Tibet Information Office Australia

BODH GAYA, January 11: “Take my teachings as a ‘root’- go ahead and read books, analyze and practice the Buddha Dharma,” were the parting words as the Dalai Lama

His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaks at a public felicitation ceremony attended by Chief Ministers of Bihar and Arunachal Pradesh in Bodh Gaya in the afternoon of January 10, 2012 after concluding the Kalachakra teachings. The Dalai Lama was bestowed the honorary title of “the Supreme Master of Complete Teachings of Lord Buddha". (Phayul Photo/Norbu Wangyal)

“I am telling you to practice not for me but out of my experience, I know that it is helpful to you, especially, when you are down,” said the 76-year old Tibetan spiritual leader.

“If you don’t practice, then it’s waste of money and energy to have come here”.

The Dalai Lama who has been teaching and giving initiations for the past ten days urged the concerned organisers and committees to make the final financial statement transparent and to use the funds and donations for the benefit of the poor and needy.

“Some Buddhist institutions in the west invite me for teachings and later I heard that some of them have become rich by selling tickets and collecting donations from the teachings,” the Dalai Lama said. “So, for the last 20 years, I have been urging the concerned organisers to make the final financial statement transparent and use the money for the poor and the needy people.”

Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar acknowledged the Tibetan spiritual leader for giving the teachings in Bodh Gaya and said that the Dalai Lama’s presence and teachings have “greatly benefited” the local people in many ways.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama gestures to the crowd as he wrapped up his ten-day Kalachakra teachings on January 10, 2012. Over 200,000 devotees attended the 32nd Kalachakra teachings in Bodh Gaya, India. (Phayul photo/Norbu Wangyal)

“Bodh Gaya is the holiest place for the Buddhist people and we have many Buddhists in our state who will be visiting this holy place constantly. It would be great if we can build hotels for the Buddhists here in this holy place,” said the Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister.

The Chief Patron of the 32nd Kalachakra and Arunachal Pradesh Minister for WRD and Tourism, Pema Khandu thanked the Tibetan spiritual leader for fulfilling his late father Dorje Khandu’s wish to organise the teachings.

In appreciation for the conducting the Kalachakra teachings for a record 32 times and being the “messenger of Lord Buddha”, the 32nd Kalachakra organising committee bestowed the honorary title of “the Supreme Master of Complete Teachings of Lord Buddha,” on the XIVth Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso of Tibet.

Apart from a battery of chief ministers and ministers, Hollywood actor Richard Gere was also amongst the tens of thousands who attended the teachings.

Gere, who is a close friend of the Tibetan leader, offered of a copy of the Dalai Lama’s latest book ‘Beyond Religion’ for its release.

Giving a brief account of the book, His Holiness said that the book is for everyone, irrespective of religion, age and sex.

Stating that the ultimate source of happiness lies within each one of us, the Tibetan spiritual leader said that mother’s care is the “root source of warm heartedness and happiness”.

“If we study the trouble makers in this world, almost all of them, when they were young didn’t get their mother’s care and love properly,” the Dalai Lama said. “So mother’s care is very important. For instance, my mother was an uneducated farmer but she was very warm hearted and loving.”

Keeping in mind the large number of devotees, the Mandela blessings will go on till January 13. But hundreds of pilgrims, who have come here from 63 countries, have already started to leave Bodh Gaya.

“By tonight, almost all the hotels’ fare will come down to Rs 600 if it was Rs 6,000 per night during the Kalachakra teachings,” said a local hotel owner.

According to sources, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will leave Bodh Gaya on January 11 after making a visit to the Bodh Gaya temple and the Peepal tree under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment.

DHARAMSHALA: In a press release issued today, the Tibetan Pariliament-in-Exile called for more international pressure on China after three more instances of self-immolation in Tibet this new year.

‘The drastic actions taken by the protesters reflect the failed policies of the Chinese government in Tibet. We urge the United Nations and the world community to exert more pressure on China to reform its failed policies especially with regard to human rights in Tibet’, the press release said.

‘Tsultrim and Tennyi, both in their early 20s, self-immolated on 6 January in Ngaba, eastern Tibet calling for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet’.

Tsultrim died on the spot while Tennyi died the following morning from injuries sustained from the self-immolation.

‘Another Tibetan, Sonam Wangyal/Sopa Rinpoche,(42), a venerated spiritual figure from Golok Darlag county in eastern Tibet, died after he set himself on fire on 8 January. He was also calling for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the restoration of freedom for Tibet’, the press release noted.

Norbu Damdul, who set himself on fire in Ngaba on 15 October 2011 also passed away on 5 January. His last remains,after being cremated had been handed over to his family by the Chinese police, the press statement further said.

A total of 15 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in protest against the Chinese government in Tibet since March 2011. Out of which 11 have died and the rest were severely injured or their whereabouts are yet to be ascertained.

Bodh Gaya, His Holiness the Dalai Lama initiated the Kalachakra Teaching today at Kalachakra Ground at around 01.00 in the afternoon.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the first day of the Kalachakra Teaching at Bodh Gaya (Photo: Sangay Kyap

 During the teaching, His Holiness the Dalai Lama greeted New Year 2012.

 His Holiness will give Kalachakra Initiation from January 01-09, 2012, which will be concluded with a Long Life Empowerment for public and a Long Life Ceremony for His Holiness the Dalai Lama the following day.

 Kalachakra Organizing Committee arranged simultaneous translation of 16 different languages. Tibetonline.tv and www.dalailama.com shows live telecast of whole teaching at its scheduled time.

 This is the 32nd Kalachakra Initiation conducted by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. For schedules and informations on the current Kalachakra Initiation, visit www.kalachakra2012.org.

DHARAMSHALA, December 28: In a slight change of schedule, the upcoming Kalachakra initiations in Bodh Gaya will now begin from January 1, 2012 – a day later than the earlier schedule.

According to the official website of the private office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Kalachakra initiations will be held from January 1 – 10, 2012, with minute changes

Young monks cleaning the windows of Kalachakra temple in Bodh Gaya in preparation for the upcoming Kalachakra initiation by His Holiness the Dalai Lama from January 1 to 10, 2012.(Photo/exilelens.com)

During the first three days of the teachings, from January 1 to 3, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, along with the monks of Namgyal Monastery and senior lamas, will be conducting rituals to prepare and consecrate the venue. These Kalachakra ritual preparations include chanting of prayers, creation of the sand mandala and other rituals.

In a notable change from the earlier schedule, the Dalai Lama, according to the website, will give a teaching (unspecified) to the public in the afternoon of January 1.

From January 4 to 6, spanned out for three days, the Dalai Lama will be giving preliminary teachings on Nagarjuna’s ‘Hymn to the World Transcendent’ (Jiigten Ley Deypar Toepa), Kamalashila’s ‘The Second Volume of the Stages of Meditation’ (Gomrim Barpa), Geshe Langri Thangpa’s ‘Eight Verses on Mind Training’ (Lojong Tsik Gyema), Gyalsey Thokme Sangpo’s ‘Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas’ (Laklen Sodunma) and Khunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen’s ‘Jewel Lamp: A Praise of Bodhicitta’ (Jangchup Sem Kyi Toepa Rinchen Drolma).

The timing for the teachings is from 13.00 hrs to 15.30 hrs (IST) each day with scheduled prayers in the morning.

On January 7, the Kalachakra Ritual Dance will be performed by the monks of Namgyal Monastery, effecting a change from the earlier schedule of January 6.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be conferring the Kalachakra initiation from January 8 -10 with January 9 corresponding to the 15th day of the 11th month in the Tibetan lunar calendar.

In the morning of January 10, after the conclusion of the Kalachakra initiation, a long-life empowerment for the public (Tsewang) and a ceremony offering prayers for the long-life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama (Tenshug) will be held.

In the afternoon, a public felicitation ceremony for the Dalai Lama has been scheduled.

Amongst various dignitaries attending the teachings, Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar is expected to arrive in Gaya a day before the public felicitation ceremony.

Live webcast of the Kalachakra initiations can be viewed in Tibetan, English, Russian and Chinese languages at dalailama.com. 



The upcoming Kalachakra initiation will be the 32nd occasion since His Holiness the Dalai Lama conferred the teachings for the first time in May 1954 at Norbulingka, Lhasa, Tibet. After a nine-year gap, the Kalachakra initiation in Bodh Gaya is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of devotees from all over the world including a large number of Tibetans from Tibet.

Dharamsala : A growing number of Chinese scholars from Taiwan, Tibet as well as mainland China are coming here to listen to discourses by the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama’s office says that of late, Chinese scholars from Taiwan and mainland China are regularly interacting with the Tibetan spiritual leader to understand his ‘middle-way’ policy for Tibet.

“If all Chinese citizens knew about it (middle-way approach), they would support it,” the 76-year-old Nobel laureate had remarked in Prague this month.

A group of 1,500 people from Tibet arrived here to attend a three-day teaching session from Dec 19.

Octogenarian Padma Dolma, who was part of the group, told IANS, “I am really blessed to have an audience with His Holiness. It reminds me of his early days in the Potala Palace.”

Dolma, along with the other Tibetans, is now heading to Bodh Gaya to attend the upcoming Kalachakra teaching session from Jan 1 to 10.

Hundreds of thousands of people, mainly Westerners and Asians, have been arriving in this Himalayan hill town to listen to the discourses of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, who has been residing here since he fled Chinese repression in Tibet in 1959. His teachings on ethics, non-violence, peace and religious harmony have made him one of twentieth century’s most popular and revered figures.

Some people come here in search of Tibetan culture and spiritual sustenance.

The three-day teaching session from Dec 19 was organised specially for Russian devotees. “More than 1,300 Russians attended the three-day teachings,” said the Dalai Lama’s private secretary Chimme Choekyappa. Svetlana, a devout from Moscow, said she is a great admirer of his teachings on world peace, love, compassion and forgiveness.

Choekyappa said that the Dalai Lama would hold teaching sessions for Indian Buddhists for the first time. “The venue is either Dharamsala or Delhi,” he added.

The spiritual guru’s teachings are free and open to the public.

“When at home in Dharamsala, His Holiness’ teachings are held in the Tsuglagkhang temple (close to his official palace at McLeodganj). Outside India, the teachings are held at the venue of the event organiser,” Choekyappa told IANS.

He also added that the Dalai Lama’s office holds teaching sessions only at the request of followers and devotees. “Most of the requests come from Asian Buddhist countries and the West. We try to accommodate as many requests as possible. The requests include invitations for religious, social and cultural events,” said Choekyappa.

The Dalai Lama teaches in Tibetan only. On many occasions, his teachings in India are simultaneously translated into English. For people requiring translation services, there is a designated area at the teaching venue.

His Holiness’ office advises the followers to bring a FM radio, a cup and a sunhat at the teaching venue. Seating is usually reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. In the West, seating for public events is in most cases designated by ticket and seat number. In India, seating for teachings is usually on the ground.

The Dalai Lama fled Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese Communist rule in 1959.

On reaching India, he first took up residence for about a year in Mussoorie in Uttarakhand, after which he moved to this Himachal Pradesh town where he continues to live.