By Tendar Tsering
DHARAMSHALA, December 19: Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama began his three-day teaching at the request of Russian devotees earlier today in his exile residence of Dharamshala, north India.
Thousands of devotees, including 1300 Russians, around one thousand Tibetans from Tibet, and hundreds of devotees from across the world and India attended the Dalai Lama’s teachings on Tsongkhapa’s Destiny Fulfilled (Tokjo Dunlekma) and Geshe Langri Thangpa’s Eight Verses of Training the Mind (Lojong Tsik Gyema).
“China considers anyone practising Tibet Buddhism some sort of ‘anti-China’,” said the Tibetan spiritual leader before beginning his teachings to an audience largely from regions neighbouring Tibet.
“Many Russians do practice Tibetan Buddhism and lots of devotees from Russia have travelled to Tibet (when Tibet was independent) to study and few of them became highly educated and respected,” said the Dalai Lama.
His Holiness made clear to his audience that listening to his teaching “is not like listening to a history lecture.”
“Just listening and having faith in religion is not enough. One has to practice it,” the 76-year old Tibetan leader added.
“Religion should make you think and change for the betterment of oneself and for happiness in the community”.
Kelsang, a newly arrived Tibetan from Tibet, told this reporter that he felt “blessed and overjoyed” to be able see the Dalai Lama and listen to his teachings in person.
“It is like a dream – a dream that I will cherish for the rest of my life,” Kelsang told Phayul.
“Now, I will not regret even if Chinese police arrests me when I return back to Tibet after the teachings”.
Live webcast of the teachings in Tibetan, English and Russian is available on dalailama.com.
Thousands of Tibetans from Tibet have arrived in India to see their leader the Dalai Lama and attend the upcoming Kalachakra teachings in Bodh Gaya from January 1-10, 2012.
