Buddhist pray with hope for Karmapa

A prayer in the name of His Holiness 17th Karmapa Lama is being held by the hundreds of Buddhist devotees from across India near Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

No shouting. No crying. No burning of effigies. No jamming national highways. At a place, where demonstration is the order of the day (Jantar Mantar in New Delhi), this is no Dharna (demonstration) but a prayer meet. At a nearby demonstration being held on price rise, the atmosphere is tense and the police on toes. But here, as Buddhist devotees keep coming from across the Delhi, there is hardly any police personnel visible. Kudos to the Lamas and Buddhist community for the restraint it has shown to convince a government which is brutally suppressing the agitation for Gorkhaland in nearby Darjeeling.

Children, young, old, men, women and common people, the devotees are silently praying in the national capital among chants of monks in red robes. The patience and methodology adopted by the Buddhist community despite unwarranted allegations against their most revered religious leader, deserves praise and attention.

The participants in the demonstration are from Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, West Bengal (Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri) and Arunachal Pradesh. The prayer will continue for three days till 11th of February from morning till evening at the same venue.

The three major objectives underlined for the prayer are:

For the long life and good health of the spiritual gurus, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Holiness the Karmapa lama;

For the speedy elimination of all the obstacles being encountered by His Holiness the Karmapa Lama at the present time; and

For the long life and good health of all leaders at the Centre and in the states, and for the peace and prosperity of India and all her people.

The prayer is also a reaffirmation of the Buddhist community’s faith and trusts in His Holiness the Karmapa Lama.

The press release issued laments it to be a matter of deep grief that a religious leader of the eminence of HH the 17th Karmapa should face allegations like being a Chinese agent and indulging in financial improprieties. It raises suspicion that that despite the continued hospitality of Government of India and HH 17th Karmapa’s appreciation of India’s generosity on several occasion, elements in the Intelligence departments do not have the same regard for His Holiness the 17th Karmapa Lama.

Underlining the role played by Buddhist in standing with Indian soldiers as sentinels in a sensitive region being challenged by unfriendly neighbour, the prayer beseeches: Do not hurt our religious sentiments. It also requests greater freedom of movement for His Holiness the Karmapa Lama so that he can visit the border states of Sikkim and Arunchal.
The press release answers all the allegations from financial frauds being alleged on His Holiness the 17th Karmapa Lama by the media and elements of the government. It assures that HH the Karmapa, who regards India as his “second homeland”, will have no truck with the Chinese. It quotes what HH the Karmapa told his devotees on February 3, 2011, “The Indian government, in contrast to Communist China, is a free country, a democratic country that is based on the rule of law. The truth will become clear in time.”