The Dalai Lamas upcoming visit to Sikkim and West Bengal has ignited diplomatic discussions amidst the ongoing border tensions between India and China. The Tibetan spiritual leader will be offering teachings in Gangtok, just 50 kilometers from the China border, on December 12th and 13th. The teachings on Gyalsey Thokme Sangpos 37 practices of a Bodhisattva will happen at Paljor Stadium at the request of the Sikkim state government.Dalai Lama embarks on Sikkim and West Bengal visitRead @ANI Story | https://t.co/LpCvjl0ONy#DalaiLama #Sikkim #WestBengal pic.twitter.com/LtD8zCaGC9— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) December 9, 2023On December 14th, Dalai Lama will travel to Salugara in West Bengal, where he will provide a general teaching followed by the Ceremony for Generation of Bodhicitta at Sed-Gyued Monastery.What is the purpose of Dalai Lamas visitChimi Rigzin, the Dalai Lamas secretary, clarified the purpose of the visit. He said, His Holiness is visiting Sikkim at the invitation of the state government and Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang. He will be there for two days, offering public teachings at Paljor Stadium. The next day, there will be a state banquet in his honor. He will then proceed to Salugara for public teachings on the 14th morning.Rigzin also addressed potential concerns from China, stating, Sikkim is a crucial state. In fact, it was through Sikkim that His Holiness first entered India in 1956 for the 2500th anniversary of Buddha Jayanti. He has visited Sikkim several times since then and feels sentimental about it. When he first arrived in 1956, he felt a deep connection. However, Sikkim is a state of the Indian government, and China recognizes it as such. Therefore, China has no reason to be annoyed.
