A Personal RequestDear Friends,
You might have seen the Appeal issued by the Tibetan Solidarity Committee to request all Tibetans, Tibet Support Groups and peace-loving people of the world to observe a 12-hour symbolic fasting
and prayer on 30th August 2008 for world peace and, particularly, for the departed souls of the Tibetan people in recent months in Tibet . The appeal also re-commits ourselves to the path of non-violence. The objectives and how to observe the fasting are mentioned in detail in the appeal. If you have not received the appeal as yet, please visit our official
website http://tibet/en/prelease/2008/140808.html and www.stoptibetcrisis.org.
We consider this as extremely important non-violent action taken by Tibetans under the leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in a very critical period for Tibet , particularly the post-Olympic period. I personally request you and your organization to kindly participate in this fast and prayer and encourage many other people to join us in this effort to reduce our own defilements and to create wisdom and compassion in the minds of the oppressor. I believe you will cooperate
us in this non-violent action.
With my warm personal greetings,
Your sincerely,Samdhong RinpocheKALON TRIPA
We consider this as extremely important non-violent action taken by Tibetans under the leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in a very critical period for Tibet , particularly the post-Olympic period. I personally request you and your organization to kindly participate in this fast and prayer and encourage many other people to join us in this effort to reduce our own defilements and to create wisdom and compassion in the minds of the oppressor.
I believe you will cooperate us in this non-violent action.
With my warm personal greetings,
Your sincerely,
Samdhong Rinpoche
KALON TRIPA
Important Appeal
The world, at large, is plagued by hosts of problem such as poverty, violence, environmental degradation, religious disharmony etc., that are the reasons for various unending sufferings humanity is facing today, and will so in future too.
For the last nearly about sixty years, as a direct result of PRC's ultra leftist policy & their discriminatory programs aimed at Tibetan Nationality and oppression of Tibetan people, hundreds of thousand of Tibetans have lost their lives and thousands of Tibetan cultural and sacred religious institutions have been demolished so far.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the various policies and decisions that are currently being implemented in Tibet is leading to 'Cultural Genocide' in Tibet . Furthermore, the merciless and harsh crackdown on the non-violent, peaceful Tibetan protestors since March this year over demonstrating their deep anguish and aspiration has left many hundreds dead and thousands more injured, tortured and detained.
Unfortunately, this unthinkable atrocity is still continuing unabatedly with the apprehensions growing about further intensification of repression after the Olympic Games.
It is evident that, not just Tibetan, but the Chinese masses are also deprived of religious freedom and freedom of conscience & expression that can be understood from The Tiananmen Square Massacre and how the legitimate demands and grievances of many farmers and workers are meted with force and intimidation.
To bring an end to such injustices, a 12-hour symbolic fasting shall be observed by all truth and justice loving people of the international community and, particularly, by Tibetans in exile and Tibet supporters everywhere on Saturday, 30 Aug 2008, which is the last day of 6th month in Tibetan calendar. This symbolic fasting, which will begin and end at 0700-1900 hrs, is done in order to purify oneself from negative actions and to accumulate good karma, to stress the non-violent perseverance in struggle for the ideals of freedom, justice, democracy, freedom of expression and for transparent
political order for the whole world, Tibetans and Chinese people in particular. It is an appeal to all the justice, truth and peace loving people to effectively support such non-violent struggle and cause in whatever capacity.
This is also appealed to all the Tibetan elsewhere, Tibet Supporters and international community supporting truth and justice, and believing in non-violent struggle, to participate and observe this symbolic fasting and prayer service at your respective places. If we are able to observe this fast and prayer with loving compassion and in most altruist spirit, we believe it will certainly bring changes in the hearts of all beings, even in the hearts of our oppressor, to shed ignorance and confusion of mind, help pacify feelings of hatred and foster love and trust in the creation of a harmonious society.
The details of this program will be sent to you shortly.
Tibetan Solidarity Committee.
August 07, 2008
Detail programme of 12-hour long Fasting and Prayer Service to be observed by Tibetans, Tibet supporters and by the peace loving people of the world on 30th August 2008 or Last day of the 6th Month in Tibetan Calendar. 1. Aims of this Fasting and Prayer Service:
a) To purify negative actions of all beings, particularly of Tibetan and Chinese
people, and, to accumulate and multiply our collective good karma. As a result, this
will:
b) Bring long, healthy life to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and help his activities to
prosper and benefit all sentient beings.
c) Ease all the conflicts, diseases, sufferings, and natural calamities in the world, so
that all beings shall live in peace and harmony.
d) Cleanse the negative actions of all those Tibetans who have died fighting for their
political cause in the aftermath of March protest in Tibet this year and help them
reborn in higher realm and eventually get freed from vicious Samsaric cycle. And,
instantaneously relieve those Tibetan who are still enduring atrocities under the
brutal Chinese oppression from their sufferings, and for the truth of Tibetan issue to
prevail soon.
e) Finally get all those people in the world in general and Tibetans in particular, who
have been victims of forced oppression and violence and deprived of their religious
freedom and freedom of conscience and expression, be freed and enjoy state of
well-being and freedom. And, dismantle all the hatred in the hearts of oppressors
and guide them with discerning wisdom, and
f) Earnestly remind and appeal to all the human beings to effectively counter the acts
of oppression, violence and injustice with non-violent and peaceful means, borne
out of compassion and loving kindness to our oppressor.
2. Duration of Fasting and Prayer Service:
a) On the auspicious day of 30thAugust 2008 and the last day of 6th Month in Tibetan
Calendar, the Fasting and Prayer Service shall be observed in one's respective area
from 7 a.m. till 7 p.m. for 12 hours.
b) In specific area of special cases, if the above timing is inconvenient they can modify
the timeline, suppose, from 0800 hrs to 2000 hrs but the idea is to observe 12 hours
long fast and prayer on that day.
c) Those who are old and infirm, patients and children who cannot participate in a
12-hour fast can join in for 10 minutes or half an hour or up to one hour, according
to their disposition.
3. Observing Fast: During the period of observing fast, one is allowed to drink hot or cold water (plain
water). But drinking tea, milk, fruit juice and other energy drinks should be barred as
well as eating, chewing and munching any eatables. However, daily medical
prescriptions are exception; one can take them as in their daily routine.
4. Program of the Prayer Service:a) In the monastic assemblies of four great traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, and Bon,
as well as in other smaller monasteries and nunneries, apart from performing one's
own traditional pujas and activities unique to them, all should recite as many as
possible the Payers for His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Guru Prayers, Dhen-pai
Nga-dra, Dhen-stik Mon-lam (Prayer of Truth), Prayer of 21 Taras, Six-syllable Mani
mantra and invocation prayers of deities Palden Lhamo and Nechung.
b) Those Tibet supporters and others who are non-Tibetan and who do not recite
Tibetan prayers can observe silent fast or they can recite prayers and hymns of their
respective faiths.
c) At intervals, official statements may be read out and speech on introduction of this
fast campaign should be invited. But raising slogans and aggressive speeches
should be avoided.
d) To make offerings and prayers to any place of worship nearby your fast observing
site.
5. How to assemble: a) In monasteries and in nunneries, all the monks or nuns should assemble together
for mass in their respective Prayer Halls or Monastery Assembly Halls.
b) Dharma and Retreat Centers should assemble as many people as possible in their
prayer halls.
c) In schools, all the students and staff should gather in the school auditorium/hall to
observe the fast.
d) In Tibetan settlements, people may assemble in community halls or any other
facilities available in the area.
e) Hospitals and Old Age Homes that have difficulty assembling with masses can
gather on their own in their respective premises.
f) Scattered Tibetan community who don't have specific meeting place can observe by
themselves at home or together with their neighbours.
g) Tibet Support Groups can observe fast by gathering at convenient location or at
specific place where large participation is possible
h) Those Tibetans, Tibetan supporters and justice and peace loving people of the
world, who cannot go and join the masses to observe fast and prayer service, can
observe it at their own home.
6. Reporting: On completion of one-day fast, a report should be submitted by Regional Committees, Associations or individuals clearly mentioning the number of attendance and the detail programmes of the event, to Tibetan Solidarity Committee, Dharamsala.
Tibetan Solidarity Committee
Dharamsala
13th August 2008
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