boston, Indiana, New York and Washington, D.C.
To mark his San Francisco arrival, the private university is bestowing an honorary degree on the Dalai Lama, whom Tibetan Buddhists consider the incarnation of divine compassion.
The Dalai Lama’s teachings jibe with the Jesuit school, Nazario said.
“Much of what he talks about is the health and education of the heart. Jesuits believe it’s important not only to educate the mind, but the heart,” says Nazario, a law professor. “The best kind of person who comes out of a Jesuit community is committed to making the world a better place and has the skills and compassion to do that.”
To celebrate the Dalai Lama’s visit, the school has created a comprehensive four-year scholarship for a Tibetan student who plans to return to Asia after his or her studies and continue helping Tibetan people. A student, Dawa Dorjee, has already been selected for the prize, which will be worth at least $128,000 over four years. A private fundraiser will be held Friday in hope that the scholarship can be offered regularly.
The university will also host a week-long series of events to mark the visit. The campus community has been encouraged to read the Dalai Lama’s autobiography and hold a discussion group; there will also be a Tibetan art exhibit and a lecture by an expert on Tibetan Buddhism.
On Thursday and Friday, the university will hold a Tibetan Cultural Fair, which is open to the public. Members of the local Tibetan community have been integral in planning the fair, which will include Tibetan food, speakers and dancers, says Chimmy Gonpo, president of the Tibetan Association of Northern California.
Gonpo will be among the 1,600 Tibetans meeting with their exiled political and spiritual leader. Tibetans are coming from as far away Canada and New York, says Gonpo, whose sister is traveling from Portland, Ore., with her husband and son.
“Everybody is so excited. He’s our leader,” Gonpo says.
“He’s like Jesus for us.”
IF YOU’RE INTERESTED
The University of San Francisco events will be broadcast live on KUSF 90.3 FM and available on the Internet at www.live365.com/stations/kusf?site=kusf. The interfaith prayer is scheduled for 11 a.m., and the Dalai Lama’s talk runs from 2 to 4 p.m.
