The Retreat
This year’s retreat, under the guidance
and supervision of His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa began
on 23rd November at Tergar Monastery, Bodhgaya and concluded
on December 7th. The retreat forms an essential part of the
preparations for the Akshobhya Fire Ritual on the
penultimate evening of the annual Karma Kagyu Monlam Chenmo.
The retreat is held in the shrine room opposite His
Holiness’ living quarters on the roof of the temple at
Tergar. People often express an interest in joining the
retreat. However, it is by personal invitation only, at the
behest of the Gyalwang Karmapa himself.
This year there were fifteen retreatants, drawn from Kagyu
communities worldwide and comprising four laypeople, five
nuns and six monks. Originally this special retreat was
restricted to gelong (fully ordained monks) who had at
the very least completed the traditional three year retreat
but, because of His Holiness’ intention that it become
inclusive rather than remain exclusive, in 2009, it was
extended to laypeople.
Akshobhya is one of the five Dhyani
Buddhas. In Tibetan he is known as Mitrugpa, the one who
never becomes disturbed by anger or aggression. According
to the story, Mitrugpa was originally a devout practitioner,
a gelong, who asked, “What is the most important thing to do
in order to attain enlightenment?” and the answer given was,
“Don’t get angry! Don’t let your mind be disturbed!, and so
he vowed “From this moment on I will never get angry with
anybody,” and hence he became known as Mitrugpa – the one
who is never disturbed – until, eventually, he became the
Buddha Mitrugpa. Gyalwang Karmapa said, during the teaching
he gave on Atisha’s Lamp for the Path, that the story of
Mitrugpa had powerfully influenced him and helped him deal
with a tendency to be short-tempered.
According to the Buddhist teachings the present age is one
of degeneration when all beings in the cycle of existence (samsara)
are suffering because of negative thoughts and actions. The
Akshobhya ritual is a very powerful purification practice
done for the benefit of all sentient beings. It can liberate
not only the practitioners themselves from the fear of an
unfortunate rebirth, but other beings as well. The Buddha
Akshobhya promised that the merit generated by reciting
one-hundred-thousand of his long dharani mantra and making
an image of him could be dedicated to other people, both
living and dead, and this would assure their release from
lower states of existence and rebirth in spiritually
fortunate circumstances. Gyalwang Karmapa has commended this
practice as very suitable at a time when negative forces are
increasing in the world.
On the first day of the retreat the
Gyalwang Karmapa conferred the Akshobhya empowerment
on those taking part and later during the retreat he gave
the transmission and instructions. Also, during the retreat,
he gave a daily teaching to the participants on the ritual’s
profound significance. His Holiness particularly emphasised
that this practice should arise out of bodhicitta and
encompass the benefit of all sentient beings.
The purpose of the retreat is to
accumulate mantra and practice sessions of the Akshobhya
ritual to support the fire puja – held on the penultimate
day of the Kagyu Monlam.
Additional Akshobhya Purification
Rituals
This year the retreatants have returned
to offer the Akshobhya Purification Ritual every evening
during the first six days of Monlam, before offering the
final purification ritual and fire puja on the evening of
the seventh day. His Holiness led the ritual every evening.
The names of the living and the dead
are collected
Before and during the Monlam friends and
relatives have been making donations and giving the names of
the deceased in preparation for the Akshobhya Fire Ritual,
which is believed to have special power to help those who
have died and are in the intermediate state of the bardo.
It is also possible to give the names of
the living who are in great difficulty at the moment.
This year, people living abroad or unable
to come to Bodhgaya, have been encouraged to send in names
over the Internet.
In addition names are sometimes collected
of the victims of specific disasters, as far as they are
known.
The Chang-sek [fire puja]
On the evening
of the 21st His Holiness offered the full Akshobhya
Purification Ritual and fire puja [Tib. Chang-sek].
Tergar Shrine Room has been prepared :
the throne and altar, successfully transferred from the
Mahabodhi stupa, are set up in front of the thangka of
Akshobhya Buddha, and to the right a table holds torma and
other offerings which will be necessary for the ritual. On
top of the altar is a metal bowl containing short sticks
which will be lit to burn the ritual offerings.
There are also two boxes. One contains
the names of the living for whom prayers have been
requested. The other contains the names of the dead.
Behind the Gyalwang Karmapa’s throne sit
three rows of retreatants. In the front row, sit the monks,
in the middle row, the nuns, and the rear row is occupied by
the four lay retreatants. There are two chöpön [monks who
are ritual specialists] and several young monk attendants.
Everyone else is forbidden to enter, but outside, in the
mild night air, which is just beginning to turn chilly,
ranged along both sides of the temple and in front of the
main entrance, hundreds of lay people and a scattering of
sangha sit on the marble floor of the veranda.
At 8.00pm His Holiness arrives and the
ritual begins, his voice carries clearly and powerfully
above the combined voices of the retreatants. Outside people
crane their necks to glimpse what’s happening, and, as the
temperature begins to drop, huddle deeper into their coats,
shawls and jackets. Most of the watchers are women. A few
ignore the rule that taking photographs is not allowed and
the security, both from His Holiness’ staff, and hired
additional Indian guards, move in swiftly.
The fire is lit, and the chöpön begins to
pass the offerings to His Holiness to place in the fire, as
the ritual chanting continues, accompanied by generous
pourings of melted ghi [clarified butter] from a
long-handled, miniature ladle. The fire sputters then leaps,
as the ghi is poured. And at a certain point more sticks are
fetched to keep the fire going. The sticks are cut square
and uniform in length.
When the offerings have been exhausted,
His Holiness gets down from his throne, and he, followed by
the retreatants, move outside into the now cold night. The
moon is bright, and nearly full, in the ink-black sky above
Tergar.
Now begins the final part of the ritual.
A circular fire of sticks and branches has been laid on the
path at the foot of the steps that lead up to the main
entrance. People move away from the verandas and gather
round to watch. The attendants bring out the two boxes. The
fire is lit and Gyalwang Karmapa feeds the pieces of paper
containing the names of the living and the dead into the
fire till none remains.
Returning into the shrine room, he says
some closing prayers, then returns upstairs to his quarters,
to work on his closing speech for the Kagyu Monlam the
following day.
It is 11.45pm, and all has gone well.
