Sikyong Penpa Tsering Participates in a Virtual Book Discussion Held by Foundation for Non-Violent Alternatives
Dharamshala: Sikyong Penpa Tsering on Wednesday, 23 April 2025, participated in an online book discussion on His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s recent book, Voice for the Voiceless, alongside Dr Thupten Jinpa, the editor of the book and chief English translator for His Holiness, and Shri Dilip Sinha, the former Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations in Geneva.
The discussion, organised by the Foundation for Non-Violent Alternatives, was chaired by Ambassador Dilip Sinha and was virtually attended by many Tibetans and Indians, as well as others.
In his keynote address, Sikyong reflected on the enduring vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, emphasising the policy of Middle Way Approach as a balanced response to Tibet’s historical and political reality. “When His Holiness says Middle Way, then you talk about polarities… one of the polarities is the historical status of Tibet as an independent state,” he said.
Sikyong then touched on Tibet’s complex historical ties with China, stating that “comparative studies of Tibetan history with that of Chinese history” reveal Tibet has “never been considered part of China,” citing past relations with the Mongol, Ming, and Qing empires, and referencing modern international law.
Sikyong further added, “I’m always amazed at how His Holiness combines his spiritual thinking with the political objectives that he has set in this world, which very often we see a lot of contradictions. But His Holiness has always managed to seamlessly combine his spiritual thinking with the realities of today and then come up with solutions for not only Tibet but also for humanity as a whole. And going forward, of course, His Holiness prepared us from 1960 onwards.”
“And His Holiness is able to live up to his expectations as ordinary people leading the Tibetan movement. And I’m sure there will be leaders that will follow me. And I’m trying to set the right precedent to a more moralistic leadership as much as possible and keep the community together as much as possible,” Sikyong concluded.
Following that, Dr Thupten Jinpa offered deep and comprehensive insights into the book and His Holiness’ vision, drawing from his many years of close association with His Holiness.
