Seeds of Compassion "Viewing Parties" Planned for Seattle's Dalai Lama Events

Requests for tickets to the various events in the history-making "Seeds of Compassion" conference in Seattle, April 11 – 15, have far exceeded the number of seats available. For those unable to attend in person, both in Seattle and around the globe, the events will be simulcast via the Seeds of Compassion website. Some parts of the schedule will be broadcast by local television also.

The public is invited to attend special "Viewing Parties" planned for several locations. In the Capitol Hill neighborhood, First AME Church and Mt. Zion Baptist Church are hosting gatherings for webcasts of the Dalai Lama's appearances. The downtown Seattle Public Library and several branch locations (Ballard, Columbia, Greenwood, High Point, Lake City, and West Seattle) will sponsor Viewing Parties, as will North and South Seattle Community Colleges. Other locations may be announced soon.

At the Viewing Parties, participants can share personal responses and ideas about compassion, as well as get involved in planning follow-up activities if they wish. Discussion guides and resource material will be available.

Families, businesses, clubs, schools and others are encouraged to host Viewing Parties. More information is available at wiki.seedsofcompassion.org. Those without access to the Internet can pick up printed Viewing Party packets at Seattle Public Library branches. Packets include instructions for hosts, sign-in sheets, discussion questions, and compassion exercises.

At a March meeting of the Seeds of Compassion Interspiritual Day planning group, Lama Tenzin Dhonden, the Dalai Lama's personal representative, announced, "In the second week in April, Seattle will become the most compassionate city in the world." ⊕