JANUARY 2009

Dear Friends,

Welcome to 2009 - the Tibetan Royal Year 2136 and Tibetan Year of the Female Earth Ox and the Chinese Year of the Ox.

We of course have a very exciting year coming up as we count down to His Holiness's visit to Australia in December. We are in the process of finalizing our material for the 2009 visit and will be able to provide you with further information in the February issue of our newsletter. Stay tuned.

Since the beginning of the year His Holiness has been very busy. His schedule started on the 6th January where he inaugurated a six day World Religions Dialogue at Mahuva in the Bhavnagar district of India. Hosted by renowned kathakar Marari Bapu at Kailash Gurvashram, the spiritual leaders of various religions are converging at the symposium to have religious dialogue to foster unity and peace. Emphasizing the importance of peace His Holiness said, "in troubled times, one must not cease to spread the message of peace although it might not yield immediate results".

His Holiness then began a seven day teaching in Sarnath on Shantideva's A Guide to a Bodhisattva's Way of Life (Chodjug) and Kamalashila's The Middling Stages of Meditation. There are approximately 20,000 people attending the Teachings, including many foreigners.

2009 Visit staff still needed

As mentioned in previous newsletters, we have been looking for some key people to assist us this year.

Applications for the Administration roles have now closed but applications for the key position of Event/Logistics Coordinator are still being received.

Working closely with the General Manager, our Event/Logistics Coordinator will play a critical role in managing all events across the three cities His Holiness will visit in Australia. This is a senior position and would suit someone with extensive event management experience.

The position attracts a modest salary and will be based in our Sydney office. For details and to make an application, please visit our website and address the selection criteria. Applications close on the 23rd January.

www.dalailamainaustralia.org/employment/

Volunteering for His Holiness 2009 Visit

We have had some problems with the volunteer registration area on our website. This has now been corrected, so please if you feel you can assist us with the 2009 visit, we look forward to hearing from you. Please visit our website and complete the online registration form, under 'Support Dalai Lama in Australia'. We thank you in advance.

www.dalailamainaustralia.org/TeachingsTour2008/volunteers.aspx

50 Years in TIBET Festival Just a reminder that in late January, Brisbane will come alive with 50 Years in TIBET, a three-day festival that will engage the senses in a celebration of the unique music and sacred arts of Tibet. Visit www.brisbanepowerhouse.org for more information and tickets to this engaging and uplifting festival.

Our 2009 Partnership Events

As mentioned in previous newsletters, His Holiness will be attending other events as part of his visit in December. Whilst in Sydney, His Holiness will attend the annual Mind & Its Potential Conference, 2nd & 3rd December. Since 2005 over 5,000 people have been captivated by the extraordinary debate in these annual events amongst leaders from science, psychology, medicine, philosophy and religion. The 2009 International Conference continues the exploration of the human mind through a fascinating synthesis of Western and Eastern science and philosophy. This event will sell out quickly so visit www.mindanditspotential.com.au to ensure your place.

His Holiness will also participate in the last day of the Parliament of World Religions which is being held in Melbourne, 3rd to 9th December 2009. Registrations are open for the Parliament which was first held in Chicago in 1893. Its purpose is to bring together the worlds religious and spiritual communities, their leaders and their followers to a gathering where peace, diversity and sustainability are discussed and explored in the context of interreligious understanding and cooperation. Visit www.parliamentofreligions.org for further information and to register for this highly anticipated event.

Dalai Lama in Australia is also continuing its long association and support of the annual Happiness & Its Causes Conference which is being held in Sydney, 14th to the 15th May. This year the conference will bring together over 50 speakers to engage the audience in the exploration of science, psychology, philosophy of human happiness.

Visit www.happinessanditscauses.com.au to ensure your place at this extraordinary conference.

2009 Visit Schedule

A further reminder of the 2009 visit schedule - more detailed information regarding tickets, venues, etc will be available online at our website in early February.

Remember to visit www.endlessevent.com and grab a past Dalai Lama in Australia visit memento and the Stages of Meditation DVD's are still available by visiting www.dalailamadvds.com.

Many blessings until next time.

Dalai Lama in Australia Ltd
Board of Directors and General Manager, Lynn Bain