By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, June 1: Days after his remarks drew mass condemnation, Tibetan religious figure Tulku Orgyen Topgyal on Saturday said he is withdrawing his remarks and issued a letter of apology to the foremost Tibetan Buddhist leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
On May 30, Tulku Orgyen Topgyal in a statement said, “Following the advice of my root guru and the reproach from my teachers; Sakya Trichen Rinpoche, Sakya Trizin, Ratna Vajra Rinpoche, I am withdrawing my recent remarks, and issue my apology to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and also make an appeal to him, to live a long life.”
The Tulku further said that with advice from his teachers, he will refrain from speaking against any religious figures who practice online blessings and empowerments.
The remarks made earlier last week drew condemnation from Tibetans as well as devotees of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. A voice clip of the Tibetan lama widely circulated on social media platforms and micro-messaging apps, critiqued the foremost Buddhist spiritual figure and other spiritual leaders for their practice of giving religious empowerments and blessings online.
Tulku Orgyen Topgyal said that empowerments can only be given when the teacher and student are physically together and not through television screens, adding that it violates tenets of religious empowerments.
The Kashag (Cabinet) of the Central Tibetan Administration, led by President Dr. Lobsang Sangay, the head of the Tibetan polity, earlier said that the remarks of the Tibetan religious figure are “regrettable and wrong”.
Tulku Orgyen Topgyal is a former two-time member of the Tibetan parliament in Exile.
