Dalai Lama to Lecture Chinese Americans

The Dalai Lama, the widely admired spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, will teach three days next week in Pasadena in sessions for Chinese Buddhists only--a first for Buddhists of that ethnic heritage.

The self-exiled leader, who lives in India, has made numerous trips to the United States in the last decade. He began this trip this week with interfaith discussions in Kentucky and Chicago and will arrive in Los Angeles on Monday night.

The Dalai Lama’s teachings and initiation on “Three Principles of the Path” Tuesday through Thursday at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium were requested by a group of Chinese American Buddhists--mostly lay people and students--who had gone to India to learn from the Dalai Lama in person.

Believing that more Buddhists of Chinese heritage should hear the teachings firsthand, layman Gene Lin of the Arcadia-based Compassion and Wisdom Buddhist Assn. organized the event in cooperation with nearly a dozen Chinese temples and groups, a spokeswoman said.

Participants are coming from as far away as Hong Kong and Taiwan, she said.

Among other activities in Southern California, the Dalai Lama will also be the honored guest Thursday night in Beverly Hills at a dinner hosted by actors Richard Gere and Harrison Ford and benefiting nomadic families of eastern Tibet.

The Buddhist leader will depart for India on Friday, but the Los Angeles Office of Tibet and the Tibetan Assn. of Southern California will hold a festival two days later to celebrate the visit. The Aug. 4 fair, open to the public, will feature Tibetan culture, music, arts and spirituality at the Pasadena City Hall Garden and Rotunda from noon to 5 p.m. Admission $4. For more information on the fair, call (310) 390-0633.

PEOPLE

The Rev. Kenneth R. Brown, a roving Unitarian minister in the Los Angeles area and a leader in social action causes for a dozen years, is leaving next month for an interim ministerial post in Minneapolis.

Since 1994, Brown handled two pulpits: The First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Verdugo Hills. He also had been producer-host of “Cambridge Forum, West” on KPFK-FM (90.7) since 1990.

In earlier years, he was executive director of both the Southern California Interfaith Hunger Coalition and the Community Relations Conference of Southern California.

* Two Southern California ministers fell short last weekend in United Methodist Church balloting for a bishop vacancy in the church’s Western States. The eventual winner, on the 24th ballot, was the Rev. Edward Paup of Denver, who withstood an early challenge from the Rev. Mark Trotter of San Diego and a 12th-ballot challenge from the Rev. Marvin Abrams, a Native American pastor from Norwalk. Paup was assigned to Portland. Bishop Roy Sano remains the United Methodist bishop for Southern California and Hawaii.

CONFERENCES

Nearly 1,800 hearing-impaired Jehovah’s Witnesses are expected to attend their western regional meeting at the Escondido Assembly Hall that ends Sunday. During the three-day meeting, only sign language will be used. Video monitors throughout the hall will assist members of the audience to see the signing by the speakers.

* Muslim educators and relief specialists will open a three-day, international Islamic conference Friday at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Sponsored by the As-Sunnah Foundation of America and the American Muslim Assistance relief organization, the meeting will address the needs of orphans and other children as well as religious issues.

Speakers are expected to include William Chittick, professor of religious studies at the State University of New York; Seyyed Hossein Nasr, professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University, and Faisal Burhan, author of “The Solution to the Muslim Crisis.”

POSTSCRIPT

The Christian Booksellers Assn. convention last week in Anaheim was the group’s largest ever, registering 13,663 people (1,000 more than last year) and 2,801 stores (an increase of nearly 200) placing orders at the showcase event for evangelical Christian products ranging from books and music tapes to jewelry and shirts.

That expansion in Christian retailing beyond books resulted in a new name reflecting the change. In the end, the group’s board renamed itself the CBA--the acronym used for years to refer to the Colorado Springs-based organization.

“After all our efforts to find a better way to describe the industry we serve, we realized the name changed years ago,” said Bill Anderson, the CEO and president of the CBA.

DATES

Keying its theme to the Olympic Games, Central Baptist Church of Inglewood will host a “More Than Gold” youth leadership training rally Friday night. The 7 p.m. rally at the church, 3120 W. 108th St., is tied to the American Bible Society’s summer program of distributing modern English versions of the New Testament and the Bible. Admission is free. (310) 323-3204.

* Actor Richard Kline, who played Larry the neighbor on the TV sitcom “Three’s Company,” will present his one-man play, “Yahrzeit,” at 8 p.m. Aug. 3 at Temple Etz Chaim, 1080 Janss Road, Thousand Oaks. Admission is $25. (805) 497-6891.

* Wally Amos, founder of the Famous Amos Cookie Co., will talk about his business ups and downs as well as spiritual insights at 7 p.m. Monday at Unity Community Church, 22911 Mill Creek, Laguna Hills. (714) 472-9230.

* Spirituality and contemporary films will be discussed at a three-day workshop that will start Friday at St. Andrew’s Abbey in Valyermo. Father Gregory Elmer will lead the workshop, which costs $150 for a single room and $130 each for a double. (805) 944-2178.

* A year-end youth convention in Mexico City planned by Azusa Pacific University’s Institute for Outreach Ministries is expected to attract more than 5,000 high school students and church youth workers. The fee for the five-day conference is $170 for those registered by Friday. (818) 812-3016.

FINALLY

Lingerie store owner Michael Attie, who teaches meditation and writes about Buddhism, will discuss his unusual combination of careers at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 3 at the Bodhi Tree Bookstore, 8585 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood.

Attie will read from his forthcoming book, “Fifty-four Ways to Enlightenment Without Meditating,” and read from his current book of poems, “This Smiling Heart.”

Notices may be mailed to Southern California File, c/o John Dart, L.A. Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth, CA 91311, or faxed to Religion Desk (818) 772-3385. Items should arrive about three weeks before the event, except for spot news, and should include pertinent details about the people and organizations with address, phone number, date and time.