Dalai Lama cancels Europe trip after doctors say he needs more rest

DHARMSALA, India - The Dalai Lama has cancelled a planned trip to Europe in October after doctors advised the Tibetan spiritual leader to rest more while he recovers from exhaustion.The decision was announced late Saturday by his office in Dharmsala, a north Indian hill town where he set up his headquarters after fleeing Tibet in 1959 in the wake of a failed uprising against Chinese rule.The 73-year-old holy man was admitted to a Mumbai hospital last month with what his advisers called exhaustion. He also underwent tests for abdominal discomfort.He has since returned to Dharmsala.His visit to Europe in October was canceled after doctors "informed His Holiness that his general health condition is good but strongly advised him to curtail his travel schedule," the statement said."His Holiness very much regrets the inconvenience this will cause to the organizers of his programs as well as to those who were looking forward to participating in them," it said. "We hope everyone will understand the situation."The Dalai Lama was to have visited Italy, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Germany, his spokesman, Tenzin Taklha, said Sunday. A series of lectures in Dharmsala planned for later this month would go ahead as scheduled, he said.He recently returned to India from France, and has canceled trips to Mexico and the Dominican Republic.The Dalai Lama spends several months a year traveling the globe to teach Buddhism and highlight the Tibetans' struggle for greater freedom in China.Since an outbreak of violence in Tibet in March, China has 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.