Dharamsala, Dec 14 (IANS) Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has recalled Tibet’s past relations with India and said these ‘are still close to heart’.
‘Tibet’s past relations with Kalimpong and Darjeeling are still close to heart. As a child I was delighted to hear from Tibetan merchants and officials about their journey to Kalimpong, Sikkim, Darjeeling and Kolkata,’ the Dalai Lama said while speaking in Kalimpong in West Bengal Monday, according to a post on the website of the Central Tibetan Administration Tuesday.
‘At that time, I wished to make a visit to Kalimpong and Darjeeling,’ the Dalai Lama said while delivering a discourse at the Tharpa Choeling monastery.
‘Then in 1956, I happened to be in Kalimpong and Gangtok on my way to attend the celebrations of the 2,500th birth anniversary of the Buddha. Since coming into exile in 1959, India has been second home to me,’ he said.
Regarding propitiation of Shugden in Tharpa Choeling monastery, the spiritual guru said: ‘It’s one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in India. But, the propitiation of Shugden in the monastery in the past caused me inconvenience to visit. Later on, people in the monastery distanced themselves from the spirit worship. So, it became easy for me to come here.’
From Kalimpong, the Nobel laureate will proceed to Sikkim.
The Dalai Lama and his supporters fled Tibet and took refuge in India when Chinese troops moved in and took control of Lhasa in 1959. He has since headed the Tibetan government-in-exile from here.
