His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Aspen: A Celebration of Tibetan Culture
July 24 – 26, 2008

The Aspen Institute's 15th Annual Summer Celebration Dinner is now SOLD OUT. For details and to be added to a waiting list for the dinner, please contact Becky Ward at becky.ward@aspeninstitute.org or (970) 544-7925.     

"His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Aspen: A Celebration of Tibetan Culture" symposium is now SOLD OUT. To be added to a waiting list for this event, please send an e-mail to katie.donnelly@aspeninstitute.org with your name, phone number, and e-mail address. We will contact you by phone and e-mail if space becomes available.

**Tickets for the July 26th Talk by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the Benedict Music Tent will go on sale in early June. If you would like your name added to an email list to receive notification announcing sale date and price, please send an email to katie.donnelly@aspeninstitute.org.**

The Aspen Institute and co-chairs Margot Pritzker and Richard Blum, in collaboration with the Conservancy for Tibetan Art and Culture, are proud to present a substantive symposium that embraces Tibetan and Himalayan art, culture, science, medicine, spiritual practice, and history.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be the keynote speaker at The Aspen Institute’s summer symposium celebrating Tibetan and Himalayan Culture. The three day program will bring together eminent scholars, practitioners and tradition-bearers from around the globe to shed light on the rich historical and philosophical significance of Tibet and its impact on global issues today. Through dialogue, music, art and performance, our goal is to bring a broader understanding of the world to Aspen and to bring the Aspen conversation to the world. The visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama provides an exceptional opportunity to connect the Aspen Institute’s mission of values based leadership with the Dalai Lama’s own enlightened leadership and commitment to universal responsibility. 

Symposium fees and contributions will be used to defray the significant cost of the three day program.   Any proceeds over cost will be donated to an organization or cause of the Dalai Lama’s choosing. The symposium coincides with the Aspen Institute’s annual benefit summer celebration dinner, proceeds from which will go towards fulfilling the Institute’s mission of non-partisan dialogue and values based leadership. Income over budgeted proceeds will also be donated to an organization or cause of the Dalai Lama’s choosing.   A Celebration of Tibetan Culture has been organized in compliance with the guidelines of the Office of Tibet. His Holiness the Dalai Lama does not accept honoraria.

This event, which takes place July 24 to 26, will include eminent scholars, practitioners, and tradition-bearers who will address attendees through panel discussions, presentations, and break-out sessions.  In addition, interactive demonstrations of ancient Tibetan and Himalayan arts will provide an opportunity for tradition-bearers and program participants to meet in an intimate environment. An extraordinary number of today¹s best-known Tibetan Buddhist teachers, scholars and supporters are being invited to participate in this series of symposia and meetings. Invitees include teachers such as Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, Sogyal Rinpoche, Zopa Rinpoche and Khandro Rinpoche, as well as Prof. Robert Thurman, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, filmmakers Richard Gere, Martin Scorsese and Neten Chokling Rinpoche, philosopher, author, photographer and Buddhist monk Matthieu Richard, and recent biographer of the Dalai Lama, Pico Iyer, among others. In addition, Drepeung Loseling monks will chant and perform.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Aspen: A Celebration of Tibetan Culture has been organized in compliance with the guidelines of the Office of Tibet.  Symposium proceeds will be used to defray event costs. His Holiness the Dalai Lama does not accept honoraria.