Tibetans Pray for World Peace, End to China's Oppression in Tibet
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Dharamshala: Thousands of people, consisting of Tibetans, supporters of Tibetan cause and peace-loving people gathered at the Tsuglagkhang, the main temple, on Saturday morning to join the worldwide non-violent action for world peace and to end oppression in the world in general and particularly in Tibet.
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The synchronised 12-hour prayer session and the symbolic fasting, which is held across the world, is one of the most important non-violent initiative of the Tibetan Solidarity Committee.
The Tibetan Solidarity Committee, constituted by the Kashag and Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, aims to bring an immediate end to the repressive measures undertaken by the Chinese government inside Tibet since March this year.
The chief justice commissioner, justice commissioners, speaker and deputy speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, Kalon Tripa Samdhong Rinpoche, members of the Kashag, members of Tibetan Parliament, heads of the three independent bodies, secretaries and other officials of the Central Tibetan Administration, participated in the non-violent action.
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The children from Tibetan schools in and around Dharamshala, and people from Himalayan region also joined the day-long prayer session and fasting.
While addressing the gathering, Kalon Tripa Samdhong Rinpoche said: "The universal prayer session and the symbolic fasting is aimed to achieve world peace and happiness for all sentient beings in the world in general, and particularly for people in China and Tibet."
Kalon Tripa said: "We are immensely fortunate and grateful that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has consented to take part in person here, but due to a slight indisposition this could not happen."
"However, His Holiness is observing the fasting and prayer from Mumbai today and we convey our immense gratitude and respect to him," he added.
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Underlining that the activity is not a hunger or protests borne out of hatred and anger, Kalon Tripa said: "It is an effort to strengthen our commitment to non-violence and to reduce our own defilements and to create compassion in the minds of the oppressor."
Kalon Tripa said: "We pay our condolence and homage to those who lost their lives and those who are imprisoned ,tortured and beaten in the recent uprisings in Tibet. We pray that the lives sacrificed by the Tibetans become worthwhile and end the torture to the innocent Tibetans."
In his address, Mr Karma Chophel, speaker of Tibetan Parliament and chairman of the Tibetan Solidarity Committee, said the non-violent action is to enhance collective merits of all those people in the world in general and Tibetans in particular, who have been victims of forced oppression and violence and deprived of fundamental human rights.
He said it also aims to pray for the long and healthy life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to relieve those Tibetan who are still enduring atrocities under the brutal Chinese oppression from their sufferings, and for the truth of Tibetan issue to prevail soon.
The full text of the Kashag's statement follows:
Today on 30 August 2008, the last day of the sixth month of Earth-Mouse Year in Tibetan Calender, Tibetan Solidarity Committee appealed the Tibetans, Tibet supporters and peace loving people all over the world to observe a symbolic fasting and prayer service for 12 hours. We are immensely fortunate and grateful that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has consented to take part in person here, but due to a slight indisposition this could not happen. However, His Holiness is observing the fasting and prayer from Mumbai today and we convey our immense gratitude and respect to him.
The Kashag of the central Tibetan Administration would like to heartily thank all the Tibetans, Tibet supporters and those believing in non-violence who are taking part to observe this symbolic fasting and prayer service.
This activity is not a protest led by hatred, rancour and anger but by the teachings of the Lord Buddha in all the vehicles to refrain from harming others and do everything to benefit others with love and compassion, which is the essence of spiritual practice. Mahatma Gandhi has shown us with his practical demonstration that this is only for spiritual practice but it can very well apply to the politics for the benefits of society and nations. Our effort of today symbolizes that this method is effectively relevant in the post-modern world also.
Due to the consistent effort and guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to pursue non-violent methods to resolve the Tibetan issue, it has been many years that most of the Tibetan movements remained free from gross physical violence. This garnered immense support from around the world for the just cause of Tibet. Our pursuit of non-violence has not only enabled us to keep alive the Tibetan issue but also compelled the People's Republic of China to respond to our policy of rapprochement irrespective of their sincerity. However, on account of some Tibetans being not able to completely give up violence in vocal expressions and thoughts, all our efforts till today instead of achieving a genuine result, is stuck in a vicious circle. If all the Tibetans have a genuine aspiration to resolve the just cause of the Tibetan issue, we have to strengthen our commitment and reinforce the power of non-violence. It is hard to achieve any results in resolving the Tibetan cause unless anger of the Tibetans subsides. Therefore, we take this opportunity to strongly appeal to all the Tibetans and particularly to the monks and nuns to get rid of any visible hatred and anger, and make every effort to develop undiluted thought leading to the cultivation of non-violence and thereby all our physical and vocal expressions become non-violent.
By observing this symbolic fasting and prayer service if we Tibetans are able to make way to advance a step further in pursuit of our non-violent movement, it is worth observing. Otherwise, if it turns into an opportunity that arouses feelings of hatred and anger, it is then, as the saying goes, "sending ransom to the west when the demon lies in the east".
On this special occasion, we hope that the observation of fasting and prayer by numerous people around the world will help the Tibetans to do away their bad karmic action and enhance meritorious virtues. This virtue may help Tibetans to get rid of their anger and hatred towards all sentient beings, especially the PRC authorities who oppress and torture the Tibetans and instead could help us to respond to them with love and compassion. Our sincere practice of non-violence will ultimately help change the mind of the PRC authorities to more compassionate. We hope and pray that all will firmly believe in non-violence. We strongly appeal to all the Tibetans to put concerted non-violent efforts to bring natural end to the torture and persecution in Tibet.
We pay our condolence and homage to those who lost their lives and those who are imprisoned ,tortured and beaten in the recent uprisings in Tibet. We pray that the lives sacrificed by the Tibetans become worthwhile and end the torture to the innocent Tibetans .We also pray and sympathise for the victims of the earthquakes in Sichuan and the one in South-western Tibet recently and the disaster caused by flood in some other part as well.
We end with the prayers for His Holiness the Dalai Lama's long life and may the just cause of Tibet prevail.
The Kashag
30 August 2008
--N.B Translated from the Tibetan original
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