By DANA DUGAN and MATT FURBER
Express Staff Writers
Ketchum resident Kiril Sokoloff, a friend of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, is organizing a landmark visit to Idaho next September by the by the Nobel Prize-winning spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists.
At his own expense, Sokoloff intends to bring His Holiness to the Wood River Valley to deliver an address on the fourth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America's East Coast. The plan also calls for the Dalai Lama to meet with an audience of Idaho children and to appear at a private gathering of CEOs at Sokoloff's residence in Ketchum.
Sokoloff, 56, an investment specialist and author, spoke to the Idaho Mountain Express, Thursday, May 12, from his business office in Boca Raton, Fla. This was the newspaper's first opportunity to speak directly to him about the planned visit.
In a surprise announcement, Sokoloff said the main event on Sunday, Sept. 11—which earlier reports indicated could host nearly 50,000 people—had been scaled back to 10,000 people or less who will be invited to hear the Dalai Lama's spiritual message.
Here is what Sokoloff (KS) had to says in a conference call with the Idaho Mountain Express (IME):
IME: Where do the plans for the Dalai Lama's visit stand now?
KS: It seems like there's a lot of misinformation. I'll try to clarify. The 9/11 event is going to be largely for the Wood River Valley community. We're going to have no more than 10,000 people.
IME: How will you control that, Kiril?
KS: By selling tickets in the valley.
IME: Not on Ticketweb?
KS: We've changed our minds on that.
IME: What caused you to have the plans scaled down?
KS: We've thinking about how we wanted to handle it. This is an event for compassion and kindness. The first people we want to be compassionate and kind towards is our own community. We want to think about what's best for them. We're doing as much as we can and inconvenience the least possible amount.
IME: Where will it be?
KS: We're considering two locations. We haven't gotten confirmation on the second. One is a private property in the Silver Creek area and we're considering having it closer to Hailey.
IME: Even with 10,000, how would you handle the parking?
KS: There will have to be a certain amount of people in the car, carpooling and shuttle buses. Understand, the (U.S.) State Department had to sign off because they handle security for the Dalai Lama. The State Department has approved all the plans for his U.S. visit to seven places. They have been submitted for security (review).
IME: Do you have to provide security?
KS: They provide the security. It's handled by pros.
IME: The tickets are free but limited?
KS: There may be a parking fee. You're asking about an event months from now.
IME: What is happening with the CEO meeting?
KS: It's by invitation only. It's more about how many will show up. It'll be at my house. I suggest it'll be a pretty small number, maybe 500.
IME: Are they coming in private jets? Won't the airport be over burdened?
KS: Probably, but also some of those coming are local people who are CEO types, who'll already be here. People who'll be flying in that day, that's months away. We've been talking to the airport from the very start. We're updating them constantly.
IME: What about plans for the Dalai Lama to meet with Idaho children?
KS: That will be held on Monday (Sept. 12).
IME: While school is in session?
KS: We're just working on this right now.
IME: Is this primarily for local children then?
KS: If I remember correctly, there are about 3,500 school children in the valley; that would take (the venue) to capacity. Remember it's mid-May. We don't want to jump ahead of ourselves here.
IME: Why does His Holiness want to be here for the anniversary of 9/11?
KS: I invited him and he honored me by accepting. Do you want to hear his vision?
IME: Yes.
KS: For 40 years His Holiness has been traveling around the world spreading compassion and kindness. That's his message. On this particular event, he's going to offer a healing for 9/11 victims as well as all the horrible tragedies of the 20th century (in which) 200 million people were killed. The energy on the planet is at a tipping point. You can feel a change, depending on your perspective, certainly from where I stand. The energy is getting better. People are more interested in spirituality and hearing the message of compassion. So, we hope that this will spread around the world. It may be the first time His Holiness has ever spoken at this altitude. Normally he's speaking in a city with a lot of scattered energy, a lot of noise, distraction. In our beautiful valley the energy is pure and pristine. People will receive his message and it will spread out all the way across the Earth.
Also, we're trying to restore trust to corporate America. Every day you pick up the paper and see some horrible nefarious things have happened (in corporate America). The only way to restore trust is to serve the customer through the heart, and that means understanding and compassion.
IME: What is significant about this being the first time he's ever spoken at nearly 6,000 feet?
KS: Speaking energetically, an energy field can be blocked if there are buildings, noise. But at 6,000 feet, the message can spread unblocked. We're speaking on an energetic plane, a spiritual plane.
IME: Has the Dalai Lama been here before?
KS: He's never been in Idaho.
IME: His brother, Rinpoche Tendzin Choegyal, is coming for the Sun Valley Wellness Festival, (Friday, May 27).
KS: Yes, I invited his brother to come.
IME: How have your meetings been with the Blaine County sheriff (Walt Femling)?
KS: I have not been involved in that. That's been our project manager. I've been informed that the representatives from the governor's office or the state of Idaho are meeting with the sheriff in a couple of weeks.
IME: Do the reports you're getting indicate that the sheriff's concerns are being met?
KS: Whatever his concerns are we're going to meet them. Why would we not want to?
IME: Is there a difference between the two potential sites in terms of the number of people allowed.
KS: We're going to limit it to no more than 10,000.
IME: Where is the site near Silver Creek?
KS: I'm really not at liberty to say that. It'll all come in due time.
IME: Is it on Silver Creek Nature Conservancy property?
KS: No. But we are working very closely with them. We have their approval.
IME: Why do you think this event is important?
KS: I think that the spread of compassion is probably the most important thing people can do in this world and I am devoting myself to it. And I'm paying for everything myself. I'm not asking anybody to contribute. I'm working incredibly hard as are many volunteers. We are just giving. We are giving to the community, to Idaho and giving to the energy of the planet.
IME: How much is this going to cost?
KS: I have no idea.
IME: Do you care?
KS: Of course (laughter).
IME: Just wondering if there is a budget?
KS: Do you mean is there a cap?
IME: Yes.
KS: There is no cap on security and the efforts we will make to ensure this event goes well and the community is not inconvenienced.
IME: Are you aware of the Willie Nelson benefit concert planned for Saturday, Sept. 10?
KS: I've been involved in that. I know all about it. Except you may have the date wrong. It hasn't been confirmed.
IME: That was the date given to us by Bravo Entertainment.
KS: It's under discussion.
IME: Is this a coincidence?
KS: Oh,no. Willie is playing to benefit the Tibetan refugees.
IME: Is this for the Tibetan Children's Village that Jetsum Pema (the Dalai Lama's sister) runs?
KS: No, it's something different. It's going to the Tibetan Fund. How it's distributed is up to His Holiness.
IME: I was wondering if you could elaborate on your friendship with His Holiness.
KS: Well, I can tell you that anybody who's in his presence experiences a life-changing experience. The more open you are, the more life changing it is. And you feel a desire to become compassionate, caring and kind. I've seen people cry. I've seen people's lives changed by being in his presence and hearing him talk.
IME: How long have you been friends?
KS: Well, if you believe in reincarnation, we've been friends for a very long time.
IME: Is it easy to understand the Dalai Lama when he speaks?
KS: I am hard of hearing but I have no problem understanding him.
IME: Can you explain why being in his presence is a life-changing event?
KS: Well, if someone is closed and has a closed heart, angry or full of hate, you don't know whether they can be changed, but something will reach them. If you're open, you can gain enlightenment. And the best form of enlightenment is when you practice Bodhisattva. In effect, that is seeking enlightenment so you can bring happiness to others. That is what His Holiness has done for the last 40 years and he is the foremost proponent of that on the face of the Earth.
That summarizes what this event is about. We're trying to bring happiness. Many people don't understand how to find happiness. They rush after this and they rush after that. The only thing that makes people happy is peace of mind. It resonates in my memory. His message is universal.
If a Christian or a Jew asks, "Why should I be interested in hearing His Holiness, he's a Buddhist monk after all?"—all religion is based on the same thing: love, sincerity, honesty.
The Dalia Lama said, "You must help others and if you can't help, you should not harm others."
IME: I'm curious about media attention and crowd control.
KS: Force is police, laws, lawyers. Power is Mahatma Ghandi, the Dalai Lama. I'm very confident that in his presence there will be no concern about crowd control.
IME: How is the media attention going to be dealt with?
KS: We haven't even remotely gotten there yet. That's for later this summer. There may be a documentary done of the whole event that we may distribute for free over the Internet but that's still under consideration.
IME: What will come out of your meeting with your CEOs?
KS: I took a CEO to meet with His Holiness in a private meeting. This man's wife said it was a life-changing experience. This man told me the way he interacts with his employees and customers has drastically changed. Every time he gets upset he thinks about what the Dalai Lama told him about compassion.
My client base is with money managers. I've invited many of them and many will be there. It's not only CEOs, it's money managers. It's all about compassion, restoring trust and opening your heart. There's very little trust in this country.
IME: You see it as a person-to-person spread of compassion?
KS: It becomes a contagion.
IME: Can you tell us about yourself?
KS: I'm 56. I've written six books, been in the investment banking business, write an investment newsletter, edited 100 books. My company 13D Research serves the money-market industry. We look for trends and business opportunities. I moved to Sun Valley in late 1980s.
The world has never been changing this fast, because of technology and global participation. I love change; it's tremendously exciting.
It's important the energy for the event is seen in the light in which I'm presenting it. We're just giving. That's the energy of this event.
The Dalai Lama's September visit
· His Holiness the Dalai Lama is tentatively scheduled to deliver an address in or near the Wood River Valley on Sunday, Sept. 11, the fourth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The event is now planned to host no more than 10,000 people. Tickets would be made available in the Wood River Valley and would not be offered on the World Wide Web.
· As part of the plan, the Dalai Lama would meet with an audience of Idaho children on Monday, Sept. 12. On the same day, His Holiness would also meet with a select group of CEOs from around the nation at the Ketchum residence of Kiril Sokoloff, the organizer of the visit.
· Details on the locations of the public events and how to obtain tickets will come at a later date.
