VANCOUVER – The Dalai Lama was one of three Nobel Peace Laureates given honourary doctorates on Monday at the University of British Columbia.
The Dalai Lama, South African Bishop Desmond Tutu and Iranian human rights activist and feminist Shirin Ebadi all received the honours.
Ebadi was lauded for her role in fighting for the rights of women and children. Ebadi has been imprisoned in her native Iran for her human rights activities.
She is the first Iranian and the first woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Tutu received praise for his long struggle to free black South Africans from apartheid, and for his work to rebuild the country under majority rule.
The Dalai Lama was cited for his commitment to a peaceful, non-violent struggle to free his homeland of Tibet.
Accepting his degree, the Dalai Lama shared with hundreds of scholars and guests his favourite prayer.
“As a Buddhist monk, I always recite one prayer that is my favourite sort of prayer. ‘So long (as) space remains, so long sentient beings suffering remain, I will remain, in order to serve.’ That is my fundamental belief and practice.”
For a man that calls himself a simple Buddhist monk, the Dalai Lama has been given celebrity treatment with more than local, national and international media here covering his visit.
On Sunday, the Dalai Lama spoke at two sold-out events – each attracting 13,000 to the Pacific Coliseum.
The three Nobel Peace Prize winners will receive honourary degrees from Simon Fraser University on Tuesday. They will also get together for a roundtable discussion that will be broadcast on the web.
The Dalai Lama leaves Vancouver on Wednesday for Ottawa, and then Toronto.
