Staff Reporter
July 2, 2022
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New York: Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel and Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang, along with parliamentarians of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, attended the 38th birthday celebration of Gyalwang Karmapa Rinpoche, Head of Karma Kagyu of Tibetan Buddhism, organised by the Karmapa Service Society of the USA in New York on 26 June 2022.
Followed by a video message from the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel and Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang gave their public addresses.
In his public address, in recollecting the noble deeds of Gyalwang Karmapa, Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel emphasised the need to practice what Gyalwang Karmapa preaches while supplicating his kind guidance from time to time for the wellbeing of all the sentient beings.
Sacrificing a lot in his life, Gyalwang Karmapa has also endured a fair share of challenges and has taken the painful decision of coming into exile. Nevertheless, Gyalwang Karmapa is shouldered with great hope and trust from His Holiness the Dalai Lama in continuing his endeavour to protect Tibet’s distinct religion and culture.
He further said that the gist of Buddhism could only be apprehended by studying the Kagyur (110 volumes of Buddha’s teaching translated in Tibetan) and the Tengyur (225 volumes of commentaries of Buddha’s teaching translated in Tibetan) by both clergy and laypeople.
Reiterating what His Holiness the Dalai Lama has emphasised in his video address at the 8th World Parliamentarians’ Convention on Tibet, Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang, in her address, stressed embracing the fundamental distinctive features of Tibetan culture pertaining to the practice of Buddhism, which are compassion, cooperation, and kind-heartedness.
As Gyalwang Karmapa has always been vocal in urging unity and harmony among Tibetans for the common cause of Tibet, to which she expressed her gratitude and assured doing her best to bring unity into the community. At the same time, the Deputy Speaker asked individual Tibetans to do their bit and prayed for the long life of Gyalwang Karmapa and the fulfilment of all his noble wishes and aspirations.
There were also cultural presentations and speeches from other guests at the event.
-Report filed by Tibetan Parliamentary Secretariat-
