Dharamshala, India — Together, we have to strengthen ourselves to keep our hope alive for the cause of Tibet, like Tibetans living in Tibet under Chinese rule, said His Holiness the Dalai Lama during a special audience to the leadership of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), in Dharamshala, India.
“If Tibetans inside Tibet who risk arrest and death on a daily basis are not losing hope, then we Tibetans in exile must not either, ” His Holiness the Dalai Lama said during a special audience to all civil servants of the CTA at the main Tibetan temple in Dharamshala, India, on October 7, 2019.
"Together, we have to keep our hope alive with them using freedoms and democratic rights we have here," the spiritual leader of Tibet told the gathering, also attended by representatives of the three pillars of Tibetan Democracy and the Kalons or Ministers.
His Holiness acclaimed that the story of Tibetan refugees stands unique among the affairs of other refugees as he noted that Tibetans today have reached a milestone where they have not only preserved their culture and tradition but have successfully established a fully-fledged democratic government in exile.
His Holiness deemed that part of this major accomplishment is attributed to the contributions of both the present and ex-officials of the Central Tibetan Administration, according to the CTA official media.
"When the People’s Liberation Army first invaded Tibet in 1959 and carried out mass oppression of the Tibetan people, they didn’t expect Tibetans to come back stronger than ever after 60 years of oppression. They believed they had destroyed the core existence of Tibetans,” said His Holiness.
His Holiness extolled the determination and commitment of his people for not having lost a speck of hope in the face of the gut-wrenching hardship of 1959 and the subsequent escape into exile.
Speaking further, His Holiness mentioned that with the support of the Indian government, Tibetans were able to establish schools and monasteries preserving Tibetan language, culture, and religion inspired by the Nalanda tradition. But the Tibetans didn’t just stop there for they have promoted that knowledge to the outside world. He assured Tibetans that they can take pride in themselves for that.
His Holiness commended the staff of CTA and the Tibetan leadership for working extra hard in particular for the cause and further urged them to continue the noble work.
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama is known throughout the world as a leading advocate for world peace and non-violence. His message is one of kindness and compassion to all sentient beings. Over the past 60 years, he has traveled around the world spreading a message of Peace and Universal Responsibility.
He also believes that the common aim of all religions, an aim that everyone must try to find, is to foster tolerance, altruism, and love. He retired from politics in 2011. But, as one among six million Tibetans, His Holiness said he will continue to serve the cause of Tibet.
In 1959, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama along with thousands of others escaped to India, where he was given political asylum. The spiritual leader has set up a government and rebuilt monasteries where masters pass on their teachings to young monks. Tibetans in exile have succeeded in gradually rebuilding their monasteries, preserving their culture, restructuring their society and keeping it alive, in spite of the extremely difficult circumstances.
