It was warm and hazy when Gyalwang Karmapa arrived at Gaya
Airport shortly after eleven o’clock, having come directly from
the morning session of the Kagyu Monlam at the Mahabodhi Temple.
Inside the airport VIP lounge he was received by various Indian
dignitaries including the ADM Uday Kumar and the Airport
Controller Mr Prabhu Dev.
Under the auspices of the 27th International Kagyu
Monlam, Rangjung Khoryug Sungkyob Tsokpa, the environmental
organisation for Kagyu monasteries and centres established by
His Holiness, has begun a small reforestation project on
scrubland within the grounds of Gaya Airport, with the blessing
of the State Government of Bihar.
On Tuesday fifty monk and nun volunteers from Khoryug came out
to the airport to clean the grounds as a gesture of friendship,
and to prepare the holes for the saplings. During today’s
inauguration ceremony, Gyalwang Karmapa was the first to plant
one of ten young ashoka trees in a small garden area in front
of the terminal entrance. The rest were planted by the ADM, the
Airport Controller and Lama Karma Choedrak, Chief Executive of
the International Kagyu Monlam, and other guests. Tergar
Monastery is taking the lead in this project and will have
responsibility for nurturing and protecting the saplings.
Commenting on the work of the monks and nuns, Mr Prabhu Dev
said how impressed he had been by their active leadership in
protecting the holy and sacred sites of Bodhgaya, and he hoped
that other members of the community would follow their example.
Because of the aridity of the environment, this is the wrong
time of year to plant some species of native trees and a
separate area of 15 000 square metres has been set aside for the
second stage of the project, planting a greater variety of
trees during the rainy season, June and July 2010.
The project has been dedicated as a long-life prayer for His
Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, and a
commemorative stone has been erected bearing his words:
“Protect the earth. Live simply. Act with compassion. Our future
depends on it.”
