By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, March 5: The Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama was discharged yesterday after spending over a month at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for a prostrate treatment.
“It is this faith and bond that bind six million Tibetans together. It has been over 60 years since Tibet’s occupation. China may have occupied Tibet but they have not been able to digest it. I have been saying this and it still remains the same,” the 80-year old Tibetan leader told a small group of Tibetans who had come to see him off before he headed for Madison.
In a cheerful mood, he greeted the Tibetans and asked them not to worry and that he is well. He said that this past month has been a good rest and he had a pleasant time.
He also spoke of the responsibility of the Tibetan youth to carry forward the pride and identity of the Tibetan nationality from the older generation.
“The Tibetan cause will grow stronger in future because of the increasing numbers of people in the world taking more interest in Tibetan religion and culture. Tibetan language can most aptly explain the teachings of Buddha and that truly reflects the courage and the sharpness of mind of Tibetans,” His Holiness said.
He said despite the strict clampdown by the Chinese authorities, over 400 million Chinese people follow Buddhism and majority of the Buddhists take interest in Tibetan Buddhism.
The Dalai Lama who is known for his sense of humor said that if the Tibetans living in Minnesota wish to see him more often they should pray for his ill health so that he can come back to the Mayo Clinic often.
His Holiness will give a short Geshe Langri Thangpa’s Eight Verses of Mind Training (Lojong Tsik Gyema) teaching on March 8 at the Madison Masonic Center in Wisconsin, which is organized by the Wisconsin Tibetan Association.
The following day, the Dalai Lama will participate in a panel discussion on cultivating well-being in ourselves, our communities and the world organized by the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
