Dalai Lama talks of brother, religions

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- When his elder brother died here in 2008, the Dalai Lama didn't make it to the funeral. When you believe in reincarnation, and that this life is just a doorway to the next, there's no great importance to funerals, his followers explained.

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"A difficult question": After his news conference Thursday, the Dalai Lama told Kai Grise that with the changes in China, there might be progress for Tibetans during the boy's lifetime. - Jeremy Hogan / Associated Press

RELATED INFORMATION

Want to go

Tickets are available for the Dalai Lama's Indianapolis appearance.

» Public talk: "Facing Challenges with Compassion and Wisdom," 9:30 a.m. today, Conseco Fieldhouse.

» Cost: $25 general admission;students, $15.

» Info: (317) 917-2727; www.tmbcc.net; www.ticketmaster.com.

The general public is encouraged to arrive by 7:30 a.m. for security checks.

But after spending two days this week on the grounds of the cultural center his brother founded, the Dalai Lama seemed a bit misty-eyed for a moment when asked Thursday what it meant to be here after his brother's passing.

"Of course my elder brother is a very sincere person, a very dedicated person. We respect him," the Dalai Lama said. "However, when his death took, he (was) already very old. So that is the normal way to go."

The Dalai Lama, who will conclude his sixth Indiana visit this morning with a public talk in Indianapolis at Conseco Fieldhouse, had a news conference Thursday with members of the media from across the world. It was his first news conference in the state since he started coming to Indiana in 1987.

The 74-year-old spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and political leader of the exiled government of Tibet kept a full schedule this week, with three sessions of religious teachings plus numerous private meetings with religious leaders and Tibetan refugees at the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center.

By the time he took his seat Thursday -- in a plush chair in front of a wall of yak butter sculptures and an assortment of paintings of the Buddha -- he admitted to being "a little bit exhausted."

Soon, though, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate launched into a 10-minute oration on the importance of an unbiased press; the falsehood that wealth, fame and power can bring happiness; and his belief that, despite their differences, the major world religions have a lot in common. To help convey his message, he waved his arms, stabbed at the air with his finger and flashed his trademark smile. Speaking in English, only occasionally did he turn to his interpreter to help him understand a question.

The death of his brother, whom Buddhists know as Tagster Rinpoche and Hoosiers as the late Indiana University Professor Thubten J. Norbu, came with the knowledge that the cultural center Norbu founded continues its work.

"Spirituality is very much alive here. And that means my late brother's spirit very much still exists here," the Dalai Lama said. "So I am very happy."

Buddhists believe Norbu to have been the reincarnation of a high lama, or spiritual leader. The Dalai Lama said the search for Tagster Rinpoche's next reincarnation could begin in the next year or two.