Hollywood superstar Richard Gere arrives in the holy town of Bodh Gaya to attend the three days teachings from the Buddhist spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The Hollywood actor who is a follower of Tibetan Buddhism was spotted attending the Mahabodhi Temple when His Holiness paid his visit there on Saturday.
“Hollywood star Richard Gere on Sunday joined a three-day course on Buddhism by Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in Bihar’s Bodh Gaya, the holiest Buddhist site. Gere was spotted along with several foreigners and monks at the Mahabodhi temple when the Dalai Lama offered prayers on Saturday.” said the report in the Business Standard on Sunday.
The Pretty Woman actor is one of the most high-profile followers of His Holiness the Dalai Lama since the past many decades and it has also been reported that his closeness with His Holiness affected his career in Hollywood due to Chinese pressure. However, the actor still Chairs the International Campaign for Free Tibet in United States that constantly lobbies the US government in raising its voice against the Chinese rule in Tibet.
According to the report, this is the fourth visit for the Hollywood actor to the holy town Bodh Gaya after his previous visits in 2017, 2012 and 2010.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama will give teachings on Nagarjuna’s Commentary on Bodhicitta (jangchup semdrel) & Gyalsey Thokme Sangpos’s Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva (laklen sodunma) in the mornings of January 14 and 15. His Holiness will also confer the Avalokiteshvera Initiation (chenresig wangchen) on the mornings of January 15 and 16. Following the initiation on January 16 morning, a long life offering ceremony (tenshug) to His Holiness will be made at the joint request of Lamyn Gegeen Tenzinjamphelchoijisheinen Tulku of Mongolia and Namgyal Monastery.