TIBETAN MONKS RECEIVED ORDERS TO LEAVE

CHINA SAYS AID-GIVING MONKS
ADVISED TO LEAVE QUAKE AREA

YUSHU (Reuters) - Authorities tell Buddhist lamas in Yushu county to cease rescue and relief efforts and return to monasteries. Chinese officials have ordered some monasteries to recall monks from the western town devastated by an earthquake last week. More than 2,180 people died in the 14 April earthquake and 12,000 were injured. Buddhist lamas have played a crucial role in rescue and relief operations in Jiegu, an overwhelmingly Tibetan town in Qinghai province. Thousands have dug for survivors in the rubble, disposed of bodies and arranged food and shelter for the homeless. The Tibetan plateau has in the past been the scene of ethnic conflict. However, the state media has portrayed the response to the quake as proof of underlying ethnic harmony. The Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, had asked to return to Qinghai to comfort the victims, but the chinese government has ignored his request. He was born in Qinghai province but has not set foot in China since a failed Tibetan uprising more than 50 years ago.

While the Dalai Lama is loved by China's Tibetans, he is hated by the Chinese government, which regards him as a separatist. Professor Robert Barnett, director of the modern Tibetan studies program at Columbia University, said: “China has never faced this situation before, where the monks it has demonised for 15 years as potential enemies of the state turn out to be energetic contributors to social construction and community building, the same role that the party has always claimed for itself. There is an opportunity here for the Chinese state finally to recognise the immense cultural resources that the monks can offer.”


China's communist country has been benefitted from the humility and spirit of service of the Buddhist monks and nuns, and now advised them to leave. Devotees of any spiritual path have outstanding qualities. As regards the Vaishnavas, they have all the good qualities because Sri Krishna's attributes diffuse themselves in His devotees.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Devotees are always compassionate, spiteless, truthful, equal to all, faultless, magnanimous, gentle, and pure in words, deed and thoughts. They are without any material possessions, universal benefactors; they are tranquil having mind and senses under control; they surrender to Sri Krishna. They are desireless, harmless and firm in their faith; and they are conquerors of hunger, thirst, affliction, fear, infirmity and death. Further, they are not affected by the six fold miseries. On the other hand they are temperate in diet, vigilant and cautious, respectful to others, modest, serious, tender-hearted, friendly to all, learned and discreet, clever and skilful, reticent and not given to idle or vulgar gossip.

Śrīla Bhakti Vaibhava Purī Mahārāj :
“Six Goswamins” - “Sanatana Goswami - Sanatana Siksha”
Bhakti Bigyan Nityananda Book Trust
Śrī Krishna Chaitanya Mission
http://www.bvml.org/SBVPGM/