(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Shigatse, Tibet, will host a Kalachakra ceremony from October 9 to 12. The event, led by Gyaltsen Norbu, the Chinese‑appointed Panchen Lama, is billed as a peace‑building rite for the world, the nation’s prosperity and the welfare of all beings. The monastery said that Norbu will share the sacred teachings with compassion.
The venue has issued strict guidelines for worshippers. Monks and laypeople must obey security rules, keep the site orderly and use the same silence during the ritual. Attendees are forbidden from bringing knives, alcohol or flammable items.
This isn’t Norbu’s first Kalachakra ceremony. In 2016 he led a similar ceremony at Dechen Phodrang, not far from Tashi Lhunpo, and critics claimed Chinese officials pressured Tibetans to attend. Since then, Norbu has toured Tibet, pushing Beijing’s agenda to “Sinicise” Tibetan Buddhism. His efforts followed a private meeting with President Xi Jinping earlier this year, where he pledged loyalty to the Communist Party’s religion policies.
The meeting also marked the 30th anniversary of the disappearance of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the boy the Dalai Lama recognised as the legitimate 11th Panchen Lama in 1995. China says Choekyi Nyima lives a normal life, but no evidence has supported the claim. Many Tibetans, inside Tibet and in exile, still reject Norbu’s legitimacy, seeing him as a political tool of the Chinese state and a symbol of state control over Tibetan religion.
The upcoming ceremony is expected to draw large crowds of monks, lay followers and visitors from around the world. The event underscores the ongoing debate over religious authority in Tibet and the broader struggle between Chinese influence and traditional Tibetan leadership.
Source: aninews
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
