MINNESOTA: His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota on 13 June for his routine annual medical check-up. His Holiness left Dharamshala on 11 June for a 17-day visit to the United States.
Mr Penpa Tsering, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, along with staff and doctors of Mayo Clinic welcomed His Holiness at the airport. From the airport, His Holiness the Dalai Lama drove straight to Mayo clinic where about 200 Tibetans, young and old, had gathered on either side of the driveway to greet him and offer a traditional welcome.
His Holiness smiled and waved as he walked into the Clinic, occasionally stopping to shake hands with old friends. Within the Clinic lobby, he also stopped to speak to patients who had gathered to see him. He comforted several, enquiring about their ailments and how long they had been taking treatment.
Upstairs His Holiness was warmly greeted by doctors, nurses and technicians he has got to know on previous visits. His Holiness will spend two days at the Mayo Clinic before travelling on to San Diego, California.
At San Diego, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will deliver a public talk on ‘Embracing the Beauty of Diversity in our World’ in University of California San Diego on 16 June. An estimated 25,000 people will attend the ceremony, which will be held on the university campus’s RIMAC Field.
On 17 June, His Holiness will deliver the keynote speech to all UC San Diego graduates, their families and friends from 9 to 10:30 a.m at UC San Diego’s invitation-only All-Campus Commencement. The talk will focus on the value of education, ethics and compassion for the well-being of self and others.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s other engagements in the US during this visit include a public talk on ‘Caring for the World through Kindness and Compassion’ at Minneapolis, MN and a public talk for the Tibetan Community in Minnesota.