China: Buddhist Clergy Told To Not Protest Monastery Demolition
By UCA News
As Chinese authorities prepare to tear down parts of a historic Buddhist monastery in Sichuan province, monastic leaders are urging calm, reports RFA.
Plans for the demolition for parts of Larung Gar Buddhist Academy go into effect on July 25, an anonymous source said.
“It will begin with the nuns’ dwellings, as nine of those areas have been marked for action,” he said. “The demolition crews will consist of Chinese soldiers and workers.”
Senior monastic leaders Khenpo Tsultrim Lodroe and Khenpo Rigdar urged monks and nuns living at the monastery to continue their studies and shun any demonstrations, RFA reported.
The demolition is expected to cut the number of monks and nuns at the monastery to 5,000, about half of its current number. According to Tibetan website Pahyul, Larung Gar became one of the world’s most significant centers for the study of Tibetan Buddhism after the Cultural Revolution.