His Holiness the Dalai Lama Prays for the Loss of Lives in the Floods

[14 August 2010, 11:13 a.m.]

His Holiness the Dalai Lama presided over a special prayer service for flood affected people in Pakistan, Tibet and India, held Saturday morning at the main Buddhist temple in Dharamsala, India. Hundreds of Tibetans and people from other countries attended the prayer service.

I have been deeply saddened by the loss of many lives and the destruction of property caused by the floods in Pakistan and India. I have offered my condolences and prayers as well as token donations towards relief and rescue work.

I am also very sad that there has been a massive landslide in Drugchu (Chinese: Zhouqu) in the south-east of Kanlho, (Chinese: Gannan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu province in which many people have lost their lives. It is reported that this is one of the deadliest incidents in decades. I understand that Premier Wen Jiabao visited Zhouqu to oversee relief and rescue work.

I pray for all those who have lost their lives and offer my sympathy and heart-felt condolences to the bereaved and all those who have been affected by this natural calamity.

According to experts these very unusual floods and the devastating fires in Russia are symptoms of a deeper malaise occurring due to unprecedented global warming and other environmental causes. Therefore, a concerted international effort is needed to think about measures to preserve our common and delicate ecology.

Special public prayer services have been conducted. This morning I joined another prayer service here at the main Temple (Tsuglakhang) in McLeod Ganj to pray for those who have died and been affected in these tragedies.

Dharamsala

August 14, 2010