One by one, they bowed three times before placing white and beige prayer cloths in front of a large portrait of the Dalai Lama.
Nearly all of the 158-member Utah Tibetan community gathered in Salt Lake City’s Lindsey Gardens to honor their spiritual and political leader Sunday morning on his 68th birthday. They also joined other Tibetans and supporters in more than 56 cities in 24 countries in observing World Tibet Day.
“I made a wish and asked for long life for His Holiness,” said Kalsang Dorjee, a 26-year-old Tibetan who has been in Utah for nearly two years. “My wish also was prayers for the universe.”
The simple, elegant framed photograph of the Dalai Lama, draped in a Tibetan prayer cloth, sat in reverence under a line of prayer flags — made up of five colors representing sky, clouds, fire, water and earth. A nearby caldron of burning incense, herbs, pine needles and dry tea gave the air a sweet aroma.
World Tibet Day, which occurs on the birthday of the exiled Tibetan leader, is meant to draw attention to China’s tightening grip on Tibet, said Utah Tibetan Association member Tsering Dhondup. The day also is a global call for the restoration of religious, cultural and political freedom to the Tibetan people.
“Tibet is an ancient country, and China is trying to wipe it from the face of the earth. Tibetans practice the most pure form of Buddhism. We must preserve Tibet; our independence is important,” said Dhondup.
A lengthy prayer or chantlike reading of Buddhist scripture opened the program as sweet tea and bread were offered. The ceremony included an array of Tibetan cultural practices — from throwing small amounts of rice and wheat in the air as an offering to the gods, to singing the Tibetan National Anthem, to a full-participation traditional dance.
Tsewang Rinzin gave a brief history of the current Dalai Lama and the Tibetans’ belief that he is the 14th reincarnation of their spiritual leader. Along with the photo of the Dalai Lama was a message from him:
“World Tibet Day has opened many hearts to the fundamental rights of the Tibetan people to preserve our culture and to practice our religion freely — and it has clearly raised public awareness about the present threat of the very existence of the Tibetan people. I am encouraged by the public support this event has built for the Tibetan cause.”
Following a mass uprising against Chinese rule in 1959, the Dalai Lama and thousands of other Tibetans fled to India. Under the Dalai Lama’s guidance, the worldwide Tibetan refugee community has remained a strong social and political organization. He won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, established an exile-Tibetan government in Dharamsala, India, and is waging a nonviolent struggle for an independent Tibet.
Dhondup told Sunday’s gathering that although it has been nearly 50 years since China first began to occupy its Himalayan neighbors, there is reason for optimism. China recently invited the Dalai Lama’s representatives to China for talks, he said. “We hope something happens in the Dalai Lama’s lifetime.”
sykes@sltrib.com
