Monday, February 25, 2013, was a very special day: not only was it the first full moon of the Tibetan New Year, but also one of the four major sacred days in Buddhism, marking four important events in Buddha Shakyamuni’s life.

KIB Society chose this day to bring some light and joy to the lives of fifty children suffering from cancer, as well as to their parents and relatives.

KIBS’ Chief Patron, H. H. the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, accompanied by the Society’s President Professor Sempa Dorje, and some of his monks and KIBS volunteers visited the oncology ward at All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, one of Asia’s largest hospitals.

Losar, the Tibetan New Year, is celebrated on the first day of the first lunar month. It is usually an occasion for joyful celebrations and various kinds of merriment.
However, this year – in view of the large number of natural and man-made disasters, and in particular the tragic increase in self-immolations in Tibet – His Holiness Karmapa decided to cancel all celebrations and instead perform the practice of the Sadhana of Avalokiteshavara (tib. Chenresig), entitled Drodon Khakyabma (“Extending Throughout Space for the Benefit of Beings”) and composed by Thangtong Gyalpo.