By Michaela Farrington
TIBET’S spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, will visit Geelong in June.
Dalai Lama will hold two events.
His Holiness will bless the Drol Kar Buddhist centre at Paraparap, near Bellbrae, during his one-day trip to Geelong on June 11.
The spiritual leader and Nobel Peace Prize-winner will also hold two public events at the Arena for the people of Geelong, including a Medicine Buddha Blessing in the morning and a public talk in the afternoon.
More than 15,000 people gathered at Skilled Stadium for the Dalai Lama’s last visit in 2002 and thousands are expected to turn out for his latest visit.
The Dalai Lama’s visit is at the invitation of the Drol Kar Buddhist Centre’s Geshe Sonam Thargye _ Tibetan Buddhist monk, teacher and avid surfer.
Tibetan-born Geshe Sonam entered monastic life at the age of seven and left his homeland for India when he was 17 to study in South India at the Dalai Lama’s Sera Je monastery.
He came to Geelong in 1999 and established the Drol Kar Buddhist Centre.
Karen Mayer, assistant director of the Drol Kar Buddhist Centre, said preparations were already under way for the Dalai Lama’s visit.
“There is so much to prepare,” she said yesterday as she accompanied five visiting Tibetan monks on a tour of the Jirrahlinga Wildlife Sanctuary.
“It will be his second visit to Geelong,” she said.
“We are very, very fortunate.”
The Dalai Lama will spend a week touring Australia, visiting Perth, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Sydney, Geelong and Bendigo.
Tickets for the Medicine Buddha Blessing _ said to be a powerful healing blessing _ go on sale on February 26 from the Drol Kar Buddhist Centre office or from the website www.dalailamageelong.com.au
Tickets for the public talk will be available some time in April.
