His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s just launched iOS App blocked on Apple’s China app store 

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, Dec 16: The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama has launched a mobile app for the followers of the Tibetan spiritual leader to stay up to date with his travels and teachings.

The app titled ‘Dalai Lama’ can be downloaded for free only on Apple App Store and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices which run on iOS 10 or later. The App feeds news, videos, photos and information about His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

“Coinciding with His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s arrival at Drepung Monastery, which was known in Tibet as a New Nalanda University, and Ganden Ngachö, the anniversary of Je Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelukpa Tradition, the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama has released ‘Dalai Lama’, a new iPhone App now available for download at the Apple App Store,” reported dalailama.com, the official website of the Office of the Dalai Lama.

The Tibetan spiritual leader already has a massive online follower. The Dalai Lama has 16.7 million followers on twitter alone. The Dalai Lama’s app, ‘Dalai Lama’ has 4.4 ratings out of 5 on the app store at the time of reporting.

The Dalai Lama is open to embrace the advances of technology but with a cautious stand. “Without technology, humanity has no future, but we have to be careful that we don’t become so mechanized that we lose our human feelings,” His Holiness had said in an interview in 2014.

Since the app is currently not available in China’s App Store, the larger number of Tibetans as well as Chinese followers of the Dalai Lama will not be able to access it, states a report on Mail Online.

Apple is reported to have previously blocked iPhone applications related to the Dalai Lama and other exiles from its China store as well.

The Tibetan spiritual leader left Dharamshala on Dec 7 for over 20-day visit to Mumbai, Mundgod, Bylakuppe and Bengaluru. Having completed his engagements in Mumbai, the Dalai Lama is presently in Mundgod since Dec 11.

Holiness Holiness’s upcoming engagements include confering Hayagriva Initiation (tamding yangsang kawang) at Sera Je Monastery, Bylakuppe On 20 December, inaugurating new debating courtyard of Sera Mey Monastery on Dec 21, followed by a teaching on Tsongkhapa’s in Praise of Dependent Origination (tendrel toepa).

His Holiness will also visit Bengaluru from 24 – 26 December and fly back to Delhi on Dec 27.