(TibetanReview.net, Mar30’20) – Noting that the world was passing through an exceptionally difficult time due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has said Mar 30 that “we should employ science and human ingenuity with determination and courage to overcome the problems.”
He has said it was natural for people to “feel anxiety and fear” when we are “faced with threats to our health and well-being.”
Noting that the “lockdowns across the world” were understandably necessary, he has appealed to “all concerned to do everything possible to care for the vulnerable members of our communities.” He has noted that “many people are facing tremendous hardship due to a loss of livelihood. For those with no stable income life is a daily struggle for survival.”
He has applauded “the concerted efforts of nations to limit the threat” and expressed special gratitude to “the medical staff—doctors, nurses and other support personnel—who are working on the frontline to save lives at great personal risk,” calling their services “compassion in action.”
Meanwhile, the religious department of the Central Tibetan Administration has, on the same day, called on Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and Tibetans around the world to observe a list of prayers prescribed by the two principal Tibetan state oracles for a speedy resolution to the Covid-19 health crisis. The department has called for the prayers to be carried out without the need for large gatherings of participants.
