Dalai Lama returns to Medford

Nine years after consecrating the city’s Buddhist temple, the Dalai Lama returned to Medford on Oct. 16, addressing roughly 1,800 people amid tight security.

The 77-year-old spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, who also spoke in Boston and Cambridge during his three-day visit, arrived at the Kurukulla Center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies by car, with Secret Service agents on hand to escort him up the stairs of the center. A large contingent of Medford police officers was augmented by SWAT teams, hazardous chemical specialists, and other units from the North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council.

A tent had been set up on the backside of the Kurukulla Center, where the Dalai Lama spoke primarily in his native Tibetan. Medford Mayor Michael McGlynn presented him with a key to the city and a Medford High School baseball cap, which the Dalai Lama immediately put on.

McGlynn praised the work of a committee of 10 Medford residents who coordinated parking for hundreds of vehicles. During the Dalai Lama’s first visit, in 2003, some abutting neighbors were uneasy about the influx of visitors, the mayor said.

“The difference between the first and the second visits was dramatic,” McGlynn said. “[This time] neighbors said, ‘Can we cut the lawn? Can we paint the fence? Can we make our driveway available for parking?’”

The Dalai Lama thanked “our patient and supportive Medford neighbors.” In a lengthy speech, he emphasized the importance of religious pluralism and the need to avoid claims of exclusive truth.

“His whole philosophy is straightforward and simple,” McGlynn said. “It’s kindness and compassion for your neighbor.”

McGlynn added, “The last thing he said is, ‘I’ll be back.’ So we’ll look forward to seeing him again.”