Happy Birthday Dalai Lama
        & His Holiness in
   Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
A Tibetan monk carries a cake during the 73rd birthday
celebrations of their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama at a
monastery on the outskirts of the northeastern Indian city of
Siliguri July 6, 2008.
Tibetan monks cut a cake during the 73rd birthday celebrations of their spiritual leader
the Dalai Lama at a monastery on the outskirts of the northeastern Indian city of Siliguri
July 6, 2008.
Tibetan monks play traditional instruments during the 73rd
birthday celebrations of their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama at a
monastery on the outskirts of the northeastern Indian city of
Siliguri July 6, 2008.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama Begins Teaching at Lehigh University
Friday, July 11 2008

Bethlehem, PA: Drawing thousands of the curious and the faithful from as far as India, His Holiness the Dalai Lama began his first-ever Lehigh Valley visit Thursday with a call
for greater understanding around the world.

His Holiness arrived at Lehigh University's Stabler Arena in Bethlehem , Pennsylvania for six days of talks on ''The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment",
Tsong-kha-pa's masterpiece on the stages of spiritual evolution.

University President Alice P. Gast and other officials welcomed His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his arrival at Stabler arena.

His Holiness appeared on the stage of the 5,100-seat arena, which was about three-quarters full, the crowd stood and welcomed him in reverent silence.

Introducing himself as ''just one human being among 6 billion,'' His Holiness emphasized that his own Tibetan Buddhist teachings aren't the only legitimate spiritual path.

''Listen to these ideas. If you feel something [is] useful, take it!'' His Holiness said. ''If you feel it's nonsense, forget it!'' His Holiness added, laughing along with the crowd.

His Holiness called for greater understanding of the bonds between all people. When facing problems like economic crises and threats to the environment, ''we simply become one
community, one entity,'' His Holiness said. ''We all survive under one sun.''

The same is true in religious conflicts, His Holiness said. ''Some innocent, genuine, faithful people sometimes suffer. So therefore, [there is] the effort of promotion of religious
harmony -- with mutual respect.''

American Christians and others in this country must be more open to Muslims, His Holiness said. ''Since the Sept. 11 event, [there has been] sometimes some negative sort of
impressions, and that's totally wrong.''

Rob Johanson said he drove six hours from Springfield, Mass., to achieve one of his Top 10 lifetime goals: seeing the Dalai Lama. ''I never thought it was an achievable goal,'' he
said.

Lehigh's Gast presented His Holiness the Dalai Lama a white scarf, known as a khata, as part of a traditional greeting to a respected teacher. He blessed it by pressing it to his
forehead, then placed it on her shoulders.

Gast said she was deeply touched by the gesture. ''It was wonderful,'' she said. ''In person he exudes such warmth and friendliness.''

The Tibetan Buddhist Learning Center of Washington, N.J., is coordinating the lectures on ''The Great Treatise.'' Its leaders completed the first English translation of the work
in 2004.

After opening his talk in English, His Holiness the Dalai Lama shifted to Tibetan, delving into the treatise's historical and spiritual significance and going sentence-by-sentence
through parts of the text as a scholar translated.

John Acklen of Albuquerque, N.M., said the experience was surreal and overwhelming. ''There's just so much to take in,'' he said. ''It's like drinking from a fire hose.''

In the afternoon of Sunday, 13 July, His Holiness will deliver a public talk entitled, "Generating a Good Heart", at Lehigh University.

-- Reporting by the morning call.com
The Zen of commerce
Behind the spiritual uplift of Dalai Lama's visit, Bethlehem is seeing a business boom.
When Jeff Vaclavik, owner of Bethlehem's Deja Brew Coffeehouse & Deli, heard the Dalai Lama was coming to town,
he put his mind to boosting business during the spiritual leader's historic visit.

Soon, the Dalai Latte was born.

Throughout the city, business owners are welcoming the thousands of visitors who have flocked to the Lehigh Valley to
catch a glimpse of Tibet's leader-in-exile.

Hotels near Lehigh University have been booked this weekend for almost a year. Restaurants, which typically struggle
now because Lehigh students are on summer vacation, are finding tables filled with tourists, and with Buddhist monks
and nuns draped in burgundy and saffron robes.



THE DALAI LAMA VISITS THE VALLEY
Learn more about the Dalai Lama and his visit to the Lehigh University, including news, schedules, photos, maps and
much more!




THE DETAILS: THE DALAI LAMA
Some single-day tickets are still on sale for parts of the Dalai Lama's six-day talk on "The Great Treatise on the
Stages of the Path to Enlightenment," which starts today in Lehigh University's Stabler Arena.

• What's available: Single-day tickets for Friday, Saturday, Monday or Tuesday. Cost is $45 to $60.

• What's not available: Six-day passes are no longer on sale; no tickets are available for the talks today or Sunday
morning.

• How to buy: Visit Ticketmaster.com or call 610-233-0006, 215-336-2000 or 570-693-4100. Or visit any Ticketmaster
outlet or the Stabler Arena box office (weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

• Restrictions: No cell phones, cameras, backpacks, coolers, video or recording devices.

• When: Morning sessions start at 9:30 a.m., afternoon sessions at 2 p.m.

Excerpt from 'The Great Treatise On The Stages Of The Path To Enlightenment '
'One among 6 billion'
Text with messages ''It's great to see so many people on the streets, especially during the summertime when it's
normally slow,'' said Vaclavik, whose sign advertising the chai Dalai Latte is attracting visiting shutterbugs.
Thursday night a group of Buddhist monks sauntered down Fourth Street, catching the eye of his 3-year-old son Brady.
''Dad,'' the boy said, ''there are five Dalai Lattes walking down the street.''
And it's not just Bethlehem businesses cashing in on the Dalai Lama's visit, during which he is lecturing through
Tuesday on a 600-year-old Tibetan Buddhist text at Lehigh's Stabler Arena. A separate talk Sunday is sold out.
In Hellertown, Braveheart Highland Pub has seen an unexpected surge in business because Stabler is just down the
road.
When the crowd at Stabler broke for lunch, many headed to Braveheart and manager Bekah Van Gieson found herself
alone, serving a packed restaurant that would normally be half empty because of the summertime lull. She called in
reinforcements for the dinner shift.
''They just kept coming,'' she said of the customers.
The crowds at Stabler have also been snapping up books on Tibetan Buddhism, plus T-shirts, mugs and posters
celebrating the Dalai Lama's visit. Sales by Lehigh University's bookstore go to offset the expenses of hosting the
Dalai Lama at Lehigh.
In addition to hearing the Dalai Lama speak, many visitors are here to soak up local flavor, said Marc Kaminetsky of
the Lehigh Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau.
''They want to take in what the Lehigh Valley is,'' Kaminetsky said, so they've been asking about local restaurants,
shops and even historic tours.
Some Dalai Lama followers are sticking to a strictly spiritual itinerary. They include three Buddhist nuns and one
monk-in-training who traveled with about 15 of their most devout followers from the Sravasti Abbey, a Buddhist
monastic community in Washington state.
When not listening to the Dalai Lama speak, the group plans to meditate and talk about what they've learned each
day. Community member Tracy Morgan said except for box lunches between lectures, they are eating mostly family-
style meals cooked in their hotel, the Hilton Homewood Suites.
Area hotels are seeing perhaps the biggest boost in business courtesy of the Dalai Lama.
''Altogether, we're looking at over 2,000 room-nights for this event,'' said Kaminetsky. ''It's massive for us.''
The Hotel Bethlehem hoisted a Tibetan flag custom made by a Pittsburgh company, general manager Dennis Costello
said. A meditation room has been set aside for guests, and the hotel chef has prepared special vegetarian items.
The same is true at the Morningstar Inn on Market Street in Bethlehem, which booked up a year in advance, said
owner Virginia Hadam.
'As soon as they announced the visit, we sold out in three days for the whole week,'' said Hadam. ''It's made our July.''
To prepare for her visitors, Hadam arranged for special vegan meals and she bought Zen CDs. Still, Hadam and Hotel
Bethlehem's Costello said their guests have been low-maintenance, focused mainly on prayer and meditation.
''Despite the magnitude of the event, it's really a low-key thing,'' said Costello. ''We're finding Dalai Lama followers
are not a very demanding group.''
Reporters Michael Duck and Genevieve Marshall contributed to this story.
Counter
Dalai Lama calls for cultural, religious harmony
The Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 07/11/2008


BETHLEHEM, Pa.—The Dalai Lama has started a Pennsylvania visit with a call for cultural and religious harmony.
The 73-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner appeared in Lehigh University's Stabler Arena on Thursday. He is at the university for six days of
talks on a 600-year-old Buddhist text.

The Dalai Lama called for greater understanding among people with problems in common, including economic and environmental threats and
religious conflicts. He said those have included some negative opinions of Muslims overall in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks,
causing innocent and faithful people to suffer.

The Dalai Lama has been the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism since 1950. But he describes himself as just one human being among 6
billion and says, "We all survive under one sun."
Watch the video here.
July 13, 2008