Dharamshala: On the morning of 30 September 2023, His Holiness the Dalai Lama wrote a letter to Mr. James Sauls at the Office of Senator Dianne Feinstein to express his heartfelt condolences to her family on her passing away.
“She lived a full and meaningful life in the service of the American public,” he wrote, “both in her native state of California and subsequently in her national role as a Senator.
“We first met in 1978 when Richard Blum, her husband, brought her to Dharamshala. Since then, I have received her full support, from my first visit to the US in 1979 to the many initiatives she was involved in leading to the institutionalisation of United States support for Tibet. Her friendship with the then Chinese leader Jiang Zemin was helpful in that it gave us an opportunity to convey our messages of sincerity to the highest level of Chinese leadership.
“I am grateful to Senator Feinstein for her steadfast friendship and support,”
His Holiness concluded by offering his prayers.
