Sao Paulo, Brazil, 27 April 2006 (tibet.net) - His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived in Sao Paulo city from Chicago yesterday morning.
At the Guarulhos International Airport, His Holiness was received by the protocol officer of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, a former Brazilian Justice Minister Dr. Jose Gregori, Consul General of India, Mr. Yogeshwar Varma, and the representatives of the local host.
In the evening His Holiness held a meeting with the press which was attended by over 200 media people.
Since His Holiness is visiting Brazil after seven years, there is unprecedented coverage of the visit in the Brazilian media. Not only local televisions, radios, and newspapers are covering his visit, several important newsmagazines, including Epoca Revista, the most influential and the largest circulated newsmagazine of Brazil, brought out a cover story on His Holiness' visit.
After the press meeting, His Holiness had a private meeting separately with deputy William Woo, President of the Brazilian Green Party, Mr. Jose Luiz de Franco Penna, and Brazilian Minister of Culture, Mr. Gilberto Gil. His Holiness also had a meeting with the Secretary of Sao Paulo Municipality Council. Sao Paulo is the third largest city in the world with a population of 18 million.
Today, His Holiness will visit the Zu Lai Temple, located in Cotia in the outskirts of Sao Paulo City, where he will give a teaching on Seven-Point Mind Training to the Buddhist community of Brazil. The teaching will be attended by 2,400 Buddhists belonging to the Chinese, Zen, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tibetan, and Theraveda traditions.
His Holiness will be received at Zu Lai Temple by the Mayor of Cotia Region Joaquim H. Pedroso Neto, leaders of the Zu Lai Temple, and the leaders of the Chinese community of Brazil.
During the lunch break, His Holiness will give a private audience to the key leaders of the Zu Lai Temple, the biggest temple of Chinese Mahayana tradition in Latin America. He will also meet around one hundred key leaders of the Chinese community in Brazil.
