The Dalai Lama’s Kalachakra Initiations; the largest Tibetan Buddhist event that is being held at Bodh Gaya in India continues to draw devotees from around the world. Despite China declaring the holy religious event as an illegal one and barring the native Tibetan followers from inside Tibet in attending the religious event, the 13 day Kalachakra teachings has been receiving unprecedented response till now.
This is the 34th Kalachakra initiations which started on the 2nd of January. The Chinese authorities had ordered most the Tibetans who had travelled outside Tibet to return home before the November 30. Following this order, the authorities went on to seize the passports of the Tibetans citing of a need to add an additional seal on the document from the government.
When many Tibetans were still staying back in India going on pilgrimages and waiting to receiving the Kalachakra teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, China issued a more serious warning for the Tibetans to return home or face serious consequences.
“Anyone engaging in these acts will be in violation of Article 55 of China’s Public Security Law and will face severe consequences,” told a notice that was circulated by Chinese authorities in Tibet according the RFA report.
Just before the days of starting the Kalachakra initiations, thousands of Tibetans had to return to Tibet in pain and tears.
However, the religious event have been receiving thousands of fresh footfalls from around the world since the beginning of the initial teachings. The event started with around 1,00,000 devotees gathered on 2nd of January and the head count of the devotees has surged to around 2,00,000 by 6th of January according to the official report of the organisers.
Besides a record breaking number of around 40,000 devotees from the Himalayan buddhists community has gathered at the Kalachakra teachings this year.
Since the main event of the Kalachakra empowerment is scheduled between 10th and 13th of January, the numbers of the devotees are set surge higher according to the organisers.
His Holiness the great 14th Dalai Lama has bestowed over 34 Kalachakra initiations till date, the first one being at Norbulingka, Lhasa, in April 1954.
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