His Holiness Arrives in Long Beach and Begins Yamantaka Initiations
April 21st 2012
Long Beach, California, USA, 20 April 2012 - His Holiness the Dalai Lama left San Diego on April 20th morning arriving in Long Beach a little after 8:00 am to continue with his visit to Southern California. The Abbot of Gaden Shartse, Jangchup Choeden, and officials of the Gaden Shartse Thubten Dhargye Ling Center, the host of his visit, received him at the airport.
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| Well-wishers greet His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his arrival at his hotel in Long Beach, California, on April 20, 2012. Photo/Max Roper |
In his remarks to the press, His Holiness said wherever he went he talked about his two commitments of promoting human values and promoting religious harmony and understanding. He said at the human level he was no one special and the same as any other human being. He believed that man being a social animal; an individual’s interest depends on that of the rest of the world. He said the basic human nature is that of compassion, and being gentle. He said there was the need to create awareness of the fact that the ultimate source of a successful life and a happy life is within us.
He said his number two commitment related to religion. He said all the major world religious traditions have different approach, but the essential message is the same, i.e. the practice of love, tolerance, contentment, etc. Talking about the service of the religious community to society, His Holiness said Christians have made the greatest contribution in the field of education and health. However, only in the past, even today, religion sometimes causes division.
His Holiness then referred to the situation in India where he said even a child understands the co-existence of the different religious traditions there. Talking about respecting other religious traditions, His Holiness recalled an Australian Christian leader who introduced him as being a good Christian at a public meeting. His Holiness said he had in turn called the Reverend a good Buddhist. His Holiness said that he believed he has been able to make a small contribution in promoting inter religious harmony.
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| His Holiness the Dalai Lama present a traditional ceremonial scarf to Long Beach mayor Bob Foster at a meeting with members of press in Long Beach, California, on April 20, 2012. Photo/Getty Image |
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| His Holiness the Dalai Lama gestures in response to questions during a press meeting in Long Beach, California, on Arpil 20, 2012. Photo/Getty Images |
The next question was the news from Tibet about yet another two Tibetans having committing self-immolations and how His Holiness saw the overall issue of self-immolations in Tibet. His Holiness said that the development was very sad. The issue is very political. However, he said soon after the first such incidents he was in Japan and had then called for the concerned people to do a thorough investigation into the real cause. He talked about incidents of self-immolation in Vietnam and China, too, where during the Cultural Revolution an abbot of a monastery had committed self-immolation when the Red Guards were trying to destroy the monastery. His Holiness also recalled visiting the site of a self-immolation by Jan Palach, a student in Czechoslovakia.
His Holiness said there were some who feel that the self-immolations have occurred all of a sudden. He said it was not so and that it was directly related to more than two decades of policies by local Chinese authorities. The tightening of control in monasteries and schools (one hard lined Chinese Party Secretary banned the teaching of classical Tibetan text in Tibet University in Lhasa), effort to start political education in monasteries, etc. made some Tibetans say that there was a sort of semi Cultural Revolution taking place. He said further tightening of control and suppression has been the immediate cause of the 2008 demonstrations in Tibet.
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| His Holiness the Dalai Lama and members of the press in Long Beach, California, on April 20, 2012. Photo/Max Roper |
He said Tibetans have our own language and culture, which are the sources of the Tibetan spirit. He said the Chinese leadership is targeting that.
His Holiness, however, said fortunately Chinese Prime Minister has been talking about the need for political reform, repeating the same during a press conference after this year’s National People’s Congress session. A few days after Wen’s statement, action was taken against the hardliner Bo Xilai. His Holiness said may be the open-minded leaders could be getting the upper hand.
To a question about the possibility of 15th Dalai Lama not being there, His Holiness joked about being asked this question in Newark. He joked that at that time he had removed his glasses, looked straight at the journalist who asked the question asking whether any hurry was needed by looking at his face. His Holiness mentioned a statement that he had issued in September 2011 outlining his thoughts on his reincarnation. He said Tibetan spiritual leaders have been meeting several times and during some meetings the issue of the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation has been raised. He said in his statement he had clarified that when he reaches around 89 or 90 years old he would convene a meeting of concerned people to decide whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue or not. He said actually he had said as early as 1969 that if the majority of the people feel that the Dalai Lama institution was not needed, it could end. He joked that it may not be a bad idea if the institution stopped when the 14th Dalai Lama is very popular.
Another journalist asked about North Korea and what His Holiness would do if he were invited to that country. His Holiness replied that if some serious and sincere invitation came he would consider that.
Thereafter, His Holiness went to the Long Beach Arena to perform the preparatory ritual for the Yamantaka Initiations. From there he addressed a gathering at a luncheon for supporters of the event and talked about the linguistic ability of Shartse Abbot Jangchup Choeden who can speak Hindi, English, Chinese, etc. His Holiness also talked positively about the late Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen, the founder of Gaden Shartse Thubten Dhargye Ling Center, as a good scholar but also “a little bit naughty.” He said that Geshe Gyeltsen and Geshe Lhundup Sopa (in Madison) were among the top scholars. His Holiness said he had initially planned on bestowing the Yamantaka Initiation last year but had to cancel it after he was indisposed on his way here. Therefore, he had promised the Abbot that he would bestow it this time. His Holiness thanked the supporters of the event and joked that he was extending the thanks for the fund being raised by others.
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| His Holiness the Dalai Lama during his teaching at the Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California, on April 20, 2012. Photo/Max Roper |
Speaking about the Yamantaka empowerment His Holiness said he had received it first from Taktra Rinpoche, one of his tutors, and later from Ling Rinpoche (also his tutor). However, he had begun Yamantaka practice when he was quite young, mainly to improve the sharpness of mind. He added that people who did this practice saw changes within a short period of time.
His Holiness will bestow the initiations in the morning on April 21, 2012. In the afternoon, he will give a public talk, “Peace in Troubled Times.”
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