Dharamsala: Tibetan spiritual leader the
Dalai Lama on Saturday offered prayers here for the victims of the
massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
In a letter sent to Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan,
the Dalai Lama expressed "shock and sadness" on the news of
yesterday?s earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan and
offered condolences to the victims` families and others
affected by it.
The Dalai Lama said "we must all be grateful that the
Japanese government`s disaster preparedness measures prevented
the death and destruction from being much worse".
"His holiness offered his prayers for those who have
lost their lives and offered his sympathy and condolences to
their families and others affected by it," a statement issued
by the Nobel Laureate`s office said.
The statement said "as a Buddhist monk who daily recites
the Heart Sutra, the Dalai Lama felt it would be very good if
Japanese Buddhists were to recite the Heart Sutra" for the
victims and survivors of the quake and the tsunami.
"Such recitation may not only be helpful for those who
have lost their precious lives, but may also help prevent
further disasters in the future"", the Dalai Lama said.
He said prayers to recite the Heart Sutra 100,000 times
were being organized in Dharamsala for this purpose.
PTI
