Krakow's prestigious Jagiellonian University has decided to award the Dalai Lama an honorary degree. The decision was made by the Faculty of Philosophy Dean Prof. Maria Flis and the Vice Dean Prof. Marta Kudelska, who stated that the Dalai Lama represents "morals and values that if practised by all of us for at least five minutes per day, would make the world a better place". The Dalai Lama is not the first spiritual leader to be awarded an honorary degree from Jagiellonian University; in previous years, Mother Teresa and John Paul II were both honoured as well.
The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Buddhists, a religion which is become increasingly popular in Poland. Currently, the deeply Catholic country has an estimated several thousand practising Buddhists, and the numbers are steadily growing, particularly amongst young people who are interested in or studying Asian cultures. Two Buddhist unions, the Buddhist Union of Poland and the Buddhist Mission, encompass over 20 Buddhist groups in Poland. As Poland becomes more open to non-Europeans, it's likely this trend will continue.
The university has extended an invitation to the Dalai Lama to come to Krakow to accept the honorary degree, and the staff are hopeful that he will accept. A visit by His Holiness would not only be a tremendous honour for the university, but a great opportunity for the people of Poland to learn more about the moral strength of the Dalai Lama. |