His Holiness the Dalai Lama Arrives in Sikkim[Wednesday, 15 December 2010, 4:57 p.m.]
 |
| His Holiness the Dalai Lama, left, greets devotees at the Pemayangtse Monastry in Pelling, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Gangtok, India, Wednesday, 15 December 2010. His Holiness is on an eight-day visit to Sikkim state/Photo Credit: The Associated Press |
DHARAMSHALA:
His Holiness the Dalai Lama was received by Chief Minister Pawan
Chamling on his arrival in India’s north-eastern state of Sikkim today
after successfully concluding a two-day visit to Kalimpong.The
chief minister was accompanied by his cabinet colleagues to welcome His
Holiness the Dalai Lama at Pelling Helipad in West Sikkim, Press Trust of India news agency reported.The
Sikkim government has banned slaughter of animals in the state during
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s eight-day stay, the report said.After
his arrival at Pelling Helipad the monks from Pemayangtse Monastery,
which is considered one of the most holiest monasteries in Sikkim,
conducted “Sherbang”, a traditional Buddhist ritual of dance and prayer
for His Holiness.Thousands of people had come out to greet His Holiness the Dalai Lama and receive his blessings.
 |
| His Holiness the Dalai Lama, center, speaks at the Pemayangtse Monastry in Pelling, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Gangtok, India, Wednesday, 15 December 2010/AP Photo |
His Holiness was then escorted to the Pemayangtse Monastery from where he flew to Tashiding Monastery. On
18 December, His Holiness will visit the town of Ravangla in south
Sikkim to address a congregation of people at the Tibetan settlement.
On the same day he is scheduled to visit the Ralong Monastery, one of
the oldest monasteries in Sikkim.His Holiness will bless a new Buddha Statue being built by the Sikkim State Government on the morning of 19 December. He
will inaugurate and participate in a 4-day long conference on Modern
Cognitive Sciences and Eastern Contemplative Traditions in Gangtok on
20 December. It is being organised by the Namgyal Institute of
Tibetology. The conference, the first of its kind for Sikkim, is
expected to lay the foundation for Sikkim Government’s efforts to
formally introduce concepts of morality and ethics to its school
curriculum.His Holiness
will give two-day teachings on 21 and 22 December. On the morning of 21
December he will teach on Nagarjuna’s Commentary on Bodhicitta
(jangchup semdrel) and Quintessential Collection of the Mind Sadhanas
from the 5th Dalai Lama’s Secret Teachings (thukdrup yangnying kundu).
On the next morning, he will confer a long life empowerment (tsewang)
and be offered a long life ceremony.
