Dharamsala, November 24: Hundreds of Buddhists from Russia and its neghbouring countries are currently in Dharamsala to attend His Holiness the Dalai Lama's three-day teachings and Buddhist initiation.

Some 750 Buddhists from Russia, including Republics of Kalmykia, Buryatia and Tuva, and Mongolia, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan attended the first day teachings of the Dalai Lama here today at the Main Tibetan Temple. Of them, the majority of the attendees were devotees from Russia, Buryatia and Kalmykia.

The teachings are being jointly organised by the spiritual leaders Telo Rinpoche, the Head Lama of the Republic of Kamykia and Elo Rinpoche.

The Dalai Lama today gave an introductory teaching on Je Tsongkhapa's Three Principal Aspects of the Path (Lam-tso Nam-sum) and In Praise of Dependent Origin (Tendrel Toepa).

Besides, a large number of followers from over fifty different countries attended the first day teachings of His Holiness along side more than a thousand monks and nuns and hundreds of Tibetan lay people.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is revered by the Mongolian and Russian Buddhists as their supreme spiritual leader. They continue to seek the Dalai Lama's blessing and guidance for the full revival of Buddhism in their regions after undergoing decades of severe repression from Communist rule.