Zurich — His Eminence the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, head of the Karma Kagyud tradition, met His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in Zurich on August 25, 2024. Karmapa Rinpoche urged him to rest more and His Holiness indicated that he would live to the age of 110. Tibetans were thrilled to see their most beloved lamas reunited after seven years, and social media circulated photos of them together.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama departed from Dharamshala on June 21, 2024 for the United States, His Holiness stayed one night in Zurich, Switzerland and then departed to New York on August 23, 2024, where he underwent a successful knee treatment on June 28, 2024 and spent two months recuperating in New York. His Holiness attended a long-life prayer offered to him by the Tibetan, Mongolian and Himalayan communities of North America in New York, on August 22, 2024, after which His Holiness travelled to Zurich, Switzerland, on August 23, and His Holiness also attended a long-life prayer offered to him by Tibetans in Zurich, on August 25, 2024.
His Holiness then left Zurich for New India on August 26, and after spending a night in New Delhi, arrived in Dharamshala on the morning of August 28, where he was warmly welcomed back to his exile home in Dharamshala by top CTA officials and Tibetans, Indians and well-wishers from around Dharamshala.
While His Holiness the Dalai Lama was in Zurich, His Eminence the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, visited His Holiness on August 25, 2024. Tibetans were overjoyed to see their most beloved lamas reunited after seven years, and photos of them together were widely shared on social media. After His Holiness arrived at his residence in Dharamshala on August 28, 2024, Gyalwang Karmapa wrote a statement about the meeting and his deep feelings of joy and sadness, urging Tibetan brothers and sisters to fulfil all of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's wishes and regardless of the region we are from, the religion we follow, or the views or positions we hold, for the benefit of Tibet as a whole, we must do what is important and let go of what is minor.
His Eminence the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje wrote, "Recently, when I had the good fortune to once again see His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Zurich, Switzerland, and hear his nectar-like voice, I felt a mixture of joy and sadness. It was different than when I usually see him in videos or the like. Seeing his face in person, he seemed to have aged significantly, and even hearing him speak, his voice has grown weak. It was so different from how he used to be that I could hardly bear it. His Holiness has used all the strength of his body, speech, and mind for our sake, and when I saw him so physically frail, it was as if the feelings of sorrow and gratitude that filled me were competing with each other."
"Given his physical condition and seeming exhaustion, I did not say much but expressed how there is nothing greater that he could do for Buddhism and sentient beings than to live long. I wrote down the other matters I wished to share with him and offered them to him. He spent ten minutes reading them carefully and then spoke about the predictions that he would live to the age of 110, about how his main wish was to go on pilgrimage to Wutai Shan in China, and the importance of preserving, protecting, and spreading the complete teachings of the Foundation vehicle, Mahayana, and tantra, which are like a unique jewel found only in Tibet," Gyalwang Karmapa added.
His Eminence said, "In brief, to see his face and hear his voice gave me a feeling of how rare and precious he is unlike any I have felt before. Moreover, we must accomplish all his wishes for what he would like to accomplish in this lifetime soon; there is no time for delay or distraction."
"The difficulties His Holiness has undergone for our sake are beyond comprehension. Considering his current age and physical condition, there is nothing more important for him to do than to rest and take care of his health. All of us, myself and others, must definitely be conscious and heedful of this," Gyalwang Karmapa urged.
Gyalwang Karmapa added by saying, "In particular, if His Holiness could return to Tibet in this lifetime and once again set foot on its soil, that alone would fulfill the hopes of all Tibetans, both the living and the departed, and fulfill the guru’s wishes. Thus it is crucial for all of us Tibetan brothers and sisters to cooperate harmoniously in serving His Holiness to fulfill his wishes and, at the very least, to make aspirations and dedications day and night."
Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje said, "Regardless of the region we are from, the religion we follow, or the views or positions we hold, for the benefit of Tibet as a whole, we must do what is important and let go of what is minor—it is important not to mistake gold for brass or to reduce sandalwood to ash before selling it."
"Most importantly, I urge everyone to keep in mind that we have such a lama and wish-fulfilling jewel as him and to rouse even greater dedication toward working for the dharma and the welfare of the Tibetan people," 17th Gyalwang Karmapa concluded.
