FM Radio and electronic gadgets banned in Dalai Lama teachings

Dharamshala, Aug 19: In a meeting held in the SP's office at Dharmashala, it has been decided that personal FM Radio and electronic gadgets shall not be allowed in His Holiness' teaching sessions.

This has been done purely in lieu of security reasons. The Himachal Pradesh police has reviewed the security of the Tibetan spiritual leader, his official palace, the Tibetan government-in-exile, headquartered here several times in the past few months.

"Only radios that have been provided by the Tibetan Security will be used during the prayers and teachings of His Holy Highness. The security issues have been revamped after the Bodh Gaya blasts, in anticipation of possible terror strikes in Tibetan-dominated areas and monastries in the state.

Earlier Superintendent of Police Balbir Thakur said that some loopholes were found in the security of spiritual leaders, the Dalai Lama and the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, who are residing here, and process is on to plug them .

The police has already strengthened security pickets around the Dalai Lama's palace and the Gyuto Tantric Monastic University, where the Karmapa resides.

"Since the government of India has extended Z-plus category security to the Dalai Lama, we have requested it to look into the feasibility to add chemical detectors to his security too," said Ngodup Dorjee, secretary of Central Tibetan Administration's (CTA) security wing.

According to the Dalai Lama's office the next Teaching in Dharamsala, HP, India is from August 25 to 27.In this meeting His Holiness will give a two and a half-day teaching on Tsongkhapa's Concise Treatises on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment & An Overview of Tantra from Tsongkhapa's Stages of the Path of Mantrayana at the request of a group of Koreans at the Main Tibetan Temple at Mecleodganj.

And yet another Teaching in Dharamsalashall be from September 3 to 5. In this His Holiness will give a two and a half-day teaching and continue from Chapter 8 from Shantideva's A Guide to the Boddhisattva's Way of Life (chodjug) at the request of a group of Southeast Asians at the Main Tibetan Temple.