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On October 23 2018, at the request of all the directors, teachers, staff and students of the Upper Tibetan Children's Village (TCV) School in Dharamsala, Guru Vajradhara the 12th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa graced its 58th Founding Anniversary Celebration as the Chief Guest. Guru Vajradhara, in his address, talked about the importance of the preservation of Tibetan religion and culture; about the preciousness and the present vulnerability of the Tibetan language; about the benefits of education in Buddhist sciences and their distinctive qualities; and about the importance of remembering the kindness of the Buddha and practicing according to his teachings. He pointed out that without mastering their own language, even if Tibetans know hundreds of other languages, they will not be able to efficiently serve the Tibetan community and will fail to preserve Tibetan religion and culture for future generations. Guru Vajradhara continued, "Even though the current situation may necessitate the introduction of modern science and philosophy into our language and the creation of new words and terms, we have to make sure that these do not have a negative influence on our own traditional culture, language or science. The Buddhist doctrine in its entirety is preserved in Tibetan and thus we have to put great effort in safeguarding our language. It will be a great loss not only for Tibetans, but for the whole world if the Tibetan language ends up becoming like the milk that is nowadays being sold in the market, which is in fact half milk and half water." "Language is what keeps the history of a nation and people alive and education and knowledge are what blossom extraordinary human qualities. Thus, no matter how small or large an activity we undertake, be it study or anything else, we need to have a clear objective, a stable plan and diligence, ensuring our body, speech and mind are in complete harmony with each other while executing these. With these three guidelines in mind, there is nothing that we can’t accomplish," he advised. Guru Vajradhara further stressed that we should never forget the kindness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who has worked tirelessly for the preservation of Tibetan religion and culture and has been responsible for all the secular and religious affairs of all Tibetan people. We have to be aware that it is only due to his kindness that the situation of Tibetan refugees has attracted global attention. There is no better long life offering we can make to His Holiness other than keeping his teachings and guidance in our hearts, thus continuing his legacy. Thus, all Tibetans should take this to heart, especially the young students who hold the future of our tradition in their hands. At the end, he presented awards to the TCV staff who have completed 20 years' service. The founding anniversary celebration was joyfully concluded with the students’ presentation of cultural performances and calisthenics display. After lunch, Guru Vajradhara visited the TCV school's new library. There, he performed a consecration ceremony which he concluded with aspiration prayers.
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