Ethics and the law was the subject October 13, when Tibetan Buddhist monk the Venerable Geshe Thupten Phelgye addressed students in the Moot Court Room.

Geshe-la spoke about reincarnation, karma, global warming, materialism and the value of taking a holistic approach to life, putting them into the framework of the legal community.

Geshe-la presented the school with the gift of a Tibetan flag, and left behind a film about Buddhism in Tibet which will be shown by Amnesty International in November.

Geshe Phelgye has been a Tibetan monk since the age of 17. In 1991, he completed studies in Buddhist philosophy, earning the honorific Geshe, which is similar to the Ph.D. designation in the U.S. He did advanced studies at Gyumeh Monastery, and has been a member of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile since 2001.

Geshe Phelgye travels the world promoting peace, animal rights and a vegetarian lifestyle. He has previously spoken at Harvard University, Naropa University, and the University of California at Santa Barbara.

In a panel discussion following Geshe-la's speech, GU law professors Mary Pat Treuthart, George Critchlow, and Upendra Acharya spoke to the issues he addressed.

Geshe-la was introduced by Assistant Dean of Students John Sklut.