Latest news with #SikyongPenpaTsering
Hindustan Times
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Tibetan political leader slams Chinese ambassador's remarks on Dalai Lama's reincarnation
The political leader of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Sikyong Penpa Tsering, has dismissed the recent remarks made by Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, on the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama, saying they reflect a complete ignorance of the concept of reincarnation. Sikyong Penpa Tsering (AFP) Taking to social media recently, the Chinese diplomat shared that the Dalai Lama has no authority to decide whether the reincarnation system will continue or not. This comes after the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader announced on July 2 that the 600-year-old institution of the Dalai Lama will continue and that Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognise the future reincarnation. Sikyong Penpa Tsering said, 'The social media post by the ambassador is ignorant of the very concept of reincarnation, because the whole purpose of reincarnation is for a spiritually realised person to decide where he or she should be reborn to carry on the responsibilities or activities of the previous life or lives.' Sikyong said that the post, in fact, reflects complete ignorance of the very notion of reincarnation and the reason and objective behind it. 'For a government that does not believe in any religion, being responsible for recognition and forcing Lamas inside to be part of that decision-making process is pitiful,' Tsering said. Taking to X, ambassador Xu Feihong shared that in fact, as a unique succession method of Tibetan Buddhism, the practice of Living Buddha reincarnation has continued over 700 years. 'Currently, there are over 1,000 reincarnation systems of Living Buddhas in Xizang and Tibetan-inhabited prefectures/counties of Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces. The 14th Dalai Lama is part of this long-standing historical tradition and religious succession, not otherwise. The reincarnation of Dalai Lamas neither began from him nor will end due to him. He has no authority to decide whether the reincarnation system shall continue or be abolished,' he added. In his July 2 statement, the Dalai Lama said his decision was influenced by numerous requests from Tibetan spiritual leaders, members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile, and the Buddhist diaspora in the Himalayas, Mongolia, the Russian Federation and Asia, including mainland China, that the institution should continue. The spiritual leader reiterated that the Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognise the future reincarnation and no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter. After this announcement, an irate Beijing, which describes the Dalai Lama as a 'separatist', countered that the spiritual leader's reincarnation 'must be approved by the central (Chinese) government'. The process of recognising the reincarnations of lamas in Tibetan Buddhism is solely and uniquely a Tibetan religious tradition. In contrast, China maintains that the process of selecting his successor must adhere to Chinese law, asserting its control over Tibetan Buddhism and rejecting any succession beyond its authority.
India Today
05-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
‘Panchen Lama has no influence in Tibet' says Tibet government-in-exile head
In an exclusive interview with India Today Global, Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President of the Central Tibetan Administration, addresses critical questions surrounding the succession of the Dalai Lama as His Holiness approaches his 90th birthday. Speaking from Dharamshala, Tsering discusses the fundamental differences between reincarnation and succession, China's attempts to control the selection process through legal frameworks, and the assurance that any future Dalai Lama will be born in the free world rather than Chinese-controlled territories. The conversation explores India's delicate position in recognising a future successor, the historical India-Tibet relationship, and preparations for the milestone birthday Question:there was a lot of speculation over whether if there is going to be a successor to the Dalai Lama or not. Now, that speculation has been put to rest. But in terms of the details, is it only about the trust, His Holiness's office, that is going to select the next successor? Or is it also about the area that he will indeed, be born outside of China or Chinese-controlled territories? Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President, Central Tibetan Administration:I think this word succession and reincarnation is being used alternatively or by choice by media around the world. I would say in the case of His Holiness, there have been, of course, as we said, a lot of speculations. His Holiness has even said that this could be the last Dalai Lama. When he's asked whether the next Dalai Lama could be a woman, His Holiness says, why not? Because mothers are naturally compassionate. And then people also ask about emanation, which is appointing somebody before your demise. So emanation is more akin to succession. And reincarnation is looking more for a new soul boy or girl after the demise of the Lama. So I think this basic difference, it's important to know. And the Chinese government, of course, they have been working on this for the last more than two decades. And they have even passed a law called Order No. 5 way back in 2007, which talks about the Chinese government, the power to recognize the reincarnated Lamas or what they call as living Buddhas. And I think they have made their own plans and they keep saying that, one, they will look for His Holiness, reincarnation within Tibet or within China, not outside. So that is why this is one reason. And another reason is whenever there are talks about His Holiness wishing to visit China or Tibet or China inviting His Holiness to come to Tibet or China, they always put this precondition that His Holiness should stay back for good, for which His Holiness has always said that if I get the opportunity to visit, I will visit, but I'll not live there because there's no freedom there. And... When Chinese government says that, then His Holiness' response is that I will be born in a free world if Tibet is not free by that time. And the second thing the Chinese government talks about is using the golden urn, which was introduced in 1793 by the Qing dynasty, when they had little influence over Tibet and following that, they had their own hundred years of humiliation, as they say. So when they cannot look after Tibet themselves, then there's no question about ruling Tibet. So even then, the Qing's were Buddhists in a way because the Tibetan masters were Buddhist preceptors to the Chinese. Right now, the Chinese government is a communist government that does not believe in any religion. And there have been eight Dalai Lamas. When Chinese government says that, oh, His Holiness Dalai Lama is breaking traditions, they mean to say that we are not planning to use the golden urn. The golden urn was introduced, mainly to use it as a political tool over the Tibetans and the communist government wants to do the same thing. So there have been eight Dalai Lamas before the golden urn. So what about those Dalai Lamas? Are they not Dalai Lamas just because the golden urn was not used? Even after the golden urn was introduced, it was rarely used, only on those occasions where the Lamas have already been selected through traditional means. So that was you. And the third, the third thing the Chinese government says is that has to be recognized by the Chinese government. So a government that does not believe in any religion, forget about Buddhism, which talks about, you know, believing in the concept of life after death. That is why His Holiness always has a very humorous way of responding to this by saying if the Chinese government is really serious, they should study Buddhism and understand the concept of life after death. And if they're still very serious, they should look for communist leaders who have died, like Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Zhang Zemin, look for their reincarnation. Then maybe that's in a very quizzical way. Question:But Sikyong Tsering, there is a problem here. We wish a very long life to the Dalai Lama, but there will be a moment in time when you will have to then look for a reincarnate. And China is going to place one of its own, is that going to create a massive problem in how the Dalai Lama's, this institution is revered? And we've seen that in the past, dilution of other spiritual heads and languages like the Panchen Lama. Do you see the Dalai Lama also going to the same trajectory and fall in the same track? Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President, Central Tibetan Administration:In the case of the Panchen Lama, both the boys were from inside Tibet. Both the candidates, there were three candidates and two of them, one was selected by the Chinese government and one selected by His Holiness through traditional means. Yes, I keep telling the Chinese as to have not learned enough lesson from the Panchen Lama saga. As we mentioned, there was one recognized by His Holiness and Chinese became angry because His Holiness announced this first. So they just selected their own Panchen Lama. And I said in one of the conference earlier that I think Chinese government made a strategic mistake by not recognizing the same boy that His Holiness recognized. Now, in the case of future Dalai Lama, whenever the eventuality happens, then we are talking about the Tibetans selecting their Dalai Lama through traditional means in a free world. So I keep telling the Chinese, do you want a lifelong headache or not, even if it happens during Xi Jinping's time, Xi Jinping won't be there to resolve these problems. This will be a lifelong problem. But then the question is, how much freedom will the Chinese Dalai Lama have? If you look at Panchen Lama, Chinese Panchen Lama now, he has not traveled beyond Thailand and Hong Kong. Where is the influence we are talking about? Even Panchen Lama's influence in Tibet is very minimal. In traditional Tibet, just like in India, when you seek a guru, when you go to your teacher, you make offerings. But in this case, right now in Tibet, whenever Panchen Lama, right now he's in Lhasa, whenever he comes to Lhasa, they pay money to the Tibetans to go and receive him, pay money to the Tibetans to go and listen to his teaching, make it mandatory for all beneficiaries of government subsidies to attend this program, which is being forced. So forceful supplication to, Panchen Lama will not work. It will have the, you know, other effects on people. So this thing will happen. It looks more like it's given. So we are preparing ourselves in the free world, working with the Tibetans, who are the first group of community that will be directly impacted. And then looking at the larger Tibetan Buddhist world, then looking at the larger Buddhist world, and then... Internationally, in the free world, where they practice democracy, just like we have this Resolve Tibet Act in the U.S. Congress, we will be working with like-minded countries in the free world to see decisions on religious freedom and reincarnation. advertisementQuestion:What is interesting is that the fact that it's going to, the reincarnate is going to be outside of China and Chinese-controlled territories could very well mean anywhere, and the free world might not be in India. Are we looking at a situation where the Lai Lama's office could shift from Dharamshala? advertisementSikyong Penpa Tsering, President, Central Tibetan Administration:That, as of now, all our, we built all these institutions in Dharamshala from scratch. So to move this to another place would be huge. Instead, we won't move this task because it will need a lot of resources as well. So we don't know. It's up to His Holiness to decide where He will move it. It's up to His Holiness to decide where He will move it. He will be born in the free world, but as His Holiness said yesterday also, just before reading the statement, it is ultimately the wish of people, and the reincarnation will also have to do with the relations between His Holiness the Lai Lama and the family and the community where His Holiness will be born. So there has to be a connection of faith and supplication and all those. So that is why, professor along with me at the meet the press yesterday also said that it's premature question because his holiness keeps reassuring us that he will live for another two decades and more so these signs and you know symbols and divinations are done just before the departing from this life it does not happen 10 years 20 years before that but i think his holiness did mention about formalizing this into a structure into an institution so right now when his holiness says that there will be a continuation of the dalai lama institution also indicates that his holiness will reincarnate and that from the tibetan perspective is still a long way off of course when i when i'm asked by the media some media asks as if his holiness is going to get younger yes his holiness has no miracle you know to perform his holiness his holiness always says i'm a simple buddhist monk and his holiness ages and then of course you know affects all his activities also including international travels which has been reduced teachings which have been reduced and you know media interviews that have been reduced and long conversations so even now his holiness keeps himself very busy by meeting with more than 1000 tibetans in one week 1 000 visitors in one week about 4000, 5000 people in one week so yes we believe that is still far away off into the future and when it's the right time then his holiness will come out with whatever statement that needs to come out at that zooming out a little and talking about how the foreign policy aspect of it india has never been in a position where it had to either accept or reject the idea of who is going to be the dalai lama because we invited the sitting head spiritual head to india and hosted him for these many years this is a very unique situation india will have to prepare herself with why i say the second uh sharing is because when uh a a reincarnate is chosen in India or wherever by the trust, and when China also chooses a reincarnate, then the problem will be, can India then recognize the one who has been chosen by the trust? Or will it be neutral? How do you read the situation that India would be in? advertisementSikyong Penpa Tsering, President, Central Tibetan Administration:I like to believe that India will always be on the right side of history. Considering the very old historical, cultural, linguistic, and religious ties between India and Tibet, India is the only country that has been most generous with their humanitarian support for the Tibetans. And I've always said that if it is not for the government of India, we don't exist. And also on the border issues, I keep saying, India has not changed. India has not changed the name from Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Indo-Tibetan Border Force to Indo-China. That also underlies Indian government's position on Tibet. I know there are so many things on the table between India and China right now. So maybe, because we have always been realistic. We have always said that until there is a resolution with the Chinese, we'll have to reach out to the international community. But when we do reach out, then we can't expect that country, whether it's India or U.S. or any other country, to leave aside their national interests for the interests of Tibet. So we'll have to align our interests with that nation's interests so that we get more support. And we all know we have a very transparent relationship with the government of India. I'm in no position to advise the government of India, because you have a lot of smart people at the helm of affairs. And we work closely, and I'm always of the belief that India will never be on the wrong side of history. Question:We were looking through the entire support to Tibet or the cause for Tibet or the Dalai Lama from Nehru to Modi. Do you think India could have been a little more firm with China over the years? We've seen whether if celebrations India should be participating in or not. The Thank You India celebration that India decided not to participate but ended up participating. Do you think these decisions that are dependent on India's ties with China should not be the case when it comes to the Dalai Lama and that there should be a firm position on the Dalai Lama, irrespective of whether ties with China are good or bad? Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President, Central Tibetan Administration:I think it depends on the nature of celebrations that we organize, whether it's sensitive to the government of India or not. So there have been one incident which you are mentioning. But right now we have... and most probably two union ministers coming. And the Chief Minister of Anunna Sharma Pradesh, Home Minister of Karnataka, Ladakh Hill Council will have the Himachal Chief Ministers as Chief Guests for 10th December. So all these are indications of you know how it works in India without government's approval. It's very difficult for union ministers to represent. So that shows India's intention on the celebration of this Holiness the Dalai Lama. The Indian government has always said that they have treated His Holiness as a revered guest here in India. No Speech Found ! His Holiness also says, I am like a son of India. Whatever message that His Holiness is spreading to the world is based on the wisdom of ancient India. So I think considering all these close relationships, India will be very cautious. We all know that when Prime Minister Modi Ji came into office, he tried his best to build relations with China, even visiting China two times, inviting President Xi to India. To Gujarat and Mahamalapuram and all that. But despite all those efforts, then Galwan happened, Ladakh happened, all the boundary issues are still being, still unresolved. You have this dam building on Brahmaputra. So, so many incidents which drags down, you know, sometimes it looks like India-China relations are taking one step forward and two steps backward. So I want to believe that India will, will be very, very cautious in its approach to China, even now, you know, once bitten, twice shy. So I like to believe that India will be very strategic in its approach. Question:Finally, I just wanted to, again, a historical perspective. There is so much between India and Tibet in terms of cultural ties. In fact, India never had a border with China, if not for Tibet. It was always India-Tibet border. Do you think, that India could have avoided recognizing Tibet as an autonomous region, an integral part of China, that India lost that leverage so many years ago during the Vajpayee administration? Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President, Central Tibetan Administration:I think the global situation is moving very fast. It's very dynamic, very fluid. There is now less respect to international law, rewriting of global order, so many things happening. We have to keep watch over all the developments and then see how the global developments impact Tibet and also developments of relations between China and India on economic, political, security, many, many fields. So we are watching and we are studying the situation and see what are the challenges and opportunities for us, including what could be scenarios, scenarios for China in future and look into all those. So those would be things that we need to study and we have always considered India as our ally, whether they want to be more forceful, more vocal, more visible or not. It's something for the Indian leadership to decide. And we are working with the Western world in the free world. I think we have been able to move a little ahead in our agenda. And when the right time comes, I think India will also be a part of that decision. Question:July 6th is an important day since the Dalai Lama is turning 90. What are the plans for celebrations? Are there foreign dignitaries, diplomats who are also going to attend the celebrations? Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President, Central Tibetan Administration:This time, I apologize to all our friends around the world, followers of His Holiness, friends of His Holiness, that we could not send invitation for everybody because we have a very small place in front of His Holiness residence and this is monsoon season. So we cannot organize in a more open space which can accommodate more people. So based on that size, we have union ministers and chief ministers, as I mentioned, from Ladakh and others coming. We have other chief ministers coming in the days since we are celebrating this through the year. We have more programs. They also have some ten members of parliament who decided to come on their own to wish His Holiness. We have representatives from some governments, including the United States State Department, attending this program. So it's not just this occasion, but we will have many more occasions through the year. And since we are celebrating the whole year's Year of Compassion globally, His Holiness has been honored and, you know, invited by more. than there are some 1 500 awards that his holiness received and many organizations have you know he's honored his holiness so if every organization organized one one event based on the four principles of his holiness i think the message should be rather more on his holiness messages uh to the world as a human being as a religious person as a tibetan and you know looking for the preservation of the ancient indian wisdom which still has relevance in today's world when there's so much conflict going on and i think it's the time to focus on non-violence and ahimsa that are rooted in indian ancient wisdom to seek solution for all the conflicts around the world which are now unfortunately turning very violent these days and humans are causing so much distress to other humans we have to learn to live in peace with each other. Question:you're right in saying he's received many awards this but he's yet to receive the bharat ratna is that something that uh that's the tibetan community over here expects uh from the administration your predecessor certainly uh mentioned it when i spoke to him that there should be bharat ratna for the dalai lama as well Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President, Central Tibetan Administration:i have also worked in delhi for many years for seven and a half years director of tibetan parliamentarian policies since that time over the last 20-25 years this effort has been going on from prominent indians now it's for the indian government to decide from the central tibetan administration side we have not not made any effort or representation to the government of india or from the private office of his holiness because uh one award is not going to increase his holiness respectability or decrease his honest respectability but then bharat is a huge uh honor for anybody who receives it um it's for the indian government of the people of india to decide whether they should honor his holiness or not uh of course there are political considerations also so it's entirely up to the government of the people of india but we remain despite with or without bharat ratna we remain forever grateful for to the government of india and people of india.- Ends
Hindustan Times
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
15th Tibetan religious conference concludes in Dharamshala
The 15th Tibetan Religious Conference concluded on Friday at McLeodganj in Dharamshala. Sikyong Penpa Tsering announced that the Central Tibetan Administration plans to compile these into a single publicatio. (File) The conference was attended by the religious leaders and representatives of all major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Besides participants, the closing ceremony was attended by chief guest speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel and Sikyong Penpa Tsering. At the beginning of the conference on July 2, the 14th Dalai Lama's video message was delivered in which the Tibetan spiritual leader affirmed the continuation of the institution of the Dalai Lama. During the closing ceremony, Sikyong Penpa Tsering, as the incumbent Kalon of the department of religion and culture — the organising department — addressed the gathering. Given the extensive number of formal documents—such as legislations, resolutions, statements, and declarations—issued by various groups from diverse communities, including the 15th Tibetan Religious Conference, Sikyong Penpa Tsering announced that the Central Tibetan Administration plans to compile these into a single publication. This compilation will serve as a testament to the widespread support for His Holiness the Dalai Lama's reincarnation process and the preservation of religious freedom for Tibetan Buddhism inside Tibet. According to Sikyong, the book will include formal declarations from followers of Tibetan Buddhism and supporters worldwide, across all levels of society. Sikyong also expressed optimism about the prospect of several governments issuing declarations in the coming days, reaffirming their support for non-interference in the reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. 'As we celebrate this year as the Year of Compassion in honour of His Holiness' 90th birthday, we will exert our fullest efforts in advocating among pro-democracy and freedom-loving communities around the world. The goal is to compile all of these initiatives by the end of the Year of Compassion for future generations,' he said. In a departure from usual protocol, Sikyong noted that a resolution was adopted at the very beginning of the conference, inspired by His Holiness' affirmation of the continuation of the institution of the Dalai Lama—marking a historic moment. He emphasised that beyond merely adopting resolutions, it is imperative to implement and actualise them.
Hindustan Times
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Will Dalai Lama name successor? All eyes on his 90th b'day event
The scenic hill-town of Himachal Pradesh, Dharamshala, is abuzz with anticipation as it prepares to celebrate the 90th birthday of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the 14th Dalai Lama. The event, considered to be a milestone, is drawing attention from all over the world because it is being expected that the Dalai Lama will speak regarding his reincarnation. Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. (AP) He is expected to issue a statement at the upcoming 15th Tibetan Religious Conference, scheduled to be held from July 2 to 4, ahead of his birthday. The spiritual leader, who was recognised as the reincarnation of his predecessor at the age of two and has been living in exile in Dharamshala for 66 years, had in 2011 said that he would speak on the matter (reincarnation) when he reached the age of 90. The Dalai Lama will turn 90 on July 6. The statement is likely to address the crucial issue of his reincarnation. More than 100 Tibetan Buddhist leaders and representatives (from all major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism) are set to attend the conference. Political leader of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) Sikyong Penpa Tsering said that at the beginning of the conference on July 2, his holiness the Dalai Lama will send his message. 'The only official document regarding the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is the one dated September, 2011, which states that His Holiness will make a statement on the matter upon reaching the age of 90. I am sure that his upcoming statement will reflect the matters on reincarnation,' he added. The Dalai Lama's succession plan comes with significant complexities, particularly in addressing China's ongoing efforts to interfere in the reincarnation process. Tibetans say that the process of recognising the reincarnations of lamas in Tibetan Buddhism is solely and uniquely a Tibetan religious tradition. In contrast, Beijing maintains that the process of selecting his successor must adhere to Chinese law, asserting its control over Tibetan Buddhism and rejecting any succession beyond its authority. In 1959, at 23 years old, the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, fled to Dharamshala with thousands of Tibetans following a failed uprising against Mao Zedong's Communist rule, which gained control of Tibet in 1950. Successor will be born in free world In his recent book, 'Voice for the Voiceless', the Dalai Lama said that his successor as the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism will be born in the 'free world', in an apparent reference to areas outside China, and urged his followers to reject any successor chosen by Beijing. Notably, The 14th Dalai Lama, who attended his 90th birthday celebration, on Monday said, 'As far as the institution of the Dalai Lama is concerned, there will be a framework for it to continue.' According to the Tibetan calendar, the Tibetan spiritual leader's birthday was on Monday, the fifth day of the fifth month. He also said that although he is now 90 years old, he is physically healthy and well. Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) spokesperson Tenzin Lekshay said, 'China should understand the nature of Tibetan Buddhist traditions of reincarnation and also should understand that there is no space for the Chinese communist regime to interfere in the process of the reincarnation of his holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.' The Dalai Lama, who has been a Tibetans' binding force, is seen (by China) as a significant challenge to China's control over Tibet. 'Even after 75 years of occupation in Tibet, China is seen as an enemy of the faith by the Tibetans. Chinese leaders in Tibet are deeply insecure about their control over Tibet. Any loss of control like the Tibetan uprising that spread across the Tibetan Plateau during Beijing 2008 Olympics could lead to a cascade of protest even in other occupied territories like East Turkestan and southern Mongolia. That's why Beijing is wracking its brains in scheming how to duplicate the Dalai Lama's power without having to be responsible for the people and land of Tibet. Xi Jinping's frustration is that the Dalai Lama is healthy at 90, still witty as hell,' says Dharamshala based Tibetan writer and activist Tenzin Tsundue. 'May live up to 110 year or more' Despite growing frail, the Dalai Lama has also revealed that his dreams have indicated he may live to be 110 years old or more. According to Tibetan tradition, the search for the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama—who will serve as his successor—begins only after the passing of the incumbent. Many believe that the Tibetan spiritual leader may even choose emanation, to outfox China's interference in the process of reincarnation. 'Ordinary sentient beings generally cannot manifest an emanation before death (ma-dhey tulku), but superior Bodhisattvas, who can manifest themselves in hundreds or thousands of bodies simultaneously, can manifest an emanation before death,' reads the 2011 statement of the 14th Dalai Lama. International community should stand against China's interference Dorjee Tseten, member of Tibetan Parliament in Exile, who is also the Asia Program Manager of Tibet Action Institute highlighted that now is the time for the international community to defend the Dalai Lama's succession from China's interference. 'Despite China's attempts to interfere, Tibetans remain confident in our strength to uphold Tibetan religious traditions. It is now time for governments and the international community to publicly and diplomatically defend the Tibetan people's right to determine the Dalai Lama's succession without China's interference and to stand in solidarity with our struggle for freedom and self-determination,' he said. Born as Tenzin Gyatso on July 6, 1935, in a humble farming family at Taktser village in the Amdo province of China-occupied Tibet, the 14th Dalai Lama's life has been one of extraordinary resilience. Following the unsuccessful uprising against the Chinese occupation in 1959, the Dalai Lama sought refuge in India, where he set up the government-in-exile in Dharamsala, and became the global face of the struggle. Though the Dalai Lama had anticipated a temporary exile, Beijing's control over Tibet has only strengthened, making his return to his homeland increasingly impossible.
India Gazette
12-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
LTWA marks 55 years of Tibetan heritage preservation amid continued threats from China
Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 12 (ANI): On the auspicious day of June 11, 2025, the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA) honoured the 55th anniversary of its establishment and the laying of its foundation stone, which was graciously blessed by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in 1970. According to a report by the Central Tibetan Administration, it is one of the most important libraries and institutions for Tibetan literature in exile. The 55th anniversary was attended by the Chief Guest, Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration, and Special Chief Guest Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel. The ceremony began with the Chief Guest and Special Guest lighting the traditional butter lamp, followed by Geshe Lhakdor, the LTWA Director, delivering a welcome address. In his speech, he provided a brief outline of the Library's 55-year history and founding mission, according to CTA. He stated that the key goals of LTWA are to serve as a vital source of Tibetan cultural knowledge while also fostering an academic environment that stimulates study and learning among researchers and students. He emphasised that such efforts are especially crucial in today's world, where political and spiritual uncertainty continue to challenge communities around the world, according to the CTA report. Former LTWA employees gave speeches, expressing their personal views, work experiences, and perspectives on the Library's critical role in conserving and promoting Tibetan history. Sikyong provided an account of the LTWA's history and accomplishments in the preservation of Tibetan writings, old manuscripts, artefacts, and other aspects of Tibetan cultural heritage, according to the CTA report. When Communist China annexed Tibet in 1959, it put Tibetan culture in grave peril. Many schools, historic manuscripts, artefacts, and other aspects of Tibetan history were taken or destroyed in the name of modernisation. Seeing this serious threat, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama established the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives to conserve, safeguard, and promote Tibetan culture, according to CTA. He further highlighted that when His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama first arrived in exile in India and outside of a foreign country, he did not speak of Tibet's struggle or exile, but rather of human values, empathy, and compassion, which sparked increased interest in Tibetan Buddhism and culture around the world. Foreigners and politicians gradually began to support the Tibetan cause and struggle, CTA reported. The event concluded with closing remarks and a vote of appreciation from Ngawang Yeshi, LTWA's General Secretary, who expressed deep gratitude to all of the Library's guests, former personnel, and supporters. He thanked them for their ongoing support and efforts to safeguard the institution's purpose of preserving Tibetan knowledge and tradition, CTA stated. (ANI)
