MINNEAPOLIS – The Dalai Lama cancelled U.S. appearances following a checkup at Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic and planned to return to India to rest, the University of Colorado and a Tibetan association announced Friday.
The school and the Tibetan Association of Colorado said the Office of Tibet in Washington, D.C., informed them of the cancellations. The Dalai Lama had been scheduled to appear at the university Oct. 20-21.
Messages left by The Associated Press with the Office of Tibet, which represents the Dalai Lama in North America, were not immediately returned Friday.
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The school and association said the Washington-based office informed them that doctors had advised the 80-year-old Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader to rest and that he would return to India next week.
Besides the trip to the school in Boulder, Colorado, a schedule on the Dalai Lama’s website listed appearances in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, next month.
Mayo Clinic, where the Dalai Lama has made regular visits in past years, had confirmed Thursday his most recent visit for evaluation but released no details, as is routine. Mayo spokeswoman Ginger Plumbo said Friday she had no further information to release and wouldn’t confirm whether he had left the clinic.
A secretary to the Dalai Lama, Chime Rigzin, told AP on Thursday that the Dalai Lama had been to the clinic and had had no health complaints. Rigzin told AP test results were fine and the Dalai Lama would soon be returning to Dharamsala, India.
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The Dalai Lama had been scheduled to make two appearances at the University of Colorado on Oct. 20 and 21. The first was an event open only to students, faculty and staff and the second appearance was a public teaching and talk on training the mind and compassion.
University of Colorado event planners were notified by the Office of Tibet about the cancellation Friday morning, university spokesman Ryan Huff said. The visit had been in the works for nearly two years.
“We’re certainly saddened by this news but we also hope the Dalai Lama’s health improves very quickly and someday he may be able to come to campus,” said Huff, who acknowledged that it would take a long time to plan another visit
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