Dharamshala: - Kalon Tripa Prof Samdhong Rinpoche paid a day-long visit to Phendeling Tibetan settlement in Mainpat on 9 May, during which he spoke to settlers on the importance of education, democracy and sustainability of settlement among other issues.
Addressing a gathering of Tibetan settlers, Kalon Tripa explained to them about amendments to be made in the Charter of Tibetans in exile after His Holiness the Dalai Lama's decision to devolve his political authority to the democratically elected Tibetan leadership."
He spoke in detail about the great efforts made by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in educating the Tibetans in both traditional and modern education in exile in the last fifty years. He told the Tibetans to reinvigorate their efforts in making further progress in the field of education.
Kalon Tripa also told the Tibetan settlers to elect their own settlement officers from amongst themselves.
He paid visits to the elderly people home and the farmers in the settlement.
The officials of the representative office accorded welcome to Kalon Tripa on his arrival at the settlement. Established in 1962, the Mainpat Phendeling Settlement is home to over 1825 Tibetan refugees, who are scattered in 7 camps. Besides farming, the settlers are engaged in trading, restaurants, shop keeping, and seasonal sweater selling to earn their livelihoods. The settlement has schools, health centres, monasteries and one elderly people's home and a traditional carpet weaving centre. (click to know more about the settlement)
Kalon Tripa left Mainpat for Delhi yesterday. He is scheduled to deliver today the Buddha Jayanti Commemorative Lecture organised by the Indian Council of Philosophical Research at India International Centre in New Delhi. In his three part lecture, Kalon Tripa will speak on (1) four cardinal principles of Buddhist philosophy (2) inability to tackle global problems such as terrorism and nuclear weapons through political means and (3) the role of India to tackle these problems through its the rich tradition of non-violence and peaceful coexistence of inter-religious harmony.
Professor Samdhong Rinpoche is an eminent and distinguished scholar, teacher and philosopher, and a life-long campaigner for Gandhian principles especially that of non-violence or peaceful resistance. His Prominent literary works include Uncompromising Truth for a Compromised World : Reconciling Tibetan Buddhism and Today's World, Buddhist Meditation etc.
Kalon Tripa will visit Nagpur on 13 May. He will return to Dharamsala on 15 May.
