His Holiness, Tenzin Gyatso the XIV Dalai Lama, will teach the Heart of Wisdom Sutra in San Jose, California for four hours each day May 17, 18 and 19, 2001. He will give a public talk, Peace Through Inner Peace, on the evening of May 19 and a Medicine Buddha Empowerment on Sunday morning, May 20th.

His Holiness is coming to San Jose at the invitation of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, co-founder and Spiritual Director of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana TVadi- tion (FPMT). The sponsoring organization is Land of Medicine Buddha, a Center in Santa Cruz devoted to healing that is one of the more than one hundred and thirty FPMT centers throughout the world.

His Holiness will teach the Heart of Wisdom Sutra, one of the most concise, profound and beloved of all the Buddha's teachings. It takes the form of an exchange between two of the Buddha's foremost disciples and addresses how to understand the ultimate nature of all phenomena: emptiness. This precious text contains not only all the Buddha's teachings on wisdom, but also implicitly contains teachings on compassion and the way to achieve enlightenment. The guidance of a skillful teacher is essential to draw out its hidden meaning, which goes far beyond its words. So highly revered is this sutra that even the sound of it is believed to bring wisdom to those who hear it.

In his public talk, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will explain precise and scientifically validated methods for developing genuine inner peace.

Finally, the Medicine Buddha Empowerment conferred by His Holiness the Dalai Lama will establish a powerful connection between each person present and the Healing Buddha, who embodies the power of all the Buddhas to overcome suffering.

Because the Heart Sutra crosses all boundaries and traditions, the teachings at San Jose have special appeal. Many hundreds from the Chinese community are expected and at least five hundred people from different Vietnamese temples will also attend. His Holiness's speech will be simultaneously interpreted in Mandarin and Vietnamese.

Further information is available from the organizers by calling 831-476-0865 or on the web at: www.medicinebuddha.org. ä_æ