Brick

Copy­right 2010 Ben S. Pol­lock CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The appear­ances in Iowa of the exiled spir­i­tual and polit­i­cal leader of China-controlled Tibet, the 14th Dalai Lama, had a suc­ces­sive feel: first a closed recep­tion for a few dozen donors on Mon­day, May 17, a panel dis­cus­sion the next morn­ing, then finally a solo turn …

Copy­right 2010 Ben S. Pol­lock CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — On this sunny late-spring morn­ing, two lines stretch a cou­ple of blocks from the gym. Between them was a rain­bow of ven­dor tents, sell­ing books, beads and other Tibetan items. All in the queues already have tick­ets, for reserved seats. We’re going through airplane-like secu­rity, four …

Copy­right 2010 Ben S. Pol­lock CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — I got this close to the Dalai Lama (spread hands about four feet) last week. If you can get that close, he might bless you, shake your hand, lift your khata (rit­ual silk scarf) from your neck and replace it or some com­bi­na­tion. In this sur­pris­ingly …