CHINA-TIBET: LHASA CITY BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION URGES TIBETANS NOT TO PERFORM RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES DURING MONTH OF 'SAGA DAWA' TO PREVENT PANDEMIC

The International Campaign for Tibet (May 12) reported that the Lhasa City Buddhist Association had issued a notice dated May 9, 2021, urging Tibetan Buddhists in Lhasa to restrict their traditional religious practice during the holy fourth month of the Tibetan calendar, which began on May 12. The notice states the reason as the “very significant” risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19, given the situation in “some neighbouring countries” and “imported cases” continuing to appear in China itself. The 4-point Lhasa City circular urges:

i) Tibetans to adopt the “correct view” on religion and not go for the “Lingkor,” which is the most prominent circumambulation route;

ii) Monks and nuns to take COVID-prevention actions and do some planting to beautify the environment around their monasteries;

iii) General tourists to be “well-behaved tourists”; and

iv) Monasteries to responsibly uphold harmony and stability and undertake the approach adopted by the Chinese Communist Party and the government on pandemic prevention.

The circular does not outrightly ban religious practice during this period, but implies that engaging in religious rituals will impact the pandemic situation in Lhasa. Contradictory, however, was the Xinhua report of May 7 publicising a surge in the number of tourists travelling to the TAR “in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period of 2019, with tourists arriving by train up 20 per cent and those arriving by air up 28 per cent.” The TAR authorities said on May 1, that they received a total of 706,700 tourists.

(Comment: According to Tibetan Buddhist beliefs, the holy fourth month, known in Tibetan as “Saga Dawa,” is when the Buddha was born, became enlightened and passed away. Buddhists consider it a month to perform virtuous actions, including religious practice. Traditionally, Tibetan Buddhists would go on daily circumambulations and pilgrimages to religious centres.)
  






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