On April 25 the 18th Birthday of Panchen Rinpoche, Tibetans in Calgary Canada commemorated His 18th birthday with prayer organized by the Tibetan community of Alberta at the Calgary Buddhist Temple. It was started with offerings made to the portrait of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and 11th Pachen Rinpoche and the prayer lasted for two hours. After the prayer, President of the Tibetan Community of Alberta Mr. Tashi Phuntsok outlined the importance of remembering the 11th Pachen Lama’s birthday not just merely praying for him on a routine basis every year on his birth anniversary but by continuously pursuing the Canadian governments through local Canadians to pressure on the Chinese government until He is released along with his parents, Jadrel Rinpoche (former abbot of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery) and Jampa Chugla.
On the occasion Mr. Tashi Phuntsok appealed to the Tibetans in Calgary that as the Tibetan Year of Fire Pig (2007) is the year of obstacles for His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama who is the soul and heart of all the Tibetans inside and outside of Tibet, the collective merit of good deeds have become ever more necessary for the Tibetans, he urged Tibetans in Calgary, if possible, to refrain from eating meat so that it would generate positive impact upon the longevity of His Holiness life.
