To the Relevant Responsible Institutions of the Ganden Phodrangand to the Staff Serving Closely Around His Holiness:
With palms joined, I respectfully offer this letter.
I write as an ordinary Tibetan devotee. At the same time, this letter represents the shared voice of many Tibetan devotees like myself who have long been concerned for the physical well-being of His Holiness and who feel deep shock and indignation over the recent incident.
In recent days, images circulating online have shown that His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama was arranged to travel within India on a commercial flight in an ordinary economy-class seat. As Tibetans and as devotees, what we felt upon seeing these images was not calm acceptance, but an unbearable mixture of pain, anger, and shame. These emotions are not an isolated or excessive reaction of a few individuals; they are genuine feelings widely shared and steadily accumulating among many Tibetan devotees.
His Holiness is advanced in age, and his physical condition and limited mobility are well known to all. Throughout his life, His Holiness has devoted himself tirelessly to the welfare of sentient beings, to the Dharma, to peace, and to the world, without rest even to this day. Precisely for this reason, every journey undertaken by His Holiness should be arranged with the utmost care, professionalism, and reverence. Yet placing His Holiness in a cramped, crowded economy-class seat, where he is unable to stretch or move comfortably for extended periods, compels us to ask in all seriousness，Have those around His Holiness lost even the most basic common sense and the reverence that should naturally be present?
We must state this clearly and without ambiguity. His Holiness is not only the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism; he is the supreme refuge of the Tibetan people as a whole, and a universally recognized symbol of peace and spiritual guidance for the world. His Holiness has always taught humility, simplicity, and forbearance. However, his moral virtue must never be used as an excuse for negligence, indifference, or dereliction of duty by others. Allowing an elderly international spiritual leader to travel in economy class is not “simplicity”; it is a grave lack of respect, a grave lack of professionalism, and a grave lack of responsibility.
This incident goes far beyond a mere logistical oversight. It constitutes a potential threat to the physical safety of His Holiness, a direct injury to the emotional dignity of Tibetan devotees, and a serious erosion of the credibility of the Ganden Phodrang. As devotees, we cannot—and must not—remain silent.
Accordingly, I, together with many Tibetan devotees who share this same conviction, solemnly put forward the following demands:
1.A clear, public, and responsible explanation of this incident must be provided.
2.Responsibility must be thoroughly investigated and clarified, and the serious negligence of those involved must be subjected to genuine reflection and accountability.
3.Standards for travel arrangements and protocol appropriate to His Holiness’s status, age, and health condition must be immediately established and strictly implemented.
4.Concrete actions—not silence or evasion—must be taken to express proper repentance and respect toward His Holiness and toward the monastic and lay devotees.
The boundless compassion of His Holiness must not be misinterpreted as permission to neglect him.
The humility of His Holiness arises from his inner realization, and must never be used as a justification to lower basic standards of care.
The patience of His Holiness is an expression of spiritual practice, but it is never a shield to conceal administrative failure.
We write this letter not out of emotional impulse, but out of profound concern for the physical and mental well-being of His Holiness, out of firm resolve to uphold the dignity of the Dharma, and out of a serious reminder of the responsibilities that the Ganden Phodrang must bear.
We urge you to face the gravity of this matter directly.
His Holiness should never have been treated in this manner, and must never be treated this way again.
With palms joined,
Respectfully,
A Tibetan Devotee
On behalf of many Tibetan devotees who share this same voice
December 16, 2025
*The views and opinion expressed above are those of the authors*
