The Dalai Lama, a spiritual leader from Tibet, is heading to Sikkim and West Bengal for a visit. He plans to give teachings from December 12 to 14, raising diplomatic concerns due to the ongoing border tensions between India and China.
In Sikkim, the Dalai Lama will teach at Paljor Stadium, located about 50 kilometers from the China border, at the request of the Sikkim State Government. The teachings will focus on Gyalsey Thokme Sangpo’s 37 practices of a Bodhisattva. This visit holds sentimental value for the Dalai Lama, as he first came to India in 1956 for the 2500th anniversary of Buddha Jayanti in Sikkim.
After the teachings in Sikkim, the Dalai Lama will travel to Salugara in West Bengal on December 14. There, he will provide a general teaching followed by the Ceremony for Generation of Bodhicitta at Sed-Gyued Monastery.
Chimi Rigzin, the Dalai Lama’s secretary, explained that the visit to Sikkim is at the invitation of the Sikkim State Government, and the Dalai Lama has a strong connection with the region. Sikkim is considered an essential state, and the Dalai Lama has visited it multiple times since his first arrival in 1956. Rigzin emphasized that Sikkim is part of the Indian government, and China recognizes it as such, so there should be no reason for China to be concerned or annoyed.
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