The Dalai Lama says he fears that Chinese agents might send fake devotees to poison him, the Sunday Telegraph reports.
According to the UK newspaper, the Tibetan Buddhist leader said he had received reports from inside Tibet warning that Chinese agents had trained Tibetan women to administer the poison. The Dalai Lama said the women supposedly would have poison in their hair or head scarves and when he touched them to give a blessing, it would be passed to him.
He said that his aides couldn't confirm there was such a plot but that on advice of Indian security officials he was living with increased security in his temple grounds in Dharamsala in the Himalayan foothills, according to the Sunday Telegraph.
The report did not specify if the supposed Chinese agents were from China's government or some other group.
The report comes at a time of heightened tension between Tibetans and Chinese authorities.
Tenzin Gyatso, 76, is the 14th Dalai Lama. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. He recently won the $1.7 million Templeton Prize for his work linking science and wider questions of faith and religion -- and plans to give the money away when it's awarded on Monday in London.
Dalai Lama to give $1.7 million prize to a mystery beneficiary
Read more about the Dalai Lama and the Tibetans' struggle with China here or take a look at his Facebook and Twitter accounts.
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