Doctors Remove Gallstone From Dalai Lama

73-Year-Old Exiled Tibetan Spiritual Leader Has "Simple, Routine Procedure" In India

(AP)  Surgeons successfully removed a gallstone from the Dalai Lama on Friday, just days after doctors had cleared the Tibetan spiritual leader during a medical checkup, a spokesman said.

Chhime R. Chhoekyapa called the surgery "a simple, routine procedure."

The Nobel Prize-winning Buddhist elder, seen by many as the embodiment of Tibet's struggle for more freedom in China, was hospitalized in New Delhi on Thursday. He arrived in New Delhi earlier in the week for a checkup, his second in as many months, and aides said afterward the 73-year-old had been cleared to resume foreign travels.

In August, the 73-year-old Dalai Lama was admitted to a Mumbai hospital and underwent tests for abdominal discomfort. His aides said then he was in good condition but doctors advised him to cancel a planned trip to Europe and rest, saying he was suffering from exhaustion.

The Dalai Lama normally spends several months a year traveling the world to teach Buddhism and highlight the Tibetan struggle. He lives in the north Indian hill town of Dharmsala, where he set up his government-in-exile after fleeing Tibet following a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule.

He was originally scheduled to return to Dharmsala on Thursday.

News of the surgery sparked worries in Dharmsala, where the Dalai Lama remains the central figure - both spiritually and politically - for thousands of exiles. While the exile community has become increasingly divided in recent years between followers who support his pacifist approach and a bitter younger generation demanding stronger action against China, he remains deeply revered.

"I have been thinking about this for a long time. He is 73 and will not always be around," said Tenzin Ngodup, a 28-year-old exile who escaped from Tibet into India in 1997. "What would happen to us when he is not around? I get very worried. People in Tibet have a lot of hope and faith that since he is here, something good will happen in Tibet. If the Dalai Lama goes, they will lose all hope."

After a March outbreak of violence in Tibet, China stepped up its campaign to vilify the Dalai Lama, blaming him for the unrest, which Beijing says was part of a campaign to split the Himalayan region from the rest of China.

The Dalai Lama has denied the allegations, saying he is only seeking greater autonomy for Tibet to protect its unique Buddhist culture.

[wl7bzh]

Is it me or does the Dali Lama look a lot like Phil Silvers?

Gall Stones?-Is possible some one has not being following their diet?

[bsuther]

Since I understand the depth and beauty of the Tibetan Buddhist lexicon, I do not mock it. However some of the comments are funny; but only for a moment, being arrogant enough to think that I truly exist. Go figure. Best wishes for a swift recovery to His Holiness.

[bsuther]

Since I understand the depth and beauty of the Tibetan Buddhist lexicon, I do not mock it. However some of the comments are funny; but only for a moment, being arrogant enough to think that I truly exist. Go figure. Best wishes for a swift recovery to His Holiness.

[clevercandi]

Prayers for a speedy recovery for His Holiness.

Blessed be.

Namaste.

[questionnews]

"Doctors Remove Gallstone From Dalai Lama"



The gallstones will be available for bid on ebay this weekend!

[easeup-2009]

So I jump ship in Hong Kong and make my way over to Tibet, and I get on as a looper at a course over in the Himalayas. A looper, you know, a caddy, a looper, a jock. So, I tell them I''m a pro jock, and who do you think they give me? The Dalai Lama, himself. Twelfth son of the Lama. The flowing robes, the grace, bald... striking. So, I''m on the first tee with him. I give him the driver. He hauls off and whacks one - big hitter, the Lama - long, into a ten-thousand foot crevasse, right at the base of this glacier. Do you know what the Lama says? Gunga galunga... gunga, gunga-galunga. So we finish the eighteenth and he''s gonna stiff me. And I say, "Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know." And he says, "Oh, uh, there won''t be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness." So I got that goin'' for me, which is nice.