(TibetanReview.net, Aug23’24) – A capacity crowd of 17,000, overwhelmingly Tibetan, people filled the UBS Arena in New York City’s outskirt on Aug 22 to offer a long-life prayers ceremony to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Recovering well from a knee surgery on Jun 28 and just a day before leaving the United States, the exile spiritual leader of Tibet assured the huge gathering about his good health and his confidence to live well past 100 years of age.
Addressing the crowd at the ceremony, which included Himalayan Buddhists, Mongols, Chinese, Koreans, Taiwanese and numerous others as well, the Dalai Lama has said:
“Here we have Tibetans from all three regions of Tibet demonstrating how we are united. Tibetan culture can be of benefit to the whole of humanity. The Buddha, Shakyamuni, became enlightened and gave teachings that have been preserved in Tibet and the Himalayan region. These teachings are profound and deeply valuable. I have studied them since I was very young.
“The Buddha’s teachings have influenced our way of life to the extent that the people of Tibet have been determined to keep them alive. I intend to live to be more than 100 years old and I will continue to do my best to help the Tibetan people.
“Chinese Communists may look down on Tibetan culture, but across the world we have friends who appreciate it. In Tibet we have the most complete transmission of the Buddha’s teachings. As Tibetans have spread out across the world other people have become more aware of our traditions. We have many loyal friends who I’d like to thank. People around the world are taking an interest in Buddhism and even in China there are many curious to learn about Tibetan Buddhism.”
The Dalai Lama also gave a short instruction on generating the awakening mind of bodhichitta. Explaining that he had followed the Buddha’s teachings and generated the wish to become a Buddha in order to benefit beings over many lifetimes, he invited his listeners to make a similar commitment.
The Dalai Lama then gave transmissions of the mantras of Buddha Shakyamuni, Arya Tara, Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, Hayagriva, the Medicine Buddha and Guru Rinpoché.
As the Tenshug prayers began, representatives from each of the 30 Tibetan Associations in the United States and Canada as well as from the Kalmykia, Buryatia, Mongolian communities, besides from the Sherpa, Tamang, Hyolmo, Bhutanese, Limi, Mustang, Manangi, Nubri, and other Himalayan communities, and New York based Tibetan NGOs, walked in a procession past the stage in symbolic offerings of Khatags (ceremonial greeting scarves).
The Dalai Lama also spoke about the need for religious harmony and emphasized the principles of secular ethics — an ethics system that appeals to the religious and the nonreligious alike and is based on the cultivation of genuine compassion.
Dr Namgyal Choedup, Representative at the Office of Tibet, Washington, DC, expressed special gratitude to Carol and Sam Nappi for their generous help in coordinating the arrangements for the Dalai Lama’s successful knee replacement surgery and for their subsequent exceptional hospitality as he underwent over six weeks of physiotherapy in Syracuse.
They were cheered by the crowd as His Holiness also personally thanked them.
Hollywood star and Tibet activist Richard Gere was a notable presence at the ceremony.