CTA’s week-long prayer service for Tibetans deceased, suffering COVID-19 underway

Monks of Nechung Drayaling Monastery chanting prayers for Tibetans who have passed away or are infected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

DHARAMSALA, 11 May: The Department of Religion and Culture of the Central Tibetan Administration has begun its week-long prayer service dedicated to Tibetans who have passed away or are infected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since 8 May, the monks of Nechung Drayaling Monastery have started a weeklong prayer service, an initiative undertaken by the CTA’s Department of Religion and Culture, reported Tibet.net, the official webpage of the CTA.

The initiative “ hopes to provide strength and resolution for the sick and the emotionally distressed so that they may overcome the disease.”

It is further aimed at supporting “the families of the deceased in observing unhindered prayer rituals according to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. “

“As a whole, the prayer is dedicated to everyone who’s suffering physically or mentally due to the pandemic and for the speedy resolution to the global crisis,” the report added.

The Additional Secretary of the Dept, Mr Dhondul Dorjee has stated in the report that “all the Tibetan monastic and religious centres under the purview of the department will also take part in the prayer initiative.”

“Buddhist monastic and religious centres that were previously instructed by the Dept. to temporarily suspend religious gathering to comply with the local lockdown guidelines have been advised to observe prayer ceremonies on daily basis or once in three days or at least once in a week in compliance with the local social distancing and lockdown guidelines.”

The department covers the full expenditure of the weeklong prayer service and Tibetans who wish to send prayer requests may contact the department over email on religion@tibet.net or on WhatsApp at 9805472150.

While it is hard to ascertain how many Tibetans have died due to the Wuhan, China originated pandemic, the President of Central Tibetan Administration, (CTA) Dr Lobsang Sangay has 18th April that “approximately 100 Tibetans” have contracted the COVID-19 with many of them already cured.

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