Photo: OHHDL
His Holiness arrived in Bodh Gaya on the night of December 24 for his annual fortnightly visit to the city. Several thousand Tibetans, foreigners, and Indians gathered to catch a glimpse and receive blessings from His Holiness.
En route to the Mahabodhi temple, His Holiness gave a small press conference. He quoted facts stating that over the last few years China has been seeing an increase in the number of Tibetan Buddhists, especially of the Nalanda tradition. He further stated that China has traditionally been a Buddhist country. Among the adherents of various religions, Buddhists are the largest in number.
The Dalai Lama declared that Tibetan Buddhists will continue to fight with “the power of truth” the communist regime in China which, according to him, thrived on the “power of the gun”. He also brought attention to the ancient Indian education system and its emphasis on non-violence, compassion and democracy. Amidst the violence rocking the Earth, he said it is essential to practice compassion to achieve mental peace and promote humanistic values.
During his visit, His Holiness is giving teachings on Gyalsey Thokme Sangpo’s Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva (Laklen Sodunma) on January 2, and on January 3, he will confer the Avalokiteshvara Initiation (Chenresig Wang). From January 4 – 6, His Holiness will complete The Wheel of Teachings on Manjushri Empowerments (Jamyang Choekhor) based on its proximal lineage; this will continue the teaching he started in Bodhhaya in December 2018. The teachings will be held at the Kalachakra Teaching Ground in Bodh Gaya.
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