Dalai Lama Speaking in Ann Arbor

I just thought I'd spread the word that on Sunday, April 20, 2008 - 2:00pm to 3:30pm the Dalai Lama will be speaking in Ann Arbor, MI, USA at Crisler Arena:

As part of 2008 Earth Day activities, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama will deliver a special Peter M. Wege Lecture on Sustainability at 2 PM, Sunday, April 20, 2008. This is sponsored by the University of Michigan Office of the President and by the Center for Sustainable Systems in the School of Natural Resources and Environment. The Nobel Peace Prize winner and Buddhist leader last visited Ann Arbor in 1994, when about 9,000 people attended a Thursday night lecture at Crisler Arena.

The Wege Lecture is free and open to the public, though tickets are required. Beginning March 4, 2008 tickets to the Wege Lecture will be available to University of Michigan students, faculty and staff who bring their UM ID to the Michigan Union Ticket Office (MUTO). The general public can obtain tickets there or by calling the 734-763-TKTS starting March 5, 2008. There is a limit of two tickets per person.

Probably not surprising since I'm a Theravada Buddhist, but the Dalai Lama isn't my spiritual idol as he is for some. In fact, I tend to think he's more of a politician than a spiritual leader.

According to the Tipitaka, monks are not really supposed to be involved in politics. The relevant sections are in DN 2:

"Whereas some priests and contemplatives, living off food given in faith, are addicted to talking about lowly topics such as these — talking about kings, robbers, ministers of state; armies, alarms, and battles; food and drink; clothing, furniture, garlands, and scents; relatives; vehicles; villages, towns, cities, the countryside; women and heroes; the gossip of the street and the well; tales of the dead; tales of diversity [philosophical discussions of the past and future], the creation of the world and of the sea, and talk of whether things exist or not — he abstains from talking about lowly topics such as these. This, too, is part of his virtue.
...
"Whereas some priests and contemplatives, living off food given in faith, are addicted to running messages and errands for people such as these — kings, ministers of state, noble warriors, priests, householders, or youths [who say], 'Go here, go there, take this there, fetch that here' — he abstains from running messages and errands for people such as these. This, too, is part of his virtue.

Also see Buddhist Monastic Code II, Chapter 10. As stated in a previous post, it also appears impossible to maintain a monk's standard of virtue as a ruler.

The Dalai Lama is probably better off, and freer to spread his message less subject to criticism as part of a government in exile rather than one that's actually running a real country. Not that I think the invasion of Tibet was necessarily a wonderful thing, but it's always good to look on the positive side.

Regardless of my disagreement with the idea of monks in politics, I think the Dalai Lama is a nice guy and generally goes a good job as the foremost advocate for Buddhism in the world. I won't pass up an opportunity to hear him speak.