Dalai Lama congratulates Japan’s new emperor
DHARAMSALA, 2 May: His Holiness the Dalai Lama has congratulated Japan’s new emperor, Naruhito who formally took his place as emperor in a short but symbolic ceremony at the Imperial Palace on Wednesday.
“I warmly admire Your Majesty’s determination to continue your respected father’s, the Emperor Emeritus’s, compassionate approach of interacting closely with the public, while fulfilling the responsibility of Symbol of the State,” the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama wrote in a missive to the Japan’s new emperor, Naruhito the official website of the Tibetan spiritual leader, dalailama.com reported.
“I have profound respect for the resilience of the people of Japan and for the way the nation rose up again from the ashes of World War II. In subsequent years too, Japan has faced unprecedented, natural disasters but has recovered thanks to a combination of hard work and strength of spirit. I have seen this with my own eyes when I had the opportunity to visit areas struck by the devastating earthquake and the tsunami of 2011. I met there with people affected by these calamities and we prayed together for those members of the community who had lost their lives,” the Dalai Lama said.
The Tibetan Nobel Laureate further appreciated the interest and enthusiasm shown by the Japanese people towards his efforts to encourage the cultivation of fundamental human values such as compassion and religious harmony and concluded his missive by offering his prayers and good wishes for the 59-year-old emperor for a successful reign wherein the people will be happy, and that the new era will contribute to a more peaceful, compassionate world.
Naruhito succeeds his father, 85-year-old Akihito, who abdicated citing his age and failing health. His father is the first Japanese emperor to stand down in more than 200 years.
Emperor Naruhito promised to follow the path laid down by his father, ‘sharing in the joys and sorrows of the people’ at the ceremony to formally recognise his accession to the chrysanthemum throne, reports The Guardian.
