NEW DELHI, India — A spokesman for the Dalai Lama said today that the Tibetan leader will undergo surgery to remove a gallstone.
The Dalai Lama was hospitalized in New Delhi early today, just days after a medical checkup cleared him to resume foreign travel. In August, the 73-year-old was admitted to a Mumbai hospital and underwent tests for abdominal discomfort. Doctors advised him to cancel a trip to Europe and rest, saying he was suffering from exhaustion.
On Thursday, spokesman Chhime Chhoekyapa said the Dalai Lama had cleared a medical check and was to return to Dharmsala, his home in exile, but today Chhoekyapa confirmed that “a gallstone will be removed.”
The Dalai Lama normally spends several months a year traveling the world to teach Buddhism and highlight the Tibetans’ struggle for greater freedom in China.
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 region from the rest of China. The Dalai Lama has said he is only seeking greater autonomy for Tibet to protect its unique Buddhist culture.
