SESSION ONE: SOJONG VOWS, MEDICINE
BUDDHA SADHANA and KANGYUR PROCESSION
Report by Gelongma Rinchen Khandro
This cool December morning after all the monks and nuns were
seated, the Rinpoches arrived and took their seats. HE
Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche, HE Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche,
Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, Dolob Tenga Rinpoche, Khenpo
Lodrö Dönyö Rinpoche, and Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche were
there. Khenpo Tsultrim Gyatso Rinpoche and Dzogchen Ponlop
Rinpoche, who arrived in Bodh Gaya yesterday, were also able
to attend.
His Holiness arrived before dawn, sat beneath the bodhi tree
and bestowed the sojong vows, reminding us of our
motivation, to take the vows for the benefit of beings.
After the Sanskrit prayers, the umze with his voice
resonating over the intercom, never missing a beat, went
into the Ritual offering to the Medicine Buddha and the
Seven Tathagatas, which is now conveniently available in a
supplementary book which accompanies the Monlam prayer book.
At 8 am all the gelong and gelongma, who were to participate
in carrying volumes of the Kangyur for the Kangyur
procession, lined up near the entrance to the Shrine to
receive the volume they were to carry.
During the short, eveining reheasal of the Kangyur
procession two days ago, His Holiness demonstrated how to
take the volume with two hands and touch it to your forehead
before putting it on your left shoulder. During the
rehearsal His Holiness said that this edition of the Kangyur
contained 103 volumes. This year he wanted all seven of the
gelongma present at the Kagyu Monlam to participate in the
Kangyur procession. Thus His Holiness explained this year
there would be 96 gelong and 7 gelongma carrying the volumes
of Kangyur.
We were each handed a volume, with flap facing outwards as
His Holiness had specified during the rehearsal. His
Holiness had stressed the importance of everyone being in
unison, walking slowly, with eyes focussed downwards,
keeping the correct distance. There were monks on hand to
assist so that everything was done according to His
Holiness's instructions.
The procession made its way down the right-hand side of the
Mahabodhi Stupa and up the central steps on to the outer
circuit. The Kangyur was preceded by incense bearing monks,
dressed in chögu and yellow tsesha [pointed hats] and two
monks playing gyaling. At the head of the procession,
arranged in ascending order and wearing red ceremonial hats,
came Khenpo Lodrö Dönyö Rinpoche, the abbot of Mirik, Yongey
Mingyur Rinpoche, Gyaltsab Rinpoche and Jamgon Kongtrul
Rinpoche, followed by His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa,
wearing his Gampopa hat.
Then came the 96 bareheaded gelong and the 7 gelongma,
bearing the texts balanced on their left shoulders,
supported by their left hand and steadied by their right.
During the Kangyur procession the faithful devotees lined up
along the circumambulation route holding flowers and katas,
excitedly waiting to see the procession. They were
instructed not to touch the monks and nuns or the volumes
but as their devotion is so fervent and their wish to
receive blessing was so strong a few just could not resist.
There were discipline masters, Dharmapalas and security
people on hand to help keep the crowd in check. As one
person touched my hand, the discipline master kindly told
him not to do that.
There were a few instances of people trying to touch the
volumes to their heads as the procession passed. Then
finally one person insisted that a kata should be put on a
volume of Kangyur. Even though the discipline master told
him not to, he insisted and draped it around the volume, and
in the end the discipline masters, some of whom were learned
Khenpos, just laughed and let it be.
Finally, the procession, having completed one
circumambulation, returned down the central steps and passed
to the left of the Mahabodhi stupa, and all the volumes were
given to the waiting monks who distributed them to the
congregation in sections, just one or two sheets at a time.
Thus the whole Kangyur, which contains all the teachings the
Lord Buddha gave when he resided on this earth, was read
within an hour or two.
SESSION TWO: CONSECRATION OF THE FRIEZE OF BUDDHA’S LIFE
Before returning to the throne for the reading of the
Kangyur, His Holiness took a detour to consecrate the new
sculpted stone frieze, sponsored by a Malaysian family,
which runs along a section of the middle circumambulation
path of the Mahabodhi Temple.
SESSION THREE: AKSHOBHYA PURIFICATION RITUAL AND DHARANI
SUTRA
Report by Jo Gibson
His Holiness returned to the Mahabodhi stupa after lunch in
order to conduct a shorter Akshobhya Ritual, including the
chanting of the Dharani that Thoroughly Purifies All Karmic
Obscurations, and the Sutra of the Dharani that Thoroughly
Liberates from All Suffering and Obscurations. His Holiness
instructed those who did not have the ritual text to recite
these two prayers or Akshobhya’s mantra, but not just for
their own benefit; they should bear in mind all sentient
beings. [Those attending the Monlam had received the
empowerment but would need the transmission and the
instructions before they could practise the full ritual
which belongs to kriya tantra.]
His Holiness sat on a special wooden throne facing a
same-height heavy, wooden, Japanese-style square altar,
which was used for the offerings. The Akshobhya ritual has
been preserved intact in the Japanese Vajrayana tradition,
as authenticated by evidence in old Tibetan texts. Behind
the altar, hung a thangka of Akshobhya Buddha, painted in
Chinese style and mounted on fine, patterned paper.
Akshobhya is dark blue in colour, with a reddish outer robe.
His left hand rests in the earth-touching gesture and his
right is in the mudra of meditation. In his palm is a golden
vajra.
After His Holiness concluded the ritual, he left to give a
public audience at Tergar Monastery. Immediately, the
specially erected shrine – the throne and the square altar,
both extremely sold pieces of furniture– were dismantled,
then carried with difficulty up the steps by several young
monks.
At the top of the steps, their way was barred by the small
entrance gate, which had to be moved to one side in order
for them to ease the shrine through. The parts were then
heaved into the back of a tractor trailer to be taken to
Tergar for the evening Akshobhya Purification Ritual and
fire puja.
8.00PM : EVENING AT TERGAR MONASTERY: AKSHOBHYA FIRE
RITUAL
See separate report.
