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Tibetans urge China to free world's youngest political prisoner, 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet, May 17, 2023. Photo: file
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"Jigme Guri, also known as Jigme Gyatso, passed away at the age of 56 on Saturday afternoon, July 2, 2022", a source told TPI.
"From May onwards, his health had been deteriorating for a long period before he was taken to a medical facility in Siling, a town in the Tso-ngon region of Tibet, but without success.' it added.
In a five-year period, between 2006 and 2011, the Tibetan monk was arbitrarily arrested four times, with the most recent arrest which led to five-year imprisonment. Each time he was ill-treated and systematically tortured, and his physical condition was severely damaged by the Chinese brutal, inhumane and degrading actions.
In 2009, after a videotape of his brutal treatment and torture in a Chinese prison went viral on the internet, the Tibetan scholar became a national hero to the Tibetan people, not only in his homeland but also around the world.
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Dharamshala — His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaks out on the need to tackle climate change at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), as the future of our planet is in our hands.
"We human beings are the only creatures with the power to destroy the earth, but we are also the species with the greatest capacity to protect it. We must confront issues of climate change on a cooperative global level for everyone’s benefit. But we must also do what we can on a personal level," said His Holiness the Dalai Lama, sending his message to COP26.
"Even small daily actions, such as how we use water and how we dispose of what we don’t need, have consequences. We must make taking care of our natural environment a part of our daily life, and learn what science has to teach us," the Nobel Peace Luareate said.
"I am encouraged to see that our younger generations are demanding concrete action on climate change. This gives some hope for the future," His Holiness said, adding, "the efforts of young activists such as Greta Thunberg to raise awareness of the need to listen to the science and act accordingly is crucial. Since their stance is realistic, we must encourage them."
"I regularly emphasise the importance of maintaining a sense of the oneness of humanity, the idea that every human being is a part of us. The threat of global warming and climate change is not limited by national boundaries; it affects us all," the Tibetan leader further added.
"As we face this crisis together, it is imperative that we act in a spirit of solidarity and cooperation in order to limit its consequences. I hope and pray that our leaders will gather the strength to take collective action to address this emergency, and set a timetable for change. We have to act to make this a safer, greener, happier world," said His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who expressed long-held hope for the COP26.
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Dharamshala, India— "Warm-heartedness is the key factor in creating a joyful community and a happier world. It leads to a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood," said His Holiness the Dalai Lama during an online conversation on "Creating a Happier World" on 28 July 2021.
Lord Richard Layard, Professor at the London School of Economics and founder of Action for Happiness, welcomed His Holiness the Dalai Lama Wednesday morning for a talk on "creating a happier world". He informed him that today marks the tenth anniversary of the founding of Action for Happiness, an organisation His Holiness had joined even before it was founded. He reminded His Holiness that they had been discussing secular ethics on a panel in Zurich when he explained his plans for Action for Happiness and His Holiness told him: "I want to join".
Later, he said, in the Lyceum Theatre in London, His Holiness launched Action for Happiness’s course, ‘Exploring What Matters’. Trials have been held to assess what difference attending the course had made for participants, and positive results, an increase in basic happiness, have been significant. “I remember that as that event in London came to an end, a BBC correspondent backstage asked you what single thing would make people happier and you immediately replied, ‘Warm-heartedness’. It brought tears to my eyes.”
According to the official website of His Holiness, Layard opened the conversation by asking His Holiness how we can make our hearts warmer.
“We are well-equipped from birth to be warm-hearted and to take care of others,” he replied. “Our very survival depends on other members of our community. From the moment we are born we depend on our mother’s affection. Becoming familiar with being taken care of when we are young prepares us to look after others when are able to. Being warm-hearted and taking care of each other is a natural thing to do.
“The problem is that our existing education system is oriented towards materialistic goals, but doesn’t take account of our need to maintain a healthy mind as well as a healthy body. However, school-children recognise that they enjoy classes taught by teachers who smile happily more than those taught by teachers whose expression is stern and grim. Even animals respond if we are warm-hearted towards them. Dogs wag their tails and I’ve seen birds eat out of the hands of people who are warm and peaceful towards them.
“Warm-heartedness is the key factor in creating a joyful community and a happier world. It leads to a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. I’m determined to contribute to creating a community with a sense of the oneness of humanity, a community in which faith or colour are secondary to the fact that we are all the same as human beings.”
Layard remarked that some people seem to be cold-hearted as a result of experiences they’ve had. He asked His Holiness how he had retained his inner radiance and loving smile in the face of many difficulties.
“The whole of Tibetan culture is focussed on not doing harm,” he told him, “even towards insects. If a child catches a flying insect, someone else in the family will say, “Don’t kill it”. We are Buddhists, but we share with other religious people the idea of kindness to other creatures.
“My mother was very kind. I learned about compassion from her. I was chosen as the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and taken to Lhasa where what I learned about compassion and Buddhist philosophy I found to be very useful.
“Later I came as a refugee to India, a free and democratic country where members of all the world’s great religions lived together in peace and harmony. I’m a guest of the Government of India, and as a result I’m safe and happy. And I consider it to be my responsibility to share what I’ve learned about inner peace with others.
“In recent decades, I’ve engaged in discussions with scientists who have come to appreciate the importance of finding peace of mind. They recognise, for example, the contribution peace of mind has to make to better physical health and well-being.
“I’ve met many different kinds of people, but meeting them doesn’t make me more conscious that I’m Tibetan or Buddhist, it makes me realize that we are all the same in being human.”
Lord Layard wanted to know the secret of making good relationships.
“I believe that all seven billion human beings alive today are essentially brothers and sisters,” His Holiness replied. “To think only of ‘my nation’, ‘my people’, ‘my group or community’ is out of date. This narrow thinking too easily leads to conflict. In our interdependent world we have to think instead of the oneness of humanity. We have to consider the wider community because we have to live together with each other. This is why we have to try to educate others to appreciate that humanity is one family.
“In addition to our interdependence, we face the serious challenges of climate change and global warming that we can only meet if we act together and help each other.
“We are social animals. If someone is angry with you, it’s important to remain warm-hearted towards them. Today’s enemy may become tomorrow’s friend. If they behave negatively towards you and you are hostile in return there’ll be no end to the trouble between you.”
Lord Layard recalled His Holiness telling him that founding an organization to promote greater happiness was not his job. However, he agreed to be the Patron of Action for Happiness. Layard asked if he had a message for the movement’s members. His Holiness laughed and told him:
“Your organization is based on cultivating a peaceful, warm-hearted attitude towards others. It’s wonderful and so practical. It shows there is hope for the future. We can create a happier world and a happier humanity. It’s wonderful. And I think your members have already discovered that we are much happier when we’re helping each other.”
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The spiritual leader of Tibet, His Holiness the Dalai Lama gives an online talk on Well-being and Resilience followed by a question and answer session with students of the British School in New Delhi from his residence in Dharamsala, HP, India on January 22, 2021.
Boston – Tibetan activists protested against Thermo Fisher at its annual shareholders' meeting and staged political theater outside the company's headquarters to protest its sale of kits to China that steal Tibetan DNA. They also organised a mobile billboard that was seen by tens of thousands of people in Boston, USA, and also held a rally outside the company's offices in Cambridge, England.
Sydney – Tibetans in Sydney protested against the Chinese government's recent disinformation campaign against His Holiness the Dalai Lama. They said, "China's disinformation campaign against the Dalai Lama, a global icon of peace, is an attack on Tibetan culture and the Buddhist faith. It is an attempt to undermine the reputation of the Dalai Lama and the long-standing struggle of Tibetans for human rights."
Geneva – The Tibet Bureau and the Tibetan Women’s Association delivered a joint statement on the situation of Tibetan Women in Tibet, at a UN public briefing for the 85th session of the Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CEDAW), on May 8, 2023. They said, "Tibetan women continue to face multiple challenges for securing equal opportunity in the field of education, economic activities and gender-specific hiring and recruitment practices. The discrimination against Tibetans in Tibet is widespread."
Toronto – A Tibetan activist in Canada began his fourth peace walk on Saturday by calling on governments and international organisations to support human rights and freedom in Tibet, support for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and asking the Chinese government to release all Tibetan political prisoners, including the 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet.
Gangtok – Tibetan Youth Congress held a month-long peace march from Sikkim to Assam with more than 80 activists from 17 regions in India and Nepal. They sent clear messages to G20 leaders that China’s “diplomatic assurances” are not to be trusted and urged leaders to raise the issue of the Sino-Tibetan conflict with the Chinese President at the G20 summit in September 2023.
Dharamshala – Chinese authorities began to tighten control on the Internet in the next 100 days, by searching phones and arresting people in the name of "cleaning up the Internet and preventing rumors". Recently, a Tibetan man was arrested for expressing his joy at seeing His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Chinese social media after decades.
Dharamshala – In an interview with Dr Lobsang Yangtso, the climate activist of Tibet said, “Tibet is not just politically important but environmentally as well. Tibet is the main source of fresh drinking water for its neighbouring nations. Almost 1.5 billion people depend on the water of Tibet. Maybe after 50 or 100 years on, the sources of drinking water from Tibetan glaciers will vanish and slowly the rest of the world will face water shortage problems.”
Berlin — International Campaign for Tibet has released a new report on Tibetan environmental defenders entitled "Environmental Defenders of Tibet: China's Persecution of Tibetan Environmental Defenders", ahead of World Environment Day on June 5, 2022.
Dharamshala, India — “Our initial aim was to help Tibetan refugees from Tibet and assist them in any way we could. The first projects we got involved in were teaching English and basic computer skills to the community, so they could develop their skills and lead a new life in exile," said Dorji Kyi, Executive Director of Lha Charitable Trust.
Dharamshala, India – “We must pay more attention to our thousand-year-old tradition of Ahimsa and Karuna. The tradition of non-violence and compass can teach the world a path of tolerance, thoughtfulness, and compassion,” said His Holiness the Dalai Lama while interacting with the students and faculty of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Rohtak.
Mainpat, India — The Mainpat Phendeyling Tibetan Settlement was one of the first Tibetan settlements established by the Indian government in 1962 to rehabilitate the 1,400 Tibetan refugees who arrived in India after the Chinese annexation of Tibet in 1959.
Dharamshala, India — An exclusive interview with tattoo artist and musician Tamding Tsetan. He shares with TPI his strong passion for art and the meaning behind it, as well as how he became an artist and musician. Tamding says, "Music has always connected me to my culture, and my lyrics are related to the fight for Tibetan freedom".
Guwahati – This is in response to the reports of the unauthorised renaming of 11 places situated inside Indian Territory in Arunachal Pradesh by Chinese government recently. According to news released through Globaltimes, a CCP (Chinese Communist Party) mouthpiece, China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs announced standardized Chinese names of11 places in Zangnan, the Southern part of China’s Xizang), in accordance to regulations on geographical names issued by the State Council, China’s cabinet.
New Delhi — In an exclusive interview with TPI, Tibetan activist Leden talks about his goal of escaping from Tibet to a free country in order to tell to the United Nations and the world about the fate of Tibet: “We know that there is an organisation called the UN, which deals with the disputes and difficulties of people in the world. Therefore, in order to appeal to the UN for the fate of Tibet and for the independence of Tibet, and also to explain how innocent Tibetans were killed during the forced annexation of Tibet by China, I escaped to India.”
Delhi — Tibetan handicrafts are now recognised as a distinct artistic expression in the world and fully reflect the knowledge of the Tibetan people. They range from simple clothing accessories to exquisite and reasonably priced handicrafts. At Majnu-Ka-Tilla, you can see artisans and artists displaying their handicrafts from all over Tibet and Nepal, and experience the distinctive cultural elements of the many Tibetan regions.
Delhi, India — A Tibetan woman shares her experience of selling laphing and explains how to make it, saying that selling laphing is her source of income.
Delhi, India — An exclusive interview with the President of the Regional Tibetan Women's Association (RTWA) in Delhi. She talks to TPI about the overall work of the RTWA, the difficulties of Tibetan women in exile and their life in the pandemic. She also talks about Tibet and her aspirations.
An exclusive interview with Tenzin, the Head Chef of the Makye Ama Tibet Kitchen in Majnu-Ka-Tilla, Delhi, India. He spoke to TPI about his passion for cooking and introduced a variety of Tibetan food that is loved not only by Tibetans but also by people from all over the world.
New Delhi, India — In a world where most rulers and powerful people are known more for taking away the rights of their people on one or the other pretext, His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet has emerged as a unique leader who has presented the example of how the leaders can strengthen the people and themselves by giving up and sharing their own powers with the people they lead and govern.
Dharamshala, India — "Happiness is very much related with our emotions. If our mental state is calm and peaceful, then external factors can not disturb our mind. The mind can be trained to build constructive emotions and reduce destructive emtions," said His Holiness the Dalai Lama, while interacting with scientists as part of the Science & Wisdom of Emotions Summit.
Dharamshala — Emphasising the crucial role in seriously making our world more peaceful and harmonious, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said, all sentient beings want to lead a happy life and a happy life means a peaceful life. Because we as social animals depend on the community in which we live and we depend on the care and affection of others to survive from the moment we’re born. This is nothing to do with religious practice, it’s simply natural behaviour.
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has congratulated Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on his victory in the presidential election in the Philippines.