His Holiness the Dalai Lama Offers His Condolences at the Passing Away of President Václav Havel

December 19th 2011

Dharamsala, HP, India, 18 December 2011 - His Holiness the Dalai Lama expressed his deep sadness at learning of the passing away of his dear friend President Václav Havel. In a letter to his wife Mrs. Dagmar Havlova, His Holiness wrote that in his death, the world has lost a great statesman whose steadfast and unflinching determination played a key role in bringing freedom and democracy to the then Czechoslovakia. He was an unassuming and a courageous leader whom His Holiness personally had the greatest admiration and respect and will miss him.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the residence of Václav Havel during a visit to Prague, Czech Republic, on July 2, 2002 Photo/Manuel Bauer

His Holiness recalled that he had the privilege of meeting President Václav Havel in February 1990 – months after he became President following the Velvet Revolution, which he led with an extraordinary display of people power. Over the ensuing two decades he had the opportunity to meet with him regularly, most recently in Prague on 10 December 2011. His Holiness concluded by offering his heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Dagmar Havlova and other members of their family and those who were closely associated with him.

He stated that perhaps the best tribute we could honour and remember President Václav Havel by is to work as best we can towards building a more peaceful, open and just world.

Bookmark and Share
Read More @ Source

Chinese Buddhist Evening Bell Verses 暮叩鐘偈(1)

The last ceremony ending a day in the monastery is the ringing of the bell as verses praying for world peace and the Buddhas' names are sung. This is at Da-Bei Monastery in Liaoning, China. 遼寧海城大悲寺: 暮叩鐘偈

Video Rating: 4 / 5



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Scholars discuss relevance of Buddha in modern world

Image
New Delhi, Nov 27 ( IANS ) More than 900 Buddhist scholars , leaders and practitioners from 46 countries Sunday began deliberating the relevance of Gautama Buddha 's teachings, 2,600 years after his enlightenment, at a four-day Global Buddhist Congregation here. The venue at Hotel Ashok sported a riot of saffron, burgundy and ceremonial colours as monks and senior lamas from 46 countries like Nepal, Vietnam, Korea, Mongolia, Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Germany flooded the premises. In a televised message, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama , who will attend the convention Nov 30, to deliver the valedictory address, said: 'There have been many opportunities for Buddhists to come together and to discuss issues of common concerns.' 'The congregation has provided a much-needed and crucial opportunity. Now, and in the future, we need to encourage and foster an exchange of knowledge and experience among our different traditions and improve communication a
Keep reading

Buddhist temple in Westminster destroyed in early-morning fire

Image
Enduring bitter cold Monday morning, a Westminster firefighter battles a blaze at the Lao Buddhist Temple. The building was a total loss. (Steve Nehf, The Denver Post) WESTMINSTER — Brutal cold mixed with cold reality for members of the burned-out Lao Buddhist Temple of Colorado on Monday as they mourned the potential loss of artifacts saved by generations of worshippers. "It's not good, it's not good at all," said an exhausted Tom Pong as dusk fell over the remnants of the temple. "There is lots of history, over 100 years of it, and it could be lost forever." Pieces charred or melted by the fire — which started just before 6 a.m. — included several Buddha figures. Worries about asbestos prevented Pong and other members of the temple from going inside to assess the damage. The temple is part of an older building that the congregation bought in the early 1980s and then expanded on a 6-acre parcel at 10685 Dover St. The older section has asbestos,
Keep reading

Danish Buddhist leader, Lama Ole, to visit in Snohomish

Image
SNOHOMISH -- An unconventional guest is coming to Snohomish County next week. Ole Nydahl, a 70-year-old Danish leader of Diamond Way Buddhism, is visiting followers here in the Pacific Northwest. Nydahl's school of thought can be described as an adaptation of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism to the Western culture, said Daria Novoselova, who will be hosting Nydahl's meeting with students in her Snohomish home. Nydahl, who is known as Lama Ole, is expected to arrive Monday. He is scheduled to give a talk at the University of Washington later that day. Novoselova, 29, felt drawn to Diamond Way Buddhism as soon as she met Nydahl. She remembers that very first lecture. She was 16 and living in Yekaterinburg, Russia, when her older brother brought her along to the lama's talk. "I immediately felt at home," she said. "I had all these ideas about the world, and, suddenly, everything came together." At the end of that lecture, she accepted a blessing
Keep reading