As His Holiness the Dalai Lama is giving his annual teachings in Bodhgaya, Hollywood star Richard Gere has arrived to be among the devotees to receive the teachings. His Holiness has been giving teachings and empowerment at the Kalachakra ground in the holy town of Bodhgaya beginning from January 2 this year.
According to official reports, His Holiness the Dalai Lama began his annual teachings in Bodhgaya to an estimated thirty five thousand plus audience. While the major chunk of the audience belonged to traditional Buddhists from the Himalayan regions, more than two thousand five hundred devotees had come from around 67 different countries to attend the teachings.
Hollywood superstar Richard Gere was among the audience there. The Pretty Woman actor is a well known follower of His Holiness the Dalai Lama since many decades. His aggressive stand in support of the Tibetan cause has put huge trouble in his career at Hollywood, which has a serious Chinese influence over the producers, Richard Gere continues to actively engage in raising the Tibet issue.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived in Bodhgaya by the end of last year and he is scheduled to give teachings till Monday. On January 2, His Holiness gave teachings on Gyalsey Thokme Sangpo’s Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva (laklen sodunma). On January 3, His Holiness conferred an Avalokiteshvera Initiation (chenresig wang). On January 4, 5 & 6 His Holiness is set to complete The Wheel of Teachings on Manjushri Empowerments (jamyang Choekhor) based on its proximal lineage that he began in Bodhgaya in December 2018.