--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dalai Lama to be awarded highest US civilian honour
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Press Trust of India
Washington, May 27, 2006
The US Senate has passed a resolution to award the Congressional Gold
Medal - the country's highest civilian honour - to Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th
Dalai Lama, in recognition of his "enduring and outstanding contributions to
peace, non violence and human rights".
The Senate passed the resolution prior to adjourning for a week long recess.
A similar legislation has been enacted by the House of Representatives. The
Senate legislation introduced by Senator Diane Feinstein of California had
the backing of 75 Democrats and Republicans as co-sponsors.
"The Dalai Lama has struggled for half a century to better the lives of the
Tibetan people - armed only with his compassion, courage and conviction. In
doing so, he has been a shining light to all those fighting for freedom
around the world, " Senator Feinstein remarked as the Senate Banking
Committee recently approved the Gold Medal Act.
"I cannot say how much it means to me that three quarters of the Senate have
put the daily battles aside to come together to say that this man deserves
our nation's highest civilian honour -- the Congressional Gold Medal" he
added.
Past recipients of the Gold Medal include Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa,
and Nobel Peace Laureates Elie Wiesel and Nelson Mandela.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tutu urges China to give Tibet "rightful autonomy"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Jeff Mason
BRUSSELS, Thu Jun 1, 2006 (Reuters) - Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu called on
China on Thursday to grant Tibet its "rightful autonomy" after years of rule
by Beijing.
Tutu said China was an emerging "potential" superpower and urged it to be a
"superpower of morality".
"I want to call on the president and the government of China: please do the
right thing," he said at a ceremony in Brussels, where he received an award
from the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader.
Tutu won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his peaceful opposition to white
rule in South Africa.
"His holiness (the Dalai Lama) and the people of Tibet are on the winning
side. One day ... they will be free," he said.
The former Anglican archbishop jokingly asked the crowd whether they thought
God regretted that the Dalai Lama was not a Christian.
"I give great thanks to God for having created a Dalai Lama," Tutu said.
"You see, God is not a Christian."
Tutu drew laughs for his description of the modest Tibetan leader as boyish
and mischievous.
"I have to warn him: shhh! Try to behave yourself," he said. "I have to try
to make him behave properly like a holy man."
The Dalai Lama thanked Tutu for his backing. "The way he has expressed his
support is something that is very important for us and it gave us some
courage," he said.
Communist troops invaded Tibet in 1950 to cement Chinese rule, and the Dalai
Lama fled nine years later after a failed uprising. Beijing considers him a
traitor.
"Tibet continues to face a very difficult situation indeed," he said.
The Dalai Lama presented the "Light of Truth" award from the International
Campaign for Tibet to Tutu and the Herge Foundation, which honours Georges
Remi, the creator of Belgian comic book character Tintin.
The book "Tintin in Tibet" had made it possible for many people to learn
about his country, the Dalai Lama said.
While in Brussels the Dalai Lama updated European Union lawmakers and
Belgian ministers on secret negotiations between Tibet's
government-in-exile, based in the Indian hill town of Dharamsala, and China.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chenrezig Empowerment
& 3-Day Om Mani Padme Hung Retreat
Led by His Holiness Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche
( English & Chinese translation Provided)
** Chenrezig Empowerment **
Date:
8th June 2006
(Thur)
7pm - 9pm
** 3-Day Om Mani Padme Hung Retreat ** Date:
9th?1th June 2006
(Fri - Sun)
9.30am - 9pm
Venue: Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery
Ven. Hong Choon Memorial Hall, 4th Floor
Registration: Registration is required for full-timers participants
taking up the Chenrezig Empowerment and the full 3-day retreat.
For part-timers, you are welcome to attend at least a session of the retreat.
To register:
?/FONT> Reception, Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery 88 Bright Hill Road, Singapore 574117 ?Awareness Place
#01-63, Bras Basah Complex ?nbsp;thru internet www.kmspks.org
Admission is free.
Light meals & Night Transport to Ang Mo Kio MRT station will be provided. For further enquiries
6849 5300
Jointly organized by
Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery
Dzarong Thubten Donga Choling *****************************************************************
ABOUT His Holiness KYABJE TRULSHIK RINPOCHE
His Holiness Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche, who is 83 years of age, is regarded as one of the most learned and respected living masters of the Nyingma tradition in Tibetan Buddhism. He is one of the main Teachers to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, to whom he regularly imparts rare teachings and transmissions and has also ordained many thousands of monastic followers throughout Tibet.
He was also a very close disciple of Extraordinary Master, the late Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche and the late Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. As the closest and most realized disciple of the latter, Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche became the spiritual heir and eventual holder of his visionary teachings and transmissions.
For many years, His Holiness Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche has been actively teaching Dharma in several western countries including the United States of America, France, Switzerland, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Despite his tight schedules to fulfill his duties as a spiritual guide for all beings without exception, Kyabje Rinpoche commits himself to regular solitary retreats, hidden in the Himalayan Mountains. Kyabje Rinpoche spends 9 months of a year in solitary retreats, continuously praying for world peace and harmony and also for the happiness of all sentient beings.
H.H. Trulshik Rinpoche giving empowerment to H.H. Dalai Lama
***************************************************************** Chenrezig Empowerment Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche has kindly agreed to endow the Empowerment of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), known as ¡°Jowo Thukje Chenpo - A Beacon to Dispel the Gloom? This is one Teaching which is very much encouraged by Kyabje Rinpoche, as it was a Terma Teaching revealed by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, and it is specially connected to sentient beings in this degenerated age.
3-Day Om Mani Padme Hung Retreat
Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche will give commentary on the practice of Chenrezig and host the group practice for the recitation of the Mantra of Great Compassion - Om Mani Padme Hung.
The 3-day Teaching and Practice Sessions will show the participants how to transform their mind through the Buddhist method of mind training and cultivation, so that they will experience peace, love and wisdom in a practical way.
| |||
|