Chinese authorities destroyed Kalachakra Sand Mandala, forced devotees to leave the teaching in Amdo
By Tsering Choephel
DHARAMSHALA, 21 July: Chinese authorities tore down tents and destroyed sacred sand mandala on Wednesday, to deter gathering of Tibetans for the scheduled Kalachakra teaching in Amdo Tsongon region in Tibet, reported Radio Free Asia (RFA) yesterday.
Tibetans in the region had long appealed to Chinese authorities for permission to organise the teaching. The Kalachakra teaching by Lama Kalsang Tashi Gyatso, abbot of Athi Monastery in Amdo Tsolo, northeastern Tibet was supposed to begin on Wednesday.
Organizers of the sacred religious event had paid over 200,00 yuan (US$27,000) to secure the venue and had food and other necessities already prepared, says the report.
“Though Qinghai’s Department of Religious Affairs had already granted permission to organize this Kalachakra teaching, now there are so many Chinese police deployed all over the venue where it was supposed to take place, and people have been forced to leave the premises,” a Tibetan source who declined to be identified on account of safety told RFA.
A Tibetan source from Tibet has informed RFA that the Chinese authorities, in an attempt to block the news of the event from spreading, have erased all the related photos and news of the Kalachakra teachings online.
The same source added, “The authorities have also started interrogating those who have already shared news and photos about the Kalachakra.”
According to the report, a similar event occurred just last week in Tsoe of Amdo Khanlo, where a prominent lama’s scheduled Kalachakra teaching was canceled by the Chinese government despite obtaining permission from authorities in advance.
“The local Tibetans are certain that the central Chinese government has instructed the local authorities to curb such large religious gatherings,” a Tibetan source told RFA.
“And this last-minute cancellation of Kalachakra has really disappointed and infuriated devotees who have come from far and nearby areas” the source added.
In recent years, under the Xi Xingping’s rule, Chinese authorities has further tightened their restrictive control of Tibetans way of life: from study of their language to practice of their culture and religion.
