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The I·CARE University Lecture on Civility 2016 of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has invited Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, renowned Tibetan Buddhist meditation master and best-selling author, to speak on the topic ‘The Journey to Joy’, as well as Mr. Chiang Hsun, renowned Taiwanese writer, poet and painter, to speak on ‘In Solitude I Learn…’ on 21 September and 24 November respectively.  Members of the public are welcome to attend the lecture.  Registration: https://www4.cuhk.edu.hk/icare/index.php/zh/projects/university-lecture-on-civility.

Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche – ‘The Journey to Joy’

Born in 1975 in the Himalayan border regions between Tibet and Nepal, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche is a rising star among the new generation of Tibetan Buddhist masters. From a young age, Rinpoche was drawn to a life of contemplation. He spent many years of his childhood in strict retreat. At the age of seventeen, he was invited to be a teacher at his monastery’s three-year retreat center. He also completed the traditional Buddhist training in philosophy and psychology, before founding a monastic college at his home monastery in north India.

In addition to extensive training in the meditative and philosophical traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, Mingyur Rinpoche has also had a lifelong interest in Western science and psychology. He is known for his ability to present his understanding of Tibetan Buddhism using the language of contemporary Western thought. Mingyur Rinpoche has great passion in bringing the practice of meditation to people from all walks of life. He is working with professionals from a wide range of disciplines to adapt his Joy of Living retreats for use in different contexts, including hospitals, schools, prisons, and leadership training.

Mingyur Rinpoche is dubbed ‘the happiest man in the world’ since he participated in a study of brain activity at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2002, where scientists found that advanced meditation increases mental happiness. His first book, The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness, debuted on the New York Times bestseller list and has been translated into over twenty languages.

Chiang Hsun – ‘In Solitude I Learn…’

Born in China’s ancient capital Xi’an and raised in Taiwan, Prof. Chiang Hsun is a renowned writer, poet and painter. Professor Chiang graduated from the Department of History and the Graduate Institute of Arts at the Chinese Culture University. He also obtained a degree from the Graduate School of Arts at the Université de Paris in 1976. He was the former editor-in-chief of the monthly magazine Lion Art, Chairman of the Department of Fine Arts at Tunghai University and has taught at the National Taiwan University, Chinese Culture University, and Fu Jen Catholic University.

Currently based in Taipei, Professor Chiang writes, paints, and actively promotes art and aesthetics. He immerses his life in aesthetics, dedicating every moment of his life to appreciating, sharing and promoting beauty. He lives his life to the fullest—exploring the full spectrum of human emotions and sensibilities, fervently urging and expecting everyone to be his/her own self. His lectures have been well-received in China, Taiwan and the greater Chinese diaspora.

Details of the two lectures are as follows:

‘The Journey to Joy’
Speaker: Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
Date: 21 September 2016 (Wednesday)
Time: 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Venue: Beacon, the University Mall, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Language: English
Registration: https://goo.gl/IGSdUc

 ‘In Solitude I Learn…’
Speaker: Chiang Hsun 
Date: 24 November 2016 (Thursday)
Time: 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Venue: The lawn of United College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Language: Mandarin
Registration: https://goo.gl/cdiLgD

About I•CARE University Lecture on Civility

With the slogan ‘Aspiration through reflection; Renewal through civility’, the I‧CARE Programme aims to encourage students to actively serve the community under the guidance of teachers to explore, understand and discuss social problems of different parts of the world, and to develop solutions to the problems. The University Lectures on Civility form a major component of the programme which helps promote students’ holistic development and civic engagement through illuminating presentations given by eminent scholars and public figures. Previous speakers included Mr Hwai-min Lin, founder of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan; renowned scholar and writer Professor Leo Ou-fan Lee and Professor Kenneth Hsien-yung Pai; Ms Shuli Hu, famous journalist from mainland China; acclaimed Taiwanese architect Mr Kris Yao and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.