Special prayers for Tibet

January 08, 2009, report by Jo Gibson, photos taken by Karma Norbu

The first part of the afternoon session was dedicated to prayers for Tibet. The weather seemed to share in the more sombre mood - overcast and even lightly raining at times. Gyalwang Karmapa gave a short speech, setting a context for the prayers which followed.

He first recapped the history of Tibet, describing how in the past religion and politics mostly worked in harmony - although there had been internal and external disputes which caused great hardship and difficulty for the people.

These days the Dalai Lama was both spiritual and temporal head, supported by all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetans everywhere had the hope and confidence that His Holiness the Dalai Lama would be able to return to Tibet one day and live there in peace and happiness. But negotiations with the Chinese Government had reached a critical stage, and people hoped that an agreement could be reached rather than the situation deteriorate further. However, there was an ever-present danger that Tibet would disappear, like a drop of water into the ocean. It was not just a matter of the future of Tibet, but also the threat to future of its unique Buddhist tradition. In trying to reach a settlement, His Holiness the Dalai Lama was considering everybody, including the Chinese. Now was the time to call on Chenresig, the protector of Tibet.

Taking a wider view, we should be concerned not just for the future of Tibet, but for the future of the whole world, which was endangered by powerful weapons of destruction and a high level of aggression, prompted by strong mind poisons. In such an age, when the power of darkness was increasing, we needed to recite prayers such as the Heart Sutra.

It was essential for Tibetans to be united and support each other through this difficult time.

The Vajrayana was a complete form of the Buddhist teachings so it was vital that it remained without decrease, for the benefit of countless sentient beings. Yet, for a religion to flourish, there needed to be freedom and a flourishing environment, and the teachers of the different lineages needed to live long to pass on the teachings.

With Gyalwang Karmapa’s advice in mind, the assembly then recited prayers to Guru Padmasambhava, the Twenty One Praises of Tara, the short Heart Sutra, a prayer for the lineages in Tibet, and the Aspiration for the well-being of Tibet written by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodroe Thaye.