Kalchakra: Dalai Lama offers special prayers for absentee followers

GAYA: Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Wednesday offered special prayers for the devotees from Tibet and China who could not attend the Kalchakra rituals on account of restrictions imposed by the Chinese authorities.
Thousands of pilgrims from Tibet went back without participating in the event as the Chinese officials reportedly issued threats, including cancellation of travel documents and withdrawal of government facilities, if the Tibetans stayed back in Bodh Gaya for the mega prayers.
Earlier, Dalai Lama sent a message to the Tibetan and Chinese devotees asking them not to lose heart for not being physically present during the rituals. Expressing solidarity with them, the Dalai Lama said they were not alone and asked them to offer prayers from wherever they are between January 11 and 14.
The spiritual leader has been living in India in self-imposed exile since 1959 when he fled his homeland after Chinese Communist troops took over Tibet.
Making his followers take the five vows, including non-consumption of wine and not telling lies, the Dalai Lama on Wednesday praised Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for imposing liquor ban in the state. “Prohibition in Bihar is a good step. Mahatma Gandhi also favoured prohibition,” he said and reminded his devotees that Lord Buddha said consumption of even a drop of alcohol was a sin.
The Nitish government enforced prohibition on April 5 last year in Bihar. Since then, more than 16,000 people have been arrested on charges of either consuming or transporting liquor across the state.