Devotees bowed in reverence to the baritone voice of His Holiness the Dalai lama wafting in the crispy morning air in front of the Main Cathedral (Tsuk lhakhang). A deep murmur followed as they repeated in unison the prayers read out by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The prayer, a vow to practice compassion henceforth. A submission to the words of great teachers of the past on the spirit of working for the wellbeing of all sentient beings and practicing kindness and humanity. It was the concluding sermon of the two week long ‘Great Prayer festival’ which formally started on 12th March.
Thousands of people from all walks of life thronged the main Temple today to be part of this spiritual journey. It is the fifteenth day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar, the concluding day of the Monlam Chenmo. The highlight of the grand finale of the prayer session was getting a special glimpse of the butter sculpture that was raised and blessed for the future Buddha, an opportunity looked upon as a lifetime wish by the devout Buddhists.
The mood in the street of Mcloed Gunj is upbeat for another reason. The Indian festival of color called holi falls on this day. The narrow streets are crammed with people strolling around and throwing colors on each other. Holi is celebrated as a harbinger of hot summer.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama will give the annual public teaching from 19th to 1st April. The teaching will be on ‘Shantideva’s Bodhicharyavatara’ (Engaging in the Bodhisattava way of life) and ‘Lojong Nymai Woesr’ (Training the mind to make it as clear as the sun rays). It will be in the afternoon from 1PM to 4.30PM.
The ‘great prayer festival’ or Monlam Chenmo as the Tibetans call it has its origin about six hundred years back. It was first started by Je Tsongkhapa, a great scholar and founder of Gelugpa sect. The fifteen days prayer session following the Tibetan new year is conducted for the long continuation of Buddha Dharma. Through years of practice it has also become a prayer for the quick arrival of the next Bodhisatva, Gyalwa Jampa Gompo, called Maitriya Buddha in Sanskrit.
