The Fourth Europe Tibetan Buddhism Conference convened at Yeunteling, Huy, Belgium from 13 to 14 September 2024, bringing together 44 delegates representing 28 Buddhist Centres from 9 European countries.
The Conference commenced with an opening ceremony that included invocation by the Sangha followed by a video message from Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the incumbent Kalon (Minister) of the Department of Religion and Culture, CTA.
In her opening remarks, Representative Rigzin Genkhang of the Office of Tibet, Brussels, welcomed the participants and thanked them for their presence at the conference to discuss issues of shared interest. She further expressed her deep gratitude to Venerable Geshe Lhakdor for consenting to address the conference as the main Speaker.
During the one-and-half day, the conference aimed to explore among other things, the concept of reincarnation in Tibetan Buddhism, with a focus on the succession of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in view of the continued attempts by the People’s Republic of China to interfere on the matter.
Venerable Geshe Lhakdor, Director of Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, gave an insightful keynote speech, which set a positive tone for the discussions and motivated attendees to engage deeply on the themes presented.
After much deliberation and serious discussion, a six-point declaration was unanimously adopted.
Participants expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to engage in a meaningful dialogue about the future of Tibetan Buddhism in the context of contemporary challenges. They left Yeuntenling with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to remain united in the face of adversity.
Representative Sonam Frasi of the Office of Tibet, London, Coordinator Thupten Tsering of the Bureau du Tibet, Paris, and UN Advocacy Officer Phuntsok Topgyal of the Tibet Bureau Geneva were also in attendance.
The third conference was held at the same venue from December 7-8, 2019, while the first and second were held in Fribourg and Zurich in 2013 and 2005 respectively.
