“Turn your worries into strength,” Gyalwang Karmapa tells students/ENG

2012. április 16./Phayul.com/TibetPress

By Tendar Tsering

DHARAMSHALA, April 19: Speaking at the Tibetan Transit School near Dharamshala earlier today, the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa Rinpoche urged the students to turn their “home sickness, worries, and sadness” into strength through hard work and dedication.

“We all are same,” Gyalwang Karmapa told the students, who are recent arrivals from Tibet. “We all came from Tibet. We all have worries, sadness and maybe same aim too. I can understand you all well.”

Gyalwang Karmapa, 26, made a daring escape from Tibet in 2000 after Chinese authorities increasingly restricted his ability to teach his disciples and to receive transmissions from his lineage teachers.

“You have to turn your worries into your strength. You have to focus on your long term goals and study hard,” the Tibetan spiritual leader said.

Referring to the ongoing wave of self-immolations in Tibet, Gyalwang Karmapa asserted that Tibetans, in addition to understanding the situation in Tibet, should also understand the global situation.

“Since 2008, protests in Tibet have been going on and many have burned themselves in protest against the Chinese government,” Gyalwang Karmapa said.

“Without understanding the whole situation of the world; economic, political and military, actions arising only out of a surge in emotions will not work.”

Gyalwang Karmpa was at the school to inaugurate a giant prayer wheel constructed by the students in honour of the 34 Tibetans who have set themselves on fire demanding the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile and freedom in Tibet.

“We have built the prayer wheel in honour of our martyrs who self-immolated in recent months in protest against the Chinese government,” school captain Phurbu Nyima said.

“We raised donations for the construction of the prayer wheel from the general public during the Kalachakra in Bodh Gaya earlier this year,” Nyima told Phayul. “We also received donations from the Kalachakra organising committee.”

This was the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa’s third visit to the school.