For a humble man who refers to himself as a simple monk, the impending visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to South Florida next month is generating excitement more common to a major movie star.

``He's like the Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi of our day,'' said Len Collins, 24, a second-year law student at Nova Southeastern University. ``I've seen him on TV and read about him, but I never thought I'd see him personally.''

Ileana Guelbenzu-Davis, who leads a Coral Gables-based group of Tibetan Buddhism adherents, has met the Dalai Lama several times and is thrilled that he is coming to South Florida.

``Just to be in his presence is so auspicious,'' she said. Remembering her first meeting with him some years ago in Spain, she recalled, ``I got into a state of bliss.''

The 14th Dalai Lama, head of the Tibetan government in exile and spiritual leader of six million Tibetans, will receive an honorary degree from Florida International University on April 16.

Guelbenzu-Davis regrets the visit is only a little more than 24 hours, leaving no time for him to do some teaching. She is hoping he will return in a few years for a longer stay.

Collins, a graduate of FIU, is proud the Dalai Lama has chosen his alma mater for his first official appearance in Florida. He believes there is a common bond between the Tibetan leader and South Florida.

``He's a person who lives in exile,'' Collins said. He believes it's important ``to see another person in exile leading the fight to save his homeland in a peaceful and nonviolent manner.''

The Dalai Lama fled his country in 1959 after the Chinese invasion. Since then he has been based in Dharamsala, a small town in northern India in the foothills of the Himalayas. He has worked tirelessly for a peaceful solution to the situation in Tibet. Initially, his aim was to regain political freedom but now he favors cultural autonomy: the expression of Tibetan culture, in which Tibetan Buddhism is grounded.

In 1989, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his commitment to the nonviolent struggle for independence.

He spends much of his time traveling the world, meeting other political and religious leaders, pressing the Tibetan cause. His visit to Miami follows a trip to Chile.

Nathan Katz, head of FIU's religious studies department, which is sponsoring the visit, has known the Dalai Lama for more than 25 years. He says the honorary degree in theology ``is being awarded in recognition of his teaching of spirituality to the world.''

He, too, emphasizes the importance of the Dalai Lama's decades-long commitment to peaceful resolution of Tibet's quest for liberation, calling it ``a remarkable achievement.''

FIU plans a formal ceremony with much pomp and circumstance. The Dalai Lama will speak to an audience of administrators and senior faculty dressed in full regalia, invited dignitaries and the general public.

When the 4,000 free tickets become available Monday, they will be limited to two per person and will be for assigned seats in the bleachers of the Golden Panther Arena.

Tickets will be available at both FIU campuses and at Books & Books on Miami Beach and in Coral Gables.

Mitchell Kaplan, owner of Books & Books, said he is receiving many calls about tickets. He will have fewer than 1,000 to distribute.

``They're going to go very, very quickly,'' he said. He recommends that people get in line early.

FIU, too, expects the tickets will be snapped up fast. Says Katz: ``Think of it like the Super Bowl or a Rolling Stones concert,'' and get your tickets early.