Thousands flock to greet Dalai Lama

AFP AND AP, Aug 23, 2006

ULAN BATOR, Mongolia -- Thousands of people showed up at the monastery for the Dalai Lama's first public appearance on his visit to the Mongolian capital.

<< Thousands of Mongolians flocked to a monastery in Ulan Bator yesterday to welcome the Dalai Lama, as China protested over the Tibetan spiritual leader's visit. PHOTO: AP

Several thousand cheered loudly as the Dalai Lama -- wearing traditional saffron and maroon robes -- smiled and waved to them in the grounds of the country's biggest monastery Gandantegcheling at around midday.

After he went inside the monastery to have lunch with the monks and to later give a religious lecture, worshippers flocked to the big wooden chair where he had sat and touched it to try to receive blessings.

In an address to the crowd at Gandantegcheling, the Dalai Lama stressed the importance of traditional family values.

"These are the values that sustain us through difficult times of change," he said, seated on a cushioned throne before the white-washed brick main temple hall.

The visit is the 1989 Nobel peace prize winner's seventh to Mongolia, a majority Buddhist country that has deep historic and religious ties with Tibet, and it sparked an angry reaction from China.

"The Dalai Lama is not merely a religious figure, but a political exile who over a lengthy period has engaged in splittist activities and hurt national unity," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"China is resolutely opposed to any country offering him a stage to engage in the above-mentioned activities," the ministry said.

The faxed statement was in response to a request for comment on the Dalai Lama's visit to Mongolia, which began late on Monday and is expected to last one week.

Although there were no officially announced protest actions by Beijing yesterday, aside from the foreign ministry's statement, an Air China flight to Ulan Bator scheduled to depart in the morning was delayed.

An employee at the national flag carrier's customer service office in Beijing insisted the delay -- the 8:30am flight was pushed back until 7pm -- was due to bad weather in Ulan Bator.

However the weather in Ulan Bator was fine and sunny.

The Dalai Lama's office in Dharamsala, India, where he lives in exile, maintained yesterday that his visit to Mongolia was purely religious.

"There is no political agenda to this visit. He's a Buddhist. He's going to give Buddhist teachings. The Chinese are welcome to come to Mongolia and look at the visit themselves," said Tenzin Takla, a spokesman for the office.

The main purpose of the visit was "the promotion of human values and the promotion of religious harmony," Takla said, adding that Mongolians had a "long, special relationship" with Tibetans.

The Mongolian foreign affairs ministry also insisted the Dalai Lama had a right to visit and that the trip was a religious one organized by the Gandantegcheling monastery, not the government.

"The Dalai Lama visited Mongolia several times before through religious channels and was only involved in religious activities," a statement said.

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot
NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.


Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team


Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv


TOP