For Immediate Release

Contact: Cristal Logan

Vice President, Aspen Community Programs

The Aspen Institute

[email protected]
Tel. 970-544-7929

The Aspen Institute To Welcome Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

Murdock Mind, Body, Spirit Series to host head of the Shambhala lineage on March 11

ASPEN, CO, March 4, 2016 –– The Aspen Institute is pleased to feature Sakyong Mipham, head of the Shambhala lineage, who will speak about the humanizing quality of meditation, and how we can break society down into simple interactions where one person can make a difference in promoting a more peaceful society.  This event is open to the public and will take place on Friday, March 11 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Paepcke Auditorium on the Institute’s Aspen Meadows campus. The Murdock Mind, Body, Spirit Series is generously underwritten by Jerry and Gina Murdock.  

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at www.aspenshowtix.com, (970) 920-5770, or in person at the Wheeler Opera House. Early ticket purchase is encouraged, as a full-capacity audience is expected for this event.  Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. and any unclaimed tickets will be sold at the door.

SAKYONG MIPHAM, leader of the Shambhala tradition, believes in the inherent wisdom, compassion, and courage of all beings and holds that these noble qualities are ultimately more stable than aggression and greed. With a unique blend of Eastern and Western perspectives, the Sakyong teaches this way of social transformation throughout the world. In addition, he extends his vision to a number of humanitarian projects in Asia and the West.

The Sakyong is also an avid runner who has completed nine marathons. He is author of the bestselling Turning the Mind into an Ally, the award-winning Ruling Your World, and Running with the Mind of Meditation. Through the Sakyong Foundation, he engages in supporting organizations and projects whose activities exemplify the vision of Shambhala.

The Sakyong has worked extensively over the last four years with youth in Chicago who are surrounded by violence every day and have benefited from these practices of peace.  These same resources are being taught to the Louisville, Kentucky police department as well as within the Louisville prison system.  

Born in Bodhgaya, India, in 1962, the Sakyong is the eldest son of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Lady Könchok Palden. He is the incarnation of Mipham the Great, a renowned Nyingma scholar and meditation master. As part of the Mukpo clan of eastern Tibet, he is a descendant of the Tibetan warrior-king Gesar of Ling.

In his talk, “Making Peace Possible,” the Sakyong will offer a realistic possibility of peace.

UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE ASPEN INSTITUTE

Thursday, March 10

Hurst Lecture Series

Foreign Policy Breakthroughs: Cases in Successful Diplomacy

In Partnership with the LBJ Washington Center

Featuring Ambassador Robert Hutchings, Professor at Princeton University, and Dr. Jeremi Suri, professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. Diplomacy is essential to the conduct of foreign policy and international business in the twenty-first century. Yet, few international actors are trained to understand or practice effective diplomacy. Hutchings and Suri will discuss their book Foreign Policy Breakthroughs: Cases in Successful Diplomacy which analyzes the activities of diverse diplomats in enduring cases, including: post-WWII relief, the rise of the non-aligned movement, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the U.S. opening to China, the Camp David Accords, the reunification of Germany, the creation of the European Union, the completion of the North American Free Trade Agreement, and relief aid to pre-2001 Afghanistan. They will reflect on how current diplomats can improve their activities abroad. 

Doerr-Hosier Center, 5:30 –7:00 p.m.

Fee: $20. Tickets at www.aspenshowtix.com. 

For more information on events open to the public, please contact Zoe Brown at (970) 544-7935 or [email protected], call the Aspen Community Programs information hotline at (970) 544-7970, or visit the Institute’s website at www.aspeninstitute.org.

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has an office in New York City and an international network of partners.

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