Making himself at home: Dalai Lama spotted all over Rochester
The Dalai Lama could be spending his days nestled inside a comfy hotel room tweeting inspirational quotes to his 11.9 million Twitter followers. Instead, he appears to be making himself at home during his extended visit to Rochester.
News of the Tibetan Buddhist leader's presence in the Med City first broke late last week. Immediately after, social media went abuzz with reports of Dalai Lama sitings all over town — from the streets of downtown Rochester to Macy's at the Apache Mall.
The Dali Lama made a surprise visit this morning! #txfm http://t.co/ZelHZ3laGr pic.twitter.com/SPEybiDL8B
— MCCFI (@MayoInnovation) September 30, 2015
The Dalai Lama traveled to Rochester this month to visit the Mayo Clinic for a routine checkup. He canceled all public events in the U.S. for October after Mayo doctors advised the 80-year-old to get some rest.
Aside from that request, doctors did not discover any health problems, according to media reports citing his office. The Dalai Lama is expected to return to his home in India on Saturday.
In the meantime, you may be able to spot him out and about. The exiled spiritual leader filmed an interview Tuesday morning in Rochester that will air at next month's Parliament of the World's Religions gathering in Salt Lake City. And on Wednesday, he met in private with leading members of Minnesota's Tibetan community at the Mayo Civic Center.
The Dalai Lama has become a regular visitor to Rochester over the past decade. In 2012, he spoke to a group of Mayo Clinic employees about the importance of compassion, resiliency and mindfulness. You can watch that entire presentation in the video below.
About Sean Baker: Sean is the founder and editor of the Med City Beat. Under his direction, the site has transitioned from a small news blog to one of the most widely-read publications in the city. Prior to launching the site in 2014, Sean spent about two years producing television news in Green Bay and Rochester. His office is above a brewery, so please excuse any typos. Twitter.
