receive our newsletters
join Friends of FPMT
Welcoming His Holiness the Dalai Lama with balloons, banners, big smiles and a very long khata in London, September 2015. Photo by Robin Bath.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited the United Kingdom in September 2015. Long-time FPMT student Alison Murdoch shared this report on how FPMT UK students united with the local Tibetan community and other Tibetan Buddhist groups to offer a very warm welcome to His Holiness.
Three FPMT students were among a four-person team who collaborated with the Office of Tibet and the Tibetan community in Britain to offer the warmest possible welcome to His Holiness The Dalai Lama during his September 2015 visit to the UK.
Jane Moore, assisted by Drukpa Kagyü student, Ilana Pearlman, started early in the year communicating with Tibetan Buddhist groups of all four main schools throughout the UK about His Holiness’ advice on the Dolgyal/Shugden issue. As a result, over 40 out of a potential 44 groups signed a ground-breaking statement in full and open support of His Holiness. The Tibetans were so impressed that it was broadcast on one of the Tibetan radio stations. They were also keen that the statement be presented to His Holiness.
Jane and Ilana also encouraged Buddhists from all four schools to stand alongside the Tibetan community in Britain in offering a peaceful and colorful phebsu (welcome) to His Holiness at every venue, in counter-balance to protesters, and organized 1,000 brightly-colored balloons with welcoming messages for everyone to hold. FPMT UK coordinator Jay Simpson created a particularly beautiful banner welcoming His Holiness to the UK on behalf of the FPMT, and all the FPMT centers and groups helped publicize the phebsu.
FPMT UK banner welcoming His Holiness the Dalai Lama held by Roy Sutherwood, director of Jamyang Buddhist Centre, and Mike Murray, SPC, in the gompa at Jamyang, London, UK, September 2015. Photo by Natascha Sturny.
Meanwhile, Anna Colao and Alison Murdoch worked together to set up a welcoming initiative called Open Arms. “The name ‘Open Arms’ was chosen because open arms are a universal symbol of welcome that remind us not only of our parents, friends and loved ones, but also of our responsibility and our potential to show kindness and goodwill to every other being,” said Anna, who masterminded the creation of a virtual khata offering to His Holiness on the Facebook site Open Arms 2015. This included many international contributions from FPMT students and centers and was quite a feat given that Anna was over eight and a half months pregnant at the time.
World’s longest khata offering in Central London, UK, September 2015. Photo by Natasha Sturny.
Alison organized a procession of hundreds of Tibetans and Westerners through Central London, carrying the world’s longest khata offering to His Holiness. It was 252 meters (827 feet) in length, stretching right across the River Thames to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. The video of this joyful and auspicious occasion has now been viewed over 11,000 times at https://www.facebook.com/welcomedalailama. When the procession reached its end, near Trafalgar Square, the giant khata plus a photo album containing all the virtual khata offerings was presented to His Holiness.
Album containing photos of ‘virtual’ khata offerings to His Holiness from around the world, September 2015. Photo by Alison Murdoch.
For the organizing team, it was a matter of great joy to be able to put into practice Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s often-repeated advice that the highest priority for FPMT is to serve His Holiness, as His Holiness is the greatest source of inspiration for FPMT, and that the FPMT should take a clear and public stand on the subject of the practice of Dolgyal/ Shugden.
Another wonderful outcome of these activities was the strengthening of friendships with the Office of Tibet and the Tibetan community in Britain.
“I think the visit was very successful, especially from our perspective in welcoming His Holiness, and it wouldn’t have been so without your help and support,” wrote one of the Tibetan organizers afterwards. “I personally would like to thank you for all your time and efforts in bringing our Western Buddhist friends and centers together to show their support for His Holiness. … We managed to give the warmest and the most unique welcome to His Holiness with your brilliant idea of offering the longest khata, which was truly a wonderful experience for all of us as well.”
Open Arms 2015 participants with khatas for offering to His Holiness, London, UK, September 2015. Photo by Claire Pullinger.
You can find the long life prayer for His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s prayer “Remembering the Kindness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan People,” Mandala stories on His Holiness the Dalai Lama and more on FPMT.org.
FPMT.org brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from nearly 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.