(TibetanReview.net, Feb05, 2017) – The Dalai Lama has postponed a planned Apr 2017 visit to Louisville in the US state of Kentucky, citing doctor’s advice to take rest, reported courier-journal.com Feb 3, citing Mayor Greg Fischer.
The exiled spiritual leader of Tibet was slated to speak Apr 23-24 at the 22nd annual Festival of Faiths but has been forced to cut back on traveling for the upcoming months in order to rest, the report cited the Dalai Lama’s representative as saying in a release.
“We are saddened that His Holiness is unable to make the trip, but we remain heartened by his desire to reschedule a visit to Louisville and by his continuing encouragement of our city’s compassion efforts,” Fischer was quoted as saying.
The report said the Dalai Lama’s visit was planned by several local organizations involved in the city’s compassion initiatives, including the mayor’s office, the Center for Interfaith Relations, the Drepung Gomang Center for Engaging Compassion, and the newly formed International Center for Compassionate Cities.
The report cited Sarah Reed Harris, executive director for the Center of Interfaith Relations, as saying the Festival of Faiths will power on without the Dalai Lama’s presence. “We want to stress that while this was a significant part of this year’s festival, there is a tremendous lineup of global speakers and events, and we will be moving forward shining a bright light on the compassionate work of our city,” Harris was further quoted as saying.
The 1989 Nobel Peace laureate’s first visit to Louisville was in 2013 when he spoke to a crowd of 16,000 at the KFC Yum! Center. The reported cited his representative as saying the Dalai Lama was looking forward to returning to the city in the future.
In Jun 2017, the Dalai Lama is visiting the University of California San Diego for a series of academic events while also giving a public talk.