Larung Gar: altri 500 religiosi espulsi. Casi di malore tra i monaci.

Le autorità della provincia sud-occidentale cinese del Sichuan la scorsa settimana  hanno espulso altri 500 monaci e monache dall’accademia buddista di Larung Gar. Molti di  questi monaci sono stati colti da malore per la separazione forzata dagli amici e dalle loro abitazioni.

Nella foto: I monaci e le monache nativi di Golog mentre dicono addio ai loro cari a Larung Gar  il 24 dicembre 2016.

Si sono verificati episodi  di svenimento. In un primo momento le autorità hanno ignorato l’incidente, dicendo che si trattava di finti svenimenti. Successivamente i religiosi che hanno perso conoscenza, sono stati trasportati all’ospedale per  il trattamento di emergenza.

I monaci espulsi sono stati ospitati in edifici a due piani in una aerea provvisoria nella prefettura autonoma tibetana del Golog.

Sono molte migliaia i tibetani e i cinesi Han che hanno a Larung Gar. Fondata nel 1980 dal maestro Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok è uno dei centri più grandi e più importanti del mondo per lo studio del Buddismo tibetano.

In molti sono già stati espulsi dalle abitazioni che un tempo costeggiavano le colline intorno al Larung Gar e le autorità cercano di ridurre la popolazione del centro di circa la metà ad un livello massimo di 5.000 entro il prossimo anno.

Traduzione LRF Italia ONLUS

http://www.laogai.it/larung-gar-altri-500-religiosi-espulsi-casi-malore-monaci/

His Holiness the Dalai Lama Makes a Pilgrimage to the Mahabodhi Temple

Bodhgaya, Bihar, India, 29 December 2016 – Addressing pilgrims who are about to return to Tibet, first thing this morning, His Holiness the Dalai Lama told them they were a source of inspiration to Tibetans in exile. He spoke of the value of Tibetan religious traditions and stressed the need to study and develop a sound understanding. Read the rest of this entry »

Tibet: Tensions on the roof of the world

By Matt Rivers, CNN – 29 December 2016

Lhasa, Tibet (CNN)It’s dawn in Lhasa, Tibet, and the quiet is punctuated only by the gentle chanting of Buddhist pilgrims.

They pray outside the Jokhang temple, Tibetan Buddhism’s holiest place.

Some prostrate themselves on the cool stone ground, while others walk clockwise around the temple, spinning hand-held prayer wheels.

The thick, sharp scent of incense hangs heavy in the air.

We’re watching all this from the side, mere silent observers to rituals honed over hundreds of years.

More restricted than North Korea?

The early morning calm belies the region’s tumultuous history.

The Communist government in Beijing has controlled Tibet since 1951. After a failed revolt against Chinese rule in 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama — Tibet’s spiritual leader — fled to India.

Simmering defiance from Tibetans who remained sometimes boils over into large-scale riots.

Activists say more than 140 people have lit themselves on fire in protest of religious and cultural suppression since March of 2009.

It’s a side of Tibet the Chinese government doesn’t want outsiders to see. Beijing requires all foreign tourists to have permits and sometimes shuts down access for weeks at a time. It only rarely allows reporters to visit the region. Read the rest of this entry »

Ex prigioniero politico tibetano ricoverato in ospedale, sottoposto a controllo medico causa torture

Un ex prigioniero politico tibetano che sorprendente è stato recentemente rilasciato e arrestato quattro volte è stato ricoverato in un ospedale del governo locale in Sangchu, nel Tibet orientale. Jigme Guri è stato arrestato e sottoposto in quattro distinte occasioni a dure tecniche di tortura impiegate nelle prigioni cinesi. Nel suo ultimo periodo in carcere gli è stato diagnosticato il diabete ed è stato portato in ospedale per un trattamento di emergenza.

Secondo un gruppo per i diritti  diritti umani (Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy), Jigme Gyatso, noto anche come Jigme Guri, è stato ricoverato il 26 dicembre. Non molto tempo dopo il suo rilascio dal carcere dove era stato cinque anni a Jigme è stato diagnosticato “diabete, ipertensione e altre complicazioni legate al suo cuore, fegato e occhi”.

La situazione della salute di Jigme Guri è aggravata dalla sorveglianza da parte dell’Ufficio di Pubblica Sicurezza locale (PSB) “Non gli è stato permesso di riprendere i suoi studi religiosi nel monastero Labrang o di indossare i suoi abiti monastici. Le autorità carcerarie non hanno restituito i suoi effetti personali, tra cui il suo computer, i documenti, borse e le carte d’identità di residenza permanente. Senza la carta d’identità e restrizioni estreme Jigme non è stato in grado di cercare un trattamento migliore in cliniche private”, ha riferito TCHRD in un rapporto dettagliato.

Traduzione a cura della Laogai Research Foundation

http://www.laogai.it/ex-prigioniero-politico-ricoverato-ospedale-sottoposto-controllo/

Pechino impone limitazioni temporanee ai viaggi dei tibetani in Nepal e India

27 dicembre 2016. Fonti ufficiali nepalesi hanno reso noto che Pechino ha imposto limitazioni ai viaggi dei tibetani in India e Nepal e ha chiesto alle agenzie di viaggio e alle compagnie aeree di cancellare tutte le prenotazioni ricevute. Il provvedimento resterà in vigore fino al 10 gennaio 2017.

Le misure restrittive mirano a impedire la partecipazione dei tibetani all’Iniziazione di Kalachakra che il Dalai Lama impartirà a Bodh Gaya nel periodo compreso tra il 3 e il 14 gennaio (nella foto l’ingresso al luogo della cerimonia). Le autorità cinesi di tutte le province tibetane hanno intimato ai residenti di non recarsi in visita in India, Nepal e in Buthan e tengono sotto stretta sorveglianza quanti hanno manifestato l’intenzione di presenziare al Kalachakra. Poiché molti tibetani sono già arrivati in Nepal, passaggio obbligato per raggiungere l’India, Pechino ha chiesto al governo di Kathmandu di registrare i nomi di tutti i tibetani in transito sul territorio nepalese anche se in possesso di un passaporto cinese valido. Il provvedimento, emanato circa due settimane fa, non è stato reso noto ufficialmente dal governo cinese: un portavoce del Ministero degli Esteri, interpellato dall’ambasciatore nepalese a Pechino, ha infatti dichiarato di ritenere inutile rendere pubblica ogni richiesta rivolta al governo nepalese in quanto il Nepal già aderisce alla politica di “una sola Cina”. Read the rest of this entry »

Teachings for Russian Buddhists in Delhi Conclude

Oksana Shemleva of Russian Television’s Channel 1 interviewing His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Delhi, India on December 27, 2016. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL

Delhi, India, 27 December 2016 – For this year’s teachings for Russian Buddhists more than 1300 people gathered in Delhi from Kalmykia, Buryatia, Tuva, Russia, Mongolia, Tibet, Estonia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, Lithuania, Belarus and several other countries. Before joining them this morning, His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave a short interview to Oksana Shemleva of Russian Television’s Channel 1.
He told her that in the world today we need to develop a greater sense of altruism.
“The book I’m reading now with my Buddhist brothers and sisters here is one of the best sources of instructions on how to do this. We also need wisdom. We need to analyse reality and, just as quantum physics tells us that things have no objective reality, the Indian Middle Way School tells us that although things appear to exist independently, nothing actually exists that way; nothing exists as it appears. I advise those Buddhists who come to listen that they need to be 21st century Buddhists, understanding what the Buddha’s teachings are about not just on the basis of faith but also on the basis of reason.”Shemleva explained that in Russia people like to have amulets and asked what His Holiness recommends for people to be happy. Answering that that’s up to the individual, he added that real blessings come from your own heart rather than from material things.
“A famous Tibetan practitioner, Milarepa, lived like a beggar with no possessions at all. Once when a thief crept into his cave at night he laughed and called out if I can’t find anything in here during the day, what makes you think you’ll find anything at night? Developing the mind doesn’t depend on external trappings. The Buddha too spent six years in serious meditation without any possessions, not even a rosary, and attained enlightenment.
“A wealthy Bombay family once came to see me to request my blessing and I told them it’s a mistake to look for blessings outside yourself when the real blessing is in your heart. I suggested that since they were well-off they should use their wealth to provide educational opportunities for people living in Bombay’s slums. That would be a real source of blessing.”
Asked about friends he has made around the world, such as Mikhail Gorbachev in Russia, His Holiness replied that he cherished all his friends. He said that as a human being he feels that friends he’s made are friends for life. Read the rest of this entry »

It was in 2009 that toxic chemicals from the Ganzizhou Rongda Lithium mine first leaked into the river, locals say, killing their livestock and poisoning the fish.

Tibetans in anguish as Chinese mines pollute their sacred grasslands

Washington Post, 26 December, 2016 by Simon Denyer

Jiajika, China — High in western China’s Sichuan province, in the shadow of holy mountains, the Liqi River flows through a lush, grassy valley dotted with grazing yaks, small Tibetan villages and a Buddhist temple. But there’s poison here.

A large lithium mine not only desecrates the sacred grasslands, villagers say, but spawns deadly pollution. This river used to be full of fish. Today, there are hardly any. Hundreds of yaks, the villagers say, have died in the past few years after drinking river water.

China’s thirst for mineral ­resources — and its desire to exploit the rich deposits under the Tibetan plateau — have spread ­environmental pollution and ­anguish for many of the herders whose ancestors lived here for thousands of years.

The land they worship is under assault, and their way of life is threatened without their consent, the herders say. Read the rest of this entry »

Teachings for Russian Buddhists in Delhi Continue

Delhi, India, 26 December 2016 – As he stood on the throne, His Holiness the Dalai Lama waved to the people at the back of the hall. Once he was seated he suggested not reciting the entire ‘Heart Sutra’ but only the mantra with its accompanying verse, followed by the verses of homage from ‘Ornament for Clear Realizations’ and the homage from ‘Commentary to Dignaga’s Compendium of Valid Cognition’.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking on the second day of his three day teaching for Russian Buddhists in Delhi, India on December 26, 2016. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL

“When I give this kind of discourse,” he said, “I like to give an introduction to the Buddha’s teachings and how to go about practice. In Tibet in the past and maybe even in China now, there are people with faith in Buddhism, who don’t really know what it is about. All religions teach about love and compassion, tolerance and contentment and have long been of benefit. But among them, Buddhism is the only one to teach explicitly about selflessness.
“A German neuroscientist once showed me a picture of the brain and told me that if there were a controlling self or soul it should be there, but nothing indicates such a self. In fact, since neurons in the brain function in non-centralized networks, it seems science supports the Buddhist assertion.”
Speaking in Tibetan that was simultaneously translated into Russian, Mongolian, Chinese, Hindi and English, His Holiness added that what qualifies the Buddhist view are the Four Seals:

All conditioned phenomena are transient.
All polluted phenomena are unsatisfactory or in the nature of suffering.
All phenomena are empty and selfless.
Nirvana is true peace.
Disturbing emotions and karma are in the nature of suffering. Their cause is ignorance, the distorted view by which we think of the impermanent as permanent, what is without self as with self, and what is miserable as pleasant. The root of this is holding onto the distorted view of an autonomous self. Read the rest of this entry »

His Holiness the Dalai Lama addressed the Tibetan pilgrims in Delhi, advising them to not feel disheartened: “From the Kalachakra ground, I will keep the Tibetans inside Tibet in my deepest prayers.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Tibetans in Tibet will be blessed with Kalachakra initiation
New Delhi: The Chinese government has imposed travel restrictions on Tibetans in Tibet in a bid to block their travel to India to attend the Kalachakra teachings. Tibetan pilgrims who have already arrived in Nepal and India have been summoned back to their home country. News emanating from Tibet reported that the Chinese government began confiscating passports from Tibetans in Tibet since November this year.

Nepali media reported that “China has reportedly issued a temporary travel restriction on its citizens visiting Nepal and asked its travel agencies and airlines to cancel all travel plans and bookings made until January 10 with immediate effect.”

In light of these developments, His Holiness the Dalai Lama addressed the Tibetan pilgrims in Delhi, advising them to not feel disheartened. His Holiness said that during the Kalachakra initiation, which runs for three days—from January 11-13, Tibetans in Tibet whose faith and devotion remain invincible and stands undefeated, can pray from inside Tibet. “From the Kalachakra ground, I will keep the Tibetans inside Tibet in my deepest prayers.”

His Holiness further said there is a substantial number of Chinese Buddhists in Mainland China wishing to attend the Kalachakra and that His Holiness will remember them in his prayers.

“Distance cannot dampen the sacred ties between a lama and a disciple. You can all pray from the far-flung areas in Tibet and I assure you that you will receive the Kalachakra empowerment,” said His Holiness.

His Holiness thanked the Tibetans inside Tibet and advised them to do focus on empowering Tibetan youth with education. “While according importance to Tibetan language, encourage our youth to study Chinese language as well. Empower our youth to embrace modern education, but also be adept at traditional Tibetan knowledge, especially the five major sciences of knowledge.”

His Holiness further said on one hand this is a sad situation as Tibetans in Tibet and exile have been separated for 57 years, but on the other hand, the determination and resoluteness of Tibetans inside Tibet have remained steadfast. “Despite the phasing out of generations of Tibetans, your nationalistic fervour, irrespective of your faith in Tibetan Buddhism, your indomitable spirit, grit and perseverance, is bringing to the fore, clarity to the issue of Tibet.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will arrive at Bodhgaya today.

The Kalachakra initiation will begin with ritual preparation on January 2 and end with a life-long prayer ceremony on January 14 and will be streamed live on Tibet TV’s youtube and facebook page.

http://tibet.net/2016/12/tibetans-in-tibet-will-be-blessed-with-kalachakra-initiation-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama/

His Holiness the Dalai Lama giving an interview to Lenta.Ru in Delhi, India on December 25, 2016. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL

Teachings for Russian Buddhists Begin in Delhi

Delhi, India, 25 December 2016 – Yesterday, Tibetans, people from the Himalayan regions and elsewhere lined the streets around Ganden Monastery in Mundgod to see His Holiness the Dalai Lama off. Abbots and former Abbots accompanied him to the airport. He flew from Huballi to Delhi, arriving in time for lunch.Today, before embarking on three days of teachings requested by interested Russians, His Holiness gave interviews, first to Lenta.Ru a major Russian news agency.

Questions began with what we should expect as a result of changes taking place in the Western world. His Holiness replied that the Western world is part of the world as a whole, just as Russia is. The people remain human beings and it is a common human experience to feel something when others are dying, starving or being killed.
“Last century saw a lot of fighting. In the later part of the 20th century there was the Cold War, but that was better than a hot war. I admire the spirit of the European Union where former enemies, France and Germany have overcome discord and, working together as friends, have developed the EU. Union is based on mutual respect. The Soviet Union collapsed because it was totalitarian, the EU succeeds because of democracy.”
Asked if he thought we could look forward to a greater era of peace, His Holiness answered that there is no other option. He said that if war escalated into nuclear war everyone would suffer. What sensible person would want that? Read the rest of this entry »

Notwithstanding these efforts, the Dalai Lama retains immense popular goodwill and support from legislators in various countries.

Dalai Lama, Beijing and The Tibet Cause

The Daily Pioneer, 23 December 2016

Over the years, Beijing has tried to shrink the space available to the Dalai Lama in world capitals, to lobby the Tibet cause. Notwithstanding these efforts, the Dalai Lama retains immense popular goodwill and support.

The Dalai Lama’s unrivaled religious authority and influence over Buddhists in China and around the world is a matter of concern to Beijing. Over the years, Beijing has tried to shrink the space available to the Dalai Lama in world capitals to lobby the Tibet cause and undermine his influence over the different Tibetan Buddhist sects. Despite these efforts, the Dalai Lama’s influence and religious authority remain undiminished. Read the rest of this entry »

Ganden Ngacho: the Ganden Offering of the Twenty-Fifth

Mundgod, Karnataka, India, 23 December 2016 – The 25th of the tenth Tibetan month, which falls today, customarily commemorates the passing away of Je Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelukpa School of Tibetan Buddhism.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama joining elder monks in recitations of texts by Je Tsongkhapa on the occasion of Ganden Ngacho at Ganden Lachi Monastery in Mundgod, Karnataka, India on December 23, 2016. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL

“We’ll begin by reciting the ‘Praise to the Buddha for Teaching Dependent Arising’,” His Holiness announced after taking his seat amidst the elders of the Geluk tradition in the Ganden Lachi Monastery hall this morning. “After that, let’s recite ‘Essence of Eloquence’, (Tsongkhapa’s ‘Essence of Eloquence: A Treatise Distinguishing between the Provisional and the Definitive Meanings’, drang nges legs bshad snying po), together.”
His Holiness remarked that he carries a copy of this book with him wherever he goes and he reads it whenever he gets time. The chant-master led the assembly of nearly 1000 monks in the hall, with as many again outside. A few, like His Holiness, read from traditional loose leaf Tibetan folios, but most used modern printed books. One or two appeared to be reciting from memory. Chanting at a brisk pace they had completed about one third of the book when they stopped for lunch at 11.30 am.
After lunch, His Holiness briefly addressed a group of pilgrims from Tibet:
“You Tibetans living in Tibet are the real owners of the Land of Snow. Your spirit and undaunted courage in the face of hardship are an inspiration to those of us in exile. You remind us that truth is on our side. We have no reason to lie and in the long run truth is on our side. Despite the oppression and inflexibility of the totalitarian system it will not succeed. Things will change. The time will come when we are all reunited, although the hardliners’ stance means it may not happen soon. Read the rest of this entry »

Perfectly Healthy and Hopeful of Reuniting with Tibetans in Tibet Soon: His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Mundgod, Karnataka state: Addressing a group of Tibetan pilgrims from Tibet at Drepung monastery in Mundgod on 19 December on the sidelines of the Emory-Tibet symposium, His Holiness the Dalai Lama addressed the concerns of many Tibetans with regard to the deteriorating political situation inside Tibet and the Tibetan people’s longstanding aspiration to see His Holiness return to Tibet.

“The fact that Tibet has been able to survive in the conscience of the world even today is solely because of the resolve and remarkable determination of the Tibetan people. Tibetan people’s resilience and valor against the atrocities of the Chinese government has led to a growing awareness on Tibet,” His Holiness told the crowd, and urged them not to be demoralised by the critical political situation.

Addressing the aspiration of Tibetans inside Tibet to see His Holiness the Dalai Lama return to Tibet peacefully and in glory, His Holiness said: “I am 81 years old now. However, I am perfectly healthy and I am hopeful that we will be able to reunite in Tibet very soon in a few years. So don’t worry.” Read the rest of this entry »

H.H. Dalai Lama: Lama’s longevity depends on disciple’s conduct

By Tenzin Monlam

Dharamshala, December 22, 2016: His Holiness the Dalai Lama said that whether a lama or a teacher lives long depends on the conduct of his disciples, during the celebration of the 600th Anniversary of the founding of Drepung Monastery at Drepung Lachi Assembly Hall in Mundgod.
“You have made prayers and I also pray that I will live long. If no one were to listen to what I have to say, there would be little point, but I have made suggestions and you have followed. You have worked and studied hard,” the Dalai Lama said after the long-life ceremony while adding that “if the Bodhisattvas and the Nalanda masters were to see what we’re doing, I think they’d be satisfied that we are keeping our traditions alive.”
The 81-year old stated that the Nechung Oracle insists that he should live to 108, an auspicious number. He however, pointed out that whether the Lama lives long depends on the conduct of the disciples. 
To commemorate the day, a concise biography of Jamyang Chöjey Tashi Palden, Founder of Drepung Monastery was readout out by the Chief Abbot of Drepung Monastery. Along with it, he also released a short book titled ‘The Divine Drum’.
The daylong celebration, attended by CTA dignitaries and abbots of various monasteries, also saw Lharampa Geshes receiving their degrees from Ganden Tripa.
During his keynote address at the ceremony, the spiritual leader said that the purpose of studying is to tame the mind to soften up and reduce the disturbing emotions before ultimately eliminating them. 
“After you study, the thing to do is engage in the practice of meditation as Trehor Kyorpon Rinpoche has done — keeping the Dharma alive through learning and practice,” he said.
Keeping in mind the possibility of having the philosophy and science categories of Tibetan Buddhism as part of academics for those interested, the Nobel Peace Laureate mentioned his plans to reclassify the contents of the Kangyur and Tengyur under categories of Buddhist science, philosophy and religion. http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=38469&article=Dalai+Lama+says+Lama%27s+longevity+depends+on+disciple%27s+conduct

After Mongolian incident, Chinese daily warns India on Dalai Lama

By Atul Aneja, The Hindu – 22 December 2016

The Global Times, a newspaper affiliated with the Communist Party of China (CPC), has counseled India not to leverage the Dalai Lama issue to undermine Beijing’s core interests. Read the rest of this entry »

Ulan Bator cede alla Cina: non riceverà più i leader tibetani. Uno strappo storico. Mongolia. I nipoti di Gengis Khan tradiscono il Dalai Lama

Raimondo Bultrini

Ormai è prassi nota a ogni Paese che concede un visto al Dalai Lama. Sia alla vigilia che dopo l’evento, la Cina diffonde le sue proteste con relativa minaccia di rompere i rapporti diplomatici e commerciali. Succede da 57 anni dopo l’esilio, e sono rimasti al mondo pochi Paesi incuranti delle conseguenze di accogliere l’odiato “separatista”, tra i quali – fino a ieri – la buddhista Mongolia, ex provincia sovietica indipendente con capitale Ulan Bator, separata dall’attuale Xinjiang cinese che ha la capitale a Hohhot. Per paura del potente vicino, in questi giorni anche questo popolo autonomo e devoto ha annunciato al Dalai Lama – per bocca di un ministro – che da ora in poi non sarà più bene accolto com’era sempre stato. Il ministro degli Esteri Tsend Munkh-Orgil in un’intervista ha addirittura espresso «rammarico» per aver permesso l’ultima visita del XIV leader tibetano e ha promesso a Pechino che per «l’intera durata di questo governo» non sarà autorizzato «a visitare la Mongolia neanche per scopi religiosi». L’atto per molti versi sacrilego interrompe secoli di legami spirituali profondi tra mongoli e i lama tibetani loro maestri, con radici ininterrotte dal tempo del nostro Medioevo e del triangolo di poteri tra Tibet, Mongolia e impero cinese. Furono i mongoli a creare il nome Dalai Lama che vuol dire “Oceano di saggezza” e a conquistare col sangue vasti territori donati ai leader di questo lignaggio di sacerdoti reincarnati. Read the rest of this entry »

Ceremony to Award Nuns the First Geshe-ma Degrees & Golden Jubilee of CST Mundgod

Mundgod, Karnataka, India, 22 December 2016 – This morning, His Holiness the Dalai Lama came down to the veranda of Drepung Lachi Monastery once more and took his seat at the top of the steps. He was flanked to his right by senior members of the monastic community and to his left by members of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and other guests. Before him arrayed in the front row in the monastery courtyard were the first twenty nuns to have achieved the degree of Geshe-ma. Read the rest of this entry »

A Buddhist monk with the Tibetan flag painted on his face, in Siliguri, India, November 2011, protests in solidarity with dozens of monks who self-immolated in Tibetan parts of China to draw attention to their opposition to Beijing’s repression of indigenous culture.

How Tibet Is Being Crushed, While the Dalai Lama Survives

If you read every page of Tsering Woeser’s latest book and skip the first and last chapters of Tsering Topgyal’s, the ultimate message about the situation in Tibet is often the same. Chinese rule, writes Woeser, is no less than “ethnic oppression,” while Topgyal asserts that “the threat and use of coercive force to meet ideological, political and military objectives in Tibet have been enduring and well-documented features of Chinese rule from the beginning.” He recommends to Beijing that to secure a more placid atmosphere in Tibet, it should staff the region’s administration with Tibetan members of the Chinese Communist Party instead of the often brutal occupiers it now relies on.

Woeser came to Western attention with Voices from Tibet (2014), the collection of essays she wrote with her husband, Wang Lixiong.1 She is the daughter of a teacher who became a senior officer in the Chinese army. After her birth in Lhasa in 1966 the family moved to Tibetan towns within China proper. At school she learned only Chinese, regarded as the language of a higher culture. After studying at a university in China she returned to Lhasa, where she worked for the Chinese Writers’ Group. There she wrote poems that were praised in China for their pride in Chinese culture, although, as Robert Barnett wrote in his introduction to Voices from Tibet, they also show “an engagement with Tibetan landscape, history and people.” Read the rest of this entry »

The Nechung Oracle approaching His Holiness the Dalai Lama during the Long Life ceremony at Drepung Lachi Assembly Hall in Mundgod, Karnataka, India on December 21, 2016. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL

H.H. Dalai Lama: Lama’s longevity depends on disciple’s conduct

By Tenzin Monlam

Dharamshala, December 22, 2016: His Holiness the Dalai Lama said that whether a lama or a teacher lives long depends on the conduct of his disciples, during the celebration of the 600th Anniversary of the founding of Drepung Monastery at Drepung Lachi Assembly Hall in Mundgod.
“You have made prayers and I also pray that I will live long. If no one were to listen to what I have to say, there would be little point, but I have made suggestions and you have followed. You have worked and studied hard,” the Dalai Lama said after the long-life ceremony while adding that “if the Bodhisattvas and the Nalanda masters were to see what we’re doing, I think they’d be satisfied that we are keeping our traditions alive.”
The 81-year old stated that the Nechung Oracle insists that he should live to 108, an auspicious number. He however, pointed out that whether the Lama lives long depends on the conduct of the disciples.  Read the rest of this entry »

The 600th Anniversary of the Founding of Drepung Monastery

Mundgod, Karnataka, India, 21 December 2016 – This day of celebration began early with the rumbling of long horns before His Holiness the Dalai Lama descended to the assembly hall of Drepung Lachi Monastery. The Ganden Tripa, Ganden Trisur, Sharpa and Jangtse Chöjeys, with the Drepung Abbots and about 1500 monks, led by the thunderous voice of the chant-master, offered His Holiness a Long-Life Ceremony. At a certain point the Nechung Oracle appeared and during a long trance paid homage to the eminent Lamas and approached His Holiness several times.

The Nechung Oracle approaching His Holiness the Dalai Lama during the Long Life ceremony at Drepung Lachi Assembly Hall in Mundgod, Karnataka, India on December 21, 2016. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL

“I’ll be talking again later,” His Holiness told the assembly, “but since we are celebrating the founding of Drepung Monastery by Jamyang Chöjey Tashi Palden, I’d like to say a few words here. This Long-Life Ceremony was different from those routine rituals performed when, as a child, I was facing an inauspicious year, because the whole community has been involved.
“As a child I was placed on the throne of the Dalai Lamas and I feel I have a karmic connection with them that goes back to Trisong Detsen. At this crucial juncture in our history I feel I’ve been able to make some contribution to the Tibetan cause and the welfare of our religion and our people.
“The recent Symposium held here revealed that we now have monks and nuns who have acquired quite a high standard of modern education in addition to their traditional training.
“You’ve made prayers and I also pray that I’ll live long. If no one were to listen to what I have to say, there’d be little point, but I’ve made suggestions and you’ve followed the advice. You’ve worked and studied hard so if the Bodhisattvas and the 17 Masters of Nalanda were to look to see what we’re doing I think they’d be satisfied that we are keeping our traditions alive. Read the rest of this entry »

Bridging Buddhism & Science, Emory Tibet Symposium, Day Three

Christof Koch delivery his presentation during the morning session devoted to neuroscience on the final day of the Tibet Emory Symposium in Mundgod, Karnataka, India on December 20, 2016. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL

December 20th 2016 Mundgod, Karnataka, India- For the third consecutive day, His Holiness the Dalai Lama walked from Drepung Lachi to Drepung Loseling to attend the Emory Tibet Symposium, greeting well-wishers as he went. A group of young students belonging to the Tibetan Science Society, who had come to attend the Symposium too, were waiting for him at the door of the monastery. He posed for a photograph with them, commended their interest in science and advised them to go further than mere general study and specialize.The fifth session was devoted to neuroscience and the question what is mind and its relation to the body, brain and subjective experience. Christof Koch began his presentation by paying tribute to one of the fathers of modern science, the French philosopher Descartes, who famously said—I am conscious, therefore I am. Koch said that despite this initiative, until 30 or 40 years ago, science took little interest in consciousness.
Now there is some sense that it feels like something to see, hear, remember, feel hungry and so forth. However, if we ask who has conscious experience, the general consensus has been that it is only human beings. As to the mechanism that gives rise to consciousness, neuroscientists have identified a part of the cerebral cortex that has to be there if there is to be consciousness. About whether dogs, bees with their small but densely complex brains, or even foetuses, are conscious there is apparently, as yet, no clear answer. Read the rest of this entry »

Il Parlamento Europeo: la Cina rispetti la libertà di associazione e religione del popolo tibetano

20 dicembre 2016. Il Parlamento Europeo, riunito a Strasburgo, ha approvato il 15 dicembre una risoluzione urgente con la quale chiede alla Cina il rispetto della libertà di associazione e religione del popolo tibetano e condanna la distruzione del Centro buddista di Larung Gar.

A tre giorni dalla morte di Tashi Rabten, il Parlamento Europeo ha chiesto al governo cinese di riprendere il dialogo con i rappresentanti del governo tibetano in esilio, in stallo dal 2010, al fine di risolvere la crisi in atto in Tibet e di dare inizio ad un dialogo costruttivo con la comunità e i leader religiosi del Centro di Studi buddisti di Larung Gar per consentire ai tibetani deportati a causa della demolizione del complesso monastico di continuare i loro studi. “Il Parlamento Europeo chiede alle autorità cinesi di porre fine alla distruzione del Centro e all’allontanamento di quanti vi risiedono in nome del rispetto della libertà di religione e dei diritti umani, principio fondamentale della democrazia e dello stato di diritto, elemento indispensabile per garantire la stabilità politica”. “Il Parlamento Europeo – recita tra l’altro il documento – è seriamente preoccupato per il peggioramento della situazione dei diritti umani all’interno del Tibet, peggioramento che si è tradotto in un incremento dei casi di autoimmolazione; biasima il dispiego di un numero sempre maggiore di militari sull’altopiano tibetano, causa di tensione nell’intera regione, ed esprime la propria contrarietà alla sistematica sorveglianza esercitata sui privati cittadini”. Read the rest of this entry »

Bridging Buddhism & Science, Emory Tibet Symposium, Day Two

Mundgod, Karnataka, India, 19 December 2016 – Before 8am it is still cool enough to walk comfortably from Drepung Lachi to Drepung Loseling, which His Holiness the Dalai Lama did once more today. He greeted Tibetans and Indians, local residents, pilgrims and beggars on the way, shaking hands with many of them to their evident pleasure and surprise.

Dr Sanjay Gupta interviewing His Holiness the Dalai Lama for CNN at Drepung Loseling in Mundgod, Karnataka, India on December 19, 2016. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL

On reaching Drepung Loseling, he gave an interview to Dr Sanjay Gupta, a physician and broadcaster, to be broadcast by CNN, which, like Emory University, is based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Dr Gupta, who is here to cover the Emory Tibet Symposium, began by asking His Holiness the importance of a genuine smile.

“There may be some other animals who have ways of expressing their warm feelings,” His Holiness replied, “but being able to smile seems to be unique to human beings. As social animals we need friends. Friendship is based on trust and trust grows when we show each other genuine affection. If you are honest, truthful and of service to others, no matter what else is going on you can feel self-confident.”
Asked why, if basic human nature is compassionate, we don’t see more of it in the world, His Holiness replied that when children are five or six years old they are innocent and open-hearted. They don’t care about nationality, faith, race and so forth. However, as they grow up in a materialistic society, their basic human values, such as compassion and concern for others, tend to be neglected and become dormant. Gradually they learn to cheat and bully others and in extreme cases kill them.
“In the USA,” His Holiness continued, “we see growing numbers of cities taking to calling themselves ‘city of kindness’ or ‘city of compassion’ and developing programs to encourage these qualities in children.
“In India and the US too we are working on a draft curriculum to introduce universal values into the mainstream education system. We plan to run it as a pilot project in some schools and if there are positive results we will make it more widely available.” Read the rest of this entry »

Bridging Buddhism & Science, Emory Tibet Symposium, Day One

Mundgod, Karnataka, India, 18 December 2016 – Today, His Holiness the Dalai Lama elected to walk the relatively short distance between Drepung Lachi and Drepung Loseling. He greeted well-wishers along the way, as well as offering comfort to beggars who also vied for his attention. Read the rest of this entry »

Visits to Deyang Dratsang and Ratö Dratsang

Mundgod, Karnataka, India, 17 December 2016 – Yesterday morning, His Holiness the Dalai Lama took a short flight from Bengaluru to Huballi. He was received as he stepped off the plane by the local DC. The Drepung Tripa and Ling Rinpoche greeted him in the arrival hall, while the Loseling, Gomang and Ratö Abbots were waiting at the door to the airport. His Holiness drove to the Mundgod Tibetan Settlement via Camp No 1, past Ganden Monastery. Tibetans young and old, monastic and lay, lined the road to welcome him. On arrival at Drepung Lachi he took the time to speak to six monks confined to wheelchairs who were waiting to see him. On entering the monastery he was formally presented with a mandala and three representations of the body, speech and mind of enlightenment.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama meeting the newly installed 103rd Ganden Tripa, Jetsun Lobsang Tenzin, at Drepung Lachi Monastery in Mundgod, Karnataka, India on December 17, 2016. Photo/Tenin Choejor/OHHDL

This morning the sound of deep, rumbling horns indicated the presence of an eminent guest. Before embarking on the day’s engagements, His Holiness met the newly installed 103rd Ganden Tripa, Jetsun Lobsang Tenzin, in his quarters at Drepung Lachi Monastery. Once again Tibetans lined the streets as His Holiness’s motorcade drove at a stately pace to Drepung Deyang Monastery. Entering the new temple, His Holiness exchanged greetings with old friends he spotted among the monks on either side. He paid his respects before the various statues at the head of the temple, made a brief visit to the protector chapel and took his seat on the throne. With Ganden Trisur, Rizong Rinpoche, Ling Rinpoche, Kundeling Rinpoche and Deyang Rinpoche looking on, the Nechung Kuten, Thupten Ngodup made an offering of a mandala and three representations of enlightened body, speech and mind.
The Nechung Kuten, Medium of the State Oracle, has been the prime mover in the re-establishment of this monastery. About 15 years ago, he began to have vivid and repeated dreams of building a monastery he did not recognise, which surprised him because Nechung Monastery had already been re-established. On one occasion, after a trance, His Holiness asked him about his dreams and he explained. His Holiness remarked simply that it was interesting. It was when he reported what he had dreamt to senior monks at Nechung Monastery that one of them suggested that the monastery in question was Deyang.
Apparently, sometime before this, His Holiness had instructed that the Fifth Dalai Lama’s commentaries on the Perfection of Wisdom and the Middle Way be reprinted. He gave the books to Drepung Lachi where they lay unread because Loseling and Gomang study the works of Panchen Sonam Drakpa and Jamyang Sheypa. Therefore, when the Nechung Kuten told him that his dreams seemed to herald the re-establishment of Drepung Deyang Monastery in exile, he was pleased because one of that monastery’s distinguishing features was that its monks studied these works of the Fifth Dalai Lama. Also, since the time of the Fifth, the young Dalai Lamas, including His Holiness, enrolled first at Drepung Deyang and began their training there. Read the rest of this entry »

Visit to National Law School of India University

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, 15 December 2016 – After several days of rain and overcast skies, the sun came out today as His Holiness the Dalai Lama drove across Bengaluru to the National Law School of India University, an institution that offers undergraduate and graduate legal and policy education. Read the rest of this entry »

La moglie e le due figlie dell’ex monaco Tashi Rabten che si è dato fuoco il giorno 8 dicembre sono state torturate dalle autorità cinesi e costrette a firmare un documento dove viene dichiarato che si è auto-immolato a causa di problemi con la famiglia e non per il Tibet.

Tashi Rabten mentre si dava fuoco inneggiava per la libertà per il Tibet, per il ritorno del leader tibetano in esilio sua Santità il Dalai Lama in Tibet e alla liberazione del Panchen Lama, Gendun Choekyi Nyima.

A seguito dell’accaduto, la famiglia ed il pubblico che ha assistito all’orribile scena sono in una difficile situazione con le autorità cinesi. Sono state incarcerate 9 persone: su queste pende l’accusa di aver diffuso nei social media il video dell’uomo mentre si dava fuoco e aver pregato per la vittima. Read the rest of this entry »

Inauguration of the Dalai Lama Institute for Higher Education

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, 14 December 2016 – When His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived early at the Dalai Lama Institute for Higher Education this morning, the cyclone affected weather of the last few days had begun to improve. Read the rest of this entry »

Participation in 97th Convocation of the University of Mysore

Mysuru, Karnataka, India, 13 December 2016 – Yesterday morning, His Holiness the Dalai Lama left Delhi on an early flight for Bangaluru from where he flew on to Mysuru. He was received on arrival by the local Deputy Commissioner & District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, as well as the Abbots, Settlement Officers and Tibetan People’s Deputies from Mundgod. When he reached his hotel, among hundreds of ordinary Tibetans there to welcome him, a group of schoolchildren performed the ‘Tashi Shölpa’ dance in his honour.

‘Star of Mysore’ journalist N Niranjan Nikam interviewing His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Mysuru, Karnataka, India on December 13, 2016. Photo/Jeremy Russell/OHHDL

This morning, before venturing out into the ubiquitous drizzle enveloping the city as a result of cyclone Varda, His Holiness gave an interview to veteran ‘Star of Mysore’ journalist N Niranjan Nikam. He told him that he first came to Mysore in 1956 during a visit to India to attend the 2500th Buddha Jayanti celebrations. In the course of a ceremonial lunch, the then Chief Minister of Mysore State, S Nijalingappa, told him that he supported Tibetan independence.
Eventually, after his escape to India in 1959, followed by about 15,000 Tibetans, a request was made to the Government of India for land on which they could settle. Pandit Nehru wrote to the country’s Chief Ministers with this request and Nijalingappa’s response was by far the most generous. Consequently, today, 40-50,000 Tibetans live in Karnataka, but more important, His Holiness said, Tibet’s major monastic universities have also been re-established here.
Nikam asked His Holiness what he feels is wrong with modern education. He told him that being primarily oriented to material goals there is little place in it for inner values and moral principles. He observed that many of the problems we face today that are of our own making can ultimately be attributed to this lack of moral principles. He suggested we could make up for this by cultivating warm-heartedness. Read the rest of this entry »

12 dicembre 2016. Tashi Rabten, un tibetano di trentuno anni padre di tre figli, si è dato la morte con il fuoco in segno di protesta contro l’occupazione cinese. E’ avvenuto a Machu, nella provincia tibetana dell’Amdo, nelle prime ore del mattino del giorno 8 dicembre. Si tratta del 146° caso di autoimmolazione avvenuto in Tibet dal 2009.

Dopo essersi cosparso di benzina in un bagno pubblico, Tashi Rabten, chiamato Tarab da parenti e amici, si è dato fuoco lungo la strada del mercato ortofrutticolo, la stessa via dove nel 2012 si era dato la morte Tsering Kyi, il cugino appena ventenne. Il Centro Tibetano per i Diritti Umani e la Democrazia riferisce di aver appreso da fonti locali che prima di cadere a terra Tashi ha avuto il tempo di gridare “possa il Dalai Lama vivere per 10.000 anni” e “permettete a Sua Santità di tornare in Tibet”.

Una folla inorridita e in preghiera si è subito radunata attorno al rogo. Le brevi sequenze di immagini catturate dai telefoni cellulari dei passanti sono impressionanti e ci inducono a riflettere su quanto grande sia il desiderio di libertà e quanto intollerabile il senso di frustrazione da indurre una persona a togliersi la vita in modo tanto doloroso e con tanto coraggio. I funzionari cinesi dell’Ufficio di Pubblica Sicurezza hanno portato via i suoi resti carbonizzati. I congiunti ne hanno chiesto la restituzione ma, secondo le ultime notizie, tutti i membri della famiglia, inclusi la moglie e i due figli, sono statti tratti in arresto.

In una lettera datata 8 dicembre e indirizzata a Tibet Post International Rabten spiega i motivi del suo gesto. “Oggi lascerò questo mondo”, scrive il nuovo eroe tibetano. “Ma così facendo sono certo di essere dalla parte del Tibet. Siamo obbligati a ricorrere a gesti estremi per riavere la nostra terra, già perduta e in via di sparizione. Siamo destinati ad autoimmolarci in nome del nostro credo e del nostro territorio”.

“Sono un tibetano, non un cinese. In quanto tibetano con passaporto cinese rivendico diritti umani e democrazia per un miliardo e trecento milioni di persone, ma in quanto autentico tibetano chiedo a gran voce la restituzione della mia terra e la libertà. Siamo con il Dalai Lama, vogliamo risolvere il nostro problema con il governo cinese solo in modo pacifico. Noi tibetani non vogliamo che si ripetano il massacro e la disumana guerra di invasione compiuti nel 1958 dall’Esercito di Liberazione del Popolo. E rifiutiamo l’appellativo di “rivoltosi” con cui siamo stati definiti nel 2008”.

Con l’immolazione di Tashi Rabten sale a tre il numero dei tibetani che si sono dati la morte con il fuoco nell’arco del 2016. Prima di lui hanno dato la loro vita per la libertà del Tibet Kalsang Wangdu, di soli 18 anni, deceduto il 29 febbraio, e Sonam Tso, una donna di cinquant’anni, deceduta il 23 marzo.

Fonti: TCHRD –  Tibet Post International – redazione http://www.italiatibet.org/2016/12/12/un-nuovo-caso-di-autoimmolazione-con-il-fuoco-in-tibet/

Tibetan Self-Immolator Dies of Self-Immolation Protest

Dharamshala: Further details have emerged about the self-immolator protester who set himself on fire on Thusday in Machu country of Tibet’s Amdo province.

Tashi Rabten, 33, known to his friends and family as Tarab, is a former monk from Teushel village in Machu County, Kanlho, eastern Tibet. He succumbed to his injuries.

According to sources, Tashi Rabten’s wife and two children have been taken into custody. A number of his other relatives have also been detained after approaching the authorities to ask for his body for cremation.

Images and video footages in circulation show Tashi Rabten walking down a street on fire. A later video shows security personnel lifting and removing the body. Read the rest of this entry »

His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Rui Gong

Rui Gong : My true impressions of the Dalai Lama

About the Dalai Lama, Many of the legends we heard in China were negative information like the Dalai Group engaged in separatist activities, how to tear up the “17-Article Agreement”,  then fled to India, and even in India set up a government in exile. Oops! This is in the eyes of the Chinese really sin, completely contrary to our unified thinking inertia. But when you look at Baidu Encyclopedia and other domestic Web site information, there is one truth about the Dalai Lama you can not denied forever. That is, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in1989. On this point, he is in sharp contrast with the previous separalist image,  and for his personal cast a layer of mystery. Of course, such a mystery is targeted at the domestic shield of the masses. Read the rest of this entry »

Talk at Tushita before Participating in Flagging off 100 Million for 100 Million Campaign

New Delhi, India, 11 December 2016 – This morning Prof S Parasuraman, Director of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences met His Holiness the Dalai Lama to inform him of progress being made in developing a training programme in secular ethics. Responding to His Holiness’s comment that modern education is wonderful in many ways, but is inadequate when it comes to inculcating inner values or moral principles, Prof Parasuraman outlined a 30 hour course that has been developed, taking inspiration from His Holiness’s published writings. He mentioned five topics: 1. Sourcing my universal values; 2. Discerning change; 3. Leading with others; 4. Accountability, and 5. Ethical Leadership. Read the rest of this entry »

Laureates and Leaders for Children Summit

New Delhi, India, 10 December 2016 – At daybreak Delhi was shrouded in thick fog, which gradually lifted as the sun rose. By the time His Holiness the Dalai Lama drove to the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, within the residential complex of the President of India, the day was looking bright. He had been invited to participate in the opening session of the inaugural Laureates and Leaders for Children Summit organized by the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation. Once the Honourable Shri Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India, arrived, the summit began with the purpose of globalizing compassion for children. Read the rest of this entry »

Ambedkar University Convocation — Tibet House and Men-tsee-khang Anniversaries

New Delhi, India, 9 December 2016 – His Holiness the Dalai Lama flew from Dharamsala to Delhi yesterday afternoon. This morning his public engagements began with an interview for CBS and a conversation on Facebook live with Kailash Satyarthi, founder of the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation and co-winner of the 2104 Nobel Peace Prize. Read the rest of this entry »

Dalai Lama on Socialism

By Terry Reis Kennedy – Published on the Hindu, 08 December 2016

According to His Holiness The Dalai Lama, capitalism and socialism can build a solid partnership provided the rich contribute more money, particularly to the poor in need of health care and education. Read the rest of this entry »

Pope John Paul II and the Dalai Lama shake hands as they met outside the basilica of Santa Maris degli Angeli where 200 representatives of 12 religions gathered for a World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi on Monday, Oct. 27, 1986. (AP Photo/Foggia)

The Dalai Lama from a Catholic perspective

By Alexander Norman, Tibetan Buddhism in the West

Origins

Feted by politicians, by pop-stars and by millions of ordinary people alike, the Dalai Lama is one of the best loved spiritual leaders of modern times. His talks sell out sports stadia from Sydney to San Francisco, from Oslo to Johannesburg. He is the recipient of a Nobel peace prize, a Congressional gold medal, the Templeton prize for spiritual progress and numerous other awards both civic and academic. A man of clear personal sincerity, the Dalai Lama’s message of peace and compassion wins him friends wherever he goes.

Thanks to an upsurge of interest in Tibet and in the Buddhism of Tibet, the Dalai Lama’s story is well known. At an early age, he became paramount leader, both spiritual and temporal, of the Tibetan people. In 1959, he was forced to flee his country for exile in India following its annexation by the People’s Republic of China which claims Tibet as sovereign territory. Since then, the Dalai Lama has travelled the world seeking to advance the cause of political autonomy for his people and at the same time expounding a philosophy of non-violence based on universal compassion.

Born in eastern Tibet in 1935, Tenzin Gyatso, the present Dalai Lama, is acknowledged by his people as the reincarnation of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama who died in 1933 at the age of 56. According to his own account, the recognition process involved a series of prophetic signs as well as more than one interview. On the last of these, he was asked to identify a number of items that had belonged to his predecessor from among a collection of other, similar items. It was considered particularly auspicious when the infant Dalai Lama (he was just three years old at the time) picked up a walking stick and then put it down in favour of another one. The walking stick he first picked up had originally belonged to the Thirteenth, but he had given it away to a friend. The walking stick which the child picked up next was the one which the Thirteenth had at the end of his life.

The Dalai Lama is, however, at pains to admit that he remembers nothing of all this process and has often alluded wryly to the autobiography of the Fifth Dalai Lama. It seems that the young Fifth was completely unable to identify any of his predecessor’s belongings. As a result, the official conducting the interview had to ‘choose’ for him. Read the rest of this entry »

Il governo di Dharamsala chiede alla Commissione Diritti Umani delle Nazioni Unite di salvare il Centro di Larung Gar

7 dicembre 2016. Lobsang Sangay, Primo Ministro del governo tibetano in esilio, e Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, Presidente del parlamento, hanno chiesto l’immediato intervento dell’Alto Commissario ONU per i Diritti Umani per salvare dalla totale distruzione il Centro di Studi Buddhisti di Larung Gar.

La richiesta è avvenuta nel corso di una conferenza stampa congiunta (nella foto) organizzata a Dharamsala il 5 dicembre. Il Sikyong e il Presidente del parlamento hanno inoltre chiesto all’Alto Commissario ONU per i Diritti Umani, Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein, di sollevare la questione la questione dei diritti umani in Tibet nel suo discorso di apertura alla 34° sessione del Consiglio che si terrà a Ginevra nel marzo del prossimo anno. Durante la conferenza stampa è stato ufficialmente presentato “We stand in solidarity with Tibet”,un filmato della durata di sette minuti (che pubblichiamo integralmente nella nostra sezione “on line”) per richiamare l’attenzione della comunità internazionale sulla drammatica situazione di Larung Gar. Read the rest of this entry »

More Punishment for Tibetan Buddhists

The Editorial Board, The New York Times, 5 December 2016

China’s determination to suppress the religious life and culture of Tibetans has taken a brutal turn at Larung Gar, the world’s largest Buddhist institute, where demolition workers have been tearing apart the community’s hand-built monastic dwellings. The campaign is another blot on China’s human rights record.

For years, government officials have harshly pressed for the assimilation of Tibetan culture. That very likely only encouraged growth at Larung Gar, where an estimated 20,000 monks, nuns and believers live in a mountainside warren of red-painted dwellings. The authorities insist they are not destroying the community, in southwest China, nor forcing residents to flee — but only protecting “the personal safety and property of the monks and nuns.” If the government were interested in health and safety, it could help construct new sewers and homes to relieve the crowding. But, of course, it’s done nothing of the sort. Read the rest of this entry »

Tibetan Pilgrims Listen to His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the Tsuglagkhang

Thekchen Chöling, Dharamsala, HP, India, 30 November 2016 – When His Holiness the Dalai Lama met about 1.000 pilgrims from Tibet today, many in traditional attire, their faces bright with anticipation, he told them that since they had come to India on pilgrimage or to visit relatives, he thought he would talk to them about Buddhism before they returned home.
“Buddhism spread the length and breadth of Tibet,” he told them, “but not that many people really understand what Buddhism is about. Our tradition comes from Nalanda, which was a great Indian centre of learning. The scholars there could analyse and explain Buddhist philosophy extensively using logic and reason.

File photo of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Tsuglagkhang in Dharamsala, HP, India. (PhotoTenzin Choejor/OHHDL)

“In Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka and so on they follow the Pali tradition. They purely maintain the monastic discipline of the Vinaya. They teach the Four Noble Truths with their 16 characteristics and the 37 Wings of Enlightenment as we do. But they tell me that in their explanations they rely on the authority of scripture, rather than the fruit of reason.

“The Perfection of Wisdom teachings reached China as part of the Nalanda tradition, so the Chinese, along with the Koreans, Japanese and Vietnamese, recite the ‘Heart Sutra’ and read Nagarjuna’s ‘Fundamental Wisdom’. But the majority of Dignaga’s and Dharmakirti’s works on logic and epistemology were not translated into Chinese, so they don’t have a tradition of logical analysis. This is why, today, the Nalanda tradition is fully maintained only by Tibetans.”
His Holiness mentioned that at one time Chinese communist propaganda suggested that Tibetans had only blind faith in the Buddha’s teachings and it would wither when they gained a more scientific understanding. What has in fact happened is that scientists have become increasingly interested in a Buddhist approach, particularly concerning the workings of the mind and emotions. He mentioned that he has encouraged a reassessment of the contents of the Kangyur and Tengyur under three categories: science, philosophy and religion. Books have been published in Tibetan, translations of which are being prepared, presenting Buddhist science and Buddhist philosophy.
His Holiness alluded to the great material development that has taken place in many parts of the world, remarking that nevertheless people are still unhappy because they don’t know how to find peace of mind. He declared that an understanding of the workings of the mind and emotions as described in Buddhist psychology can be of practical day to day benefit. Read the rest of this entry »

Sua Santità il Dalai Lama: “Il Tibet appartiene di diritto ai tibetani e i tibetani devono essere fieri della loro peculiare cultura, lingua e tradizione”.

Il Dalai Lama: il Tibet appartiene di diritto ai tibetani. La Cina incrementa il programma di sorveglianza dei villaggi

1 dicembre 2016. Al ritorno dal suo viaggio in Giappone e Mongolia il Dalai Lama ha voluto riservare una particolare udienza a un numeroso gruppo di pellegrini, circa un migliaio di persone, arrivati dal Tibet nella speranza di poter partecipare all’iniziazione di Kalachakra che il leader spirituale tibetano impartirà a Bodh Gaya nel gennaio 2017.

“Il Tibet appartiene di diritto ai tibetani e i tibetani devono essere fieri della loro peculiare cultura, lingua e tradizione”, ha detto il Dalai Lama parlando ai pellegrini nella cornice dello Tsuglagkang, il principale tempio di Dharamsala. “So che avete affrontato molte difficoltà e pericoli a causa delle pesanti misure restrittive a voi imposte dalla Cina ma sono molto felice di incontrarvi”. Il Dalai Lama ha aggiunto che, negli ultimi sessant’anni, i tibetani all’interno del Tibet sono sopravvissuti grazie alla sincerità, al grande coraggio e alla forza d’animo che li ha sempre sostenuti. “Ciò non significa che dobbiamo combattere i cinesi” – ha proseguito il leader tibetano – “dobbiamo invece nutrire sentimenti di amicizia verso il popolo cinese, soprattutto nei confronti dei 400 milioni di persone che praticano il Buddhismo”.

“Non sono un separatista o un demonio, come dicono di me gli oltranzisti di Pechino, non ho mai chiesto la separazione dalla Cina ma mi sono invece sempre battuto perché al Tibet sia riconosciuta una genuina autonomia all’interno della costituzione cinese, un’autonomia in grado di assicurare al paese il diritto alla protezione della sua cultura, religione, lingua e ambiente”. Read the rest of this entry »