Press Releases

Leading Scholar to Deliver Inaugural Naropa University
Lecture on Buddhist Studies and American Culture

BOULDER, Colo. (Sept 9, 2008)—Arriving with the change of seasons, University of California Professor of Buddhist Studies José Cabezon will kick off autumn with a three-day visit to Naropa University, highlighted by his delivery of the inaugural Frederick P. Lenz Foundation Distinguished Lecture in Buddhist Studies and American Culture and Values on September 23.

As UC Santa Barbara's first "XIV Dalai Lama" Professor in Tibetan Buddhism and Cultural Studies, Cabezon has some degree of fluency in over nine languages, including Sanskrit and Tibetan, and has carved out his scholarly niche by combining comparative religion with gender studies. His distinguished lecture, titled "Thinking through Texts: Toward a Critical Buddhist Theology of Sexuality," examines the tension between traditional and contemporary interpretations of Buddhist texts.  Using teachings around sexuality, Cabezon’s talk promises to build an argument that supports a middle way between wholesale disregard for classical scriptures and dogmatic adherence.

Stuart J. Sigman, Naropa’s Vice President for Academic Affairs, notes the importance of Dr. Cabezon’s visit to campus: “The Lenz Foundation has responded to the university’s desire to attract speakers from a range of Buddhist backgrounds. Lenz has supported our efforts to offer workshops on contemplative pedagogy to college instructors throughout the country. Now the foundation is assisting the university in broadening the teaching within the university by supporting a distinguished speaker series.”

In the days surrounding the lecture, Cabezon will meet with faculty and students who are developing a potential minor in gender studies, speak to both introductory and upper-level Religious Studies classes, and meet with the Naropa Academic Council about "what it means to teach at a Buddhist university."  

Born in Cuba and raised in Boston, Cabezon was originally interested in physics. Later, he became a Buddhist monk and served as Spanish interpreter for H.H. the Dalai Lama during visits to Spain, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Cabezon is widely published, including editing and authoring multiple articles on the intersection of Buddhism, homosexuality and sexual ethics.

Taking place in Naropa's Nalanda Events Center, located at 6287 Arapahoe Avenue, the lecture begins at 6 p.m. and is free to the public.

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Naropa University is a private, nonprofit, nonsectarian liberal arts institution dedicated to advancing contemplative education.  This approach to learning integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational traditions, helping students know themselves more deeply and engage constructively with others. The university comprises a four-year undergraduate college and graduate programs in the arts, education, environmental leadership, psychology and religious studies.