Reported By Kelsang Jinpa
Translated By TenGyal
Edited by Kelsang Jinpa
More than four years have passed since a Tibetan monk was arbitrarily arrested and abducted by the Chinese authorities in Lhasa. To this day, his family and close relatives remain in the dark about his conditions and whereabouts.
Photo: Tibettimes
According to verified information received from a reliable source, on August 5th, 2021, the Chinese Police arbitrarily arrested Dhargye, a Tibetan monk along with two other associates in Lhasa. While the two others were later released after several months, Dhargye’s condition and whereabouts still remains unknown.
A related source reported “ The local people had contacted and inquired the Lhasa Police about the whereabouts and condition of the monk. In response, the police had offered assurances that Venerable Dhargye would be definitely released soon enough and that he was not facing any problems and was keeping well. Placing their hopes and faith in these deceptive assurance offered by the Chinese authorities, the related local people have not been able to highlight his critical condition to channels outside of Tibet until now.The lack of clear information available to Tibetans regarding the critical condition of Ven. Dhargye highlights the deepening crisis in Tibet, where the Chinese government continues its unchecked suppression, arbitrary detention, and enforced disappearances.”
Venerable Dhargye, now about 63 years old, hails from Serta in Walshul, Golog (Golog Tibetan Autonmous Prefecture) and is the son of Choephel and Choelha. He is a monk of Serta Sera Monastery. Prior to his arrest, he resided in Lhasa, where he took pilgrimages around the major holy Tibetan Buddhist sites and went into retreats, and received teachings from numerous Tibetan lamas. He was well known as a qualified monk, who carried out consecrations of statues, scriptures, and stupas. People trusted him for his honesty and reliability. To meet the needs of the faithful, he also ran a small shop in Lhasa where people could bring sacred objects for proper consecration.
According to The Nectar of the Wise Eyes: A New Edition of the History of Serta Walshul, the Sera Thekchen Chokhor Ling Monastery is located in Khekor Township, west of Serta County. Founded in 1736 by Awoe Lama Lobsang and Sangsang Badma Jinpa, it is one of the major monasteries that preserves and transmits the teachings of both the old and the new Buddhist traditions.
