Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Saturday offered prayers in Dharamsala for the victims of the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
In a letter sent to Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, the Dalai Lama expressed 'shock and sadness' on the news of yesterday's earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan and offered condolences to the victims' families and others affected by it.
The Dalai Lama said, "We must all be grateful that the Japanese government's disaster preparedness measures prevented the death and destruction from being much worse".
"His holiness offered his prayers for those who have lost their lives and offered his sympathy and condolences to their families and others affected by it," a statement issued by the Nobel Laureate's office said.
The statement said "as a Buddhist monk who daily recites the Heart Sutra, the Dalai Lama felt it would be very good if Japanese Buddhists were to recite the Heart Sutra" for the victims and survivors of the quake and the tsunami."
"Such recitation may not only be helpful for those who have lost their precious lives, but may also help prevent further disasters in the future," the Dalai Lama said.
He said prayers to recite the Heart Sutra 100,000 times were being organised in Dharamsala for this purpose.
