The Dalai Lama arrives back to an emotional welcome/ENG

2011. december 14./Phayul.com/TibetPress

DHARAMSHALA, December 14: Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived in his exile hometown of Dharamshala, north India earlier today.

Tibetan devotees, including hundreds of new arrivals from Tibet and foreign tourists lined up on the streets to give a grand welcome to the Dalai Lama who wrapped up a 16-day trip that saw him giving talks and teachings in New Delhi, Kolkata and Hunsur, south India and also meeting the former Czech president Vacla Haval in Prague.

"I arrived only a few days ago from Tibet and this is the first time that I am seeing the Dalai Lama in person," said an elderly Tibetan woman standing at the side of the road with a khatak (Tibetan white scarf) in her hands.

"I have dreamt of seeing him in person for whole of my life and now I have no regret even if I die," added the woman wiping her tears.

During his three-day visit to the Czech Republic, the Dalai Lama met with his close friend Vaclav Havel and Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg and also addressed a round table conference on "Democracy and Human Rights in Asia: One Year After an Empty Chair in Oslo".

The Dalai Lama wished former president Havel a speedy recovery during their meeting and offered Tibetan medicines according to reports.

The Tibetan spiritual leader is scheduled to give a three-day teachings on Tsongkhapa's Destiny Fulfilled (Tokjo Dunlekma) and Geshe Langri Thangpa's Eight Verses of Training the Mind (Lojong Tsik Gyema) and will also confer a Chakrasamvara (Demchok) Initiation at the request of a group of Russian Buddhists at the Tsug-la Khang from December 19 to 21.
By Tendar Tsering