Tibet's Buddhists forced to pray online for the Dalai Lama

The faithful of Ngaba, Mangra and Sichuan cannot gather to pray together or follow the teachings of their spiritual leaders. Through the internet and mobile phones they wish good health to the Nobel Peace Laureate, who has undergone major surgery.

Dharamsala (AsiaNews) - The faithful of Tibetan Buddhism who live in areas controlled by China cannot gather to pray together or follow the spiritual instructions of the Dalai Lama. Yet, thanks to modern technology, they managed to come together to wish good health to their leader who - in recent weeks - has undergone a delicate operation in the United States, as reported by Radio Free Asia.

A source, anonymous for security reasons explains: "The residents of Ngaba, Mangra and the provinces of Sichuan and Qinghai live under the restrictions imposed by the Chinese government. But when they heard of the Dalai Lama's operation they began to pray in the privacy of their home".

However, the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism believes that community prayers are more effective. So, to get around the government repression, they accessed chat rooms and used text messages. In this way, they were able to - at least in a virtual way - pray together for the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Their precaution is not excessive: in the early days of February, police arrested the abbot of the monastery Chongri, named Pagah, and monk Geshe Orgyen because they had organized a prayer ceremony in Drango County. In the same area, the authorities also imposed a ban on the image of the Dalai Lama: those who display it risk immediate arrest.

• Tibet
• China
• Dalai Lama
• Buddhism
• religious freedom
• independence
• arrest
• persecution