The Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama led a mass prayer service for the victims of floods in Ladakh and Pakistan, wildfires in Russia and mudslides in Drugchu in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous prefecture.
The 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, ministers and staff members of the Tibetan government in exile, Tibetan parliament members and representatives of various NGOs and institutions attended the prayer gathering along with hundreds of Tibetans. The prayer service held at the Tsuglakhang was jointly organised by the Department of the Religion and Culture of the Central Tibetan Administration and the Central Executive Committee of Dhomey in Dharamsala.
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama expressed his sorrow and grief for the people affected by the recent natural disasters and expressed concern over preserving ecology.
“I have been deeply saddened by the loss of many lives and the destruction of property caused by the floods in Pakistan and India. I have offered my condolences and prayers as well as token donations towards relief and rescue work,” the Tibetan spiritual leader said in a statement posted on his official website.
“I am also very sad that there has been a massive landslide in Drugchu (Chinese: Zhouqu) in the south-east of Kanlho, (Chinese: Gannan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu province in which many people have lost their lives. It is reported that this is one of the deadliest incidents in decades. I understand that Premier Wen Jiabao visited Zhouqu to oversee relief and rescue work. I pray for all thsoe who have lost their lives and offer sympathy and heart-felt condolences to the bereaved and all those who have been affected by this natural calamity.”
"According to experts these very unusual floods and the devastating fires in Russia are symptoms of a deeper malaise occurring due to unprecedented global warming and other environmental causes," the Dalai Lama said in the statement adding that a concerted international effort was “needed to think about measures to preserve our common and delicate ecology.”
"Our effort should be that our heartfelt prayers and sympathy must reach out unconditionally to all the victims of disasters regardless of where they took place," the Dalai Lama said during the prayer session.