Tibetan religious head and the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, yesterday appealed to his followers to remain calm and refrain from escalation of violence in the wake of the blasts in Bodh Gaya town.
“I was deeply saddened to hear of the senseless violence perpetrated on Sunday at the Mahabodhi temple and its environs in Bodh Gaya,” the Karmapa, a frequent visitor at the Mahabodhi temple, said in a statement here in Dharamshala. This is the place, he said, where Buddhist pilgrims from India and all over the world pay homage to Lord Buddha and his teachings.
“As yet, we do not know why or by whom this sacred site was targeted. However, I am convinced that, as Buddhists, in responding to this situation, the best homage we can pay to Lord Buddha is to uphold his teachings on love and ahimsa (nonviolence),” said the 28 year old monk.
He also added, “I ask you, therefore, to remain calm and refrain from any further escalation of the violence. I offer my prayers for the victims and their families, and call on Buddhists everywhere to truly embrace the wisdom of Lord Buddha’s teachings in all that we do.”
Nine blasts took place between 0530 hours and 0600 hours on Sunday at the over two millennium old Mahabodhi temple, which is annually visited by millions of pilgrims from all over the world, especially from Sri Lanka, China, Japan and the Southeast Asia region.
