Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa
  • The Karmapa
    • A Short Biography
    • The Lineage of Karmapas
    • Activities & Projects
  • Teachings
    • YouTube Archive
    • Video Library
    • Podcast
  • News
  • Schedule
  • Buddhism
    • Shakyamuni Buddha
    • Buddhism in India
    • Buddhism in Tibet
    • Kagyu Lineage
    • The Golden Rosary
  • Centers
    • North America
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Oceania
    • Africa
    • South America
  • Office
    • Media
    • Contact
Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa
  • The Karmapa
    • A Short Biography
    • The Lineage of Karmapas
    • Activities & Projects
  • Teachings
    • YouTube Archive
    • Video Library
    • Podcast
  • News
  • Schedule
  • Buddhism
    • Shakyamuni Buddha
    • Buddhism in India
    • Buddhism in Tibet
    • Kagyu Lineage
    • The Golden Rosary
  • Centers
    • North America
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Oceania
    • Africa
    • South America
  • Office
    • Media
    • Contact
  • English
  • France
  • Germany
  • Spain
  • Italy
  • Canada
  • United Kingdom
  • Australia
  • Poland
Mar 07

The 29th Kagyu Monlam: Day Seven

7 March, 2012 Bodhgaya

Sojong and the alms procession

5.30am and at the Monlam Pavilion, H.E.Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche was giving the Mahayana sojong vows. Meanwhile, at Tergar Monastery 500 metres away,  there was noisy bustle as laypeople arrived with their food offerings to find a good place on the circuit for the alms procession.

The Akshobhya Ritual at the Monlam Pavilion

After the alms procession, and the Twenty Branch Monlam, the  main focus of the day’s prayers at  the Monlam Pavilion was the Akshobhya Ritual.

Usually only ordained sangha  are involved in these prayers, although laypeople  attend the sessions.  Monks and nuns  performed  the  Akshobhya Self-Visualization,  the  Akshobhya Mandala Ritual, and the Reading the Akshobhya Sutra.

The theme of purification concluded with the recitation of the Dharani Sutra.

The Akshobhya Purification Ritual and Fire Ceremony

This year, the Akshobhya retreatants have returned to offer the Akshobhya Purification Ritual every evening during the final six days of Monlam, before offering the final purification ritual and fire puja on the evening of the 7th day, which is March 7, 2012.

Before and during the Monlam, the organizers have been collecting donations to make prayers for the deceased and those living who are in great difficulty. The Akshobhya fire ceremony is seen as having a special power to help those who had died and are in the intermediate state of bardo.

His Holiness the 17th Karmapa performed the Akshobhya fire ceremony on the evening of the March 7, the penultimate evening of the Kagyu Monlam. Also present were the Akshobhya retreatants.

……………………………………………..

From 4.00pm onwards, a group of monks began preparing the hearth in front of Tergar Monastery. This year has seen a change in the arrangements for this ritual.  Previously the first part of the ritual was conducted within the shrine room itself.  No one was allowed inside and devotees had to glimpse what they could through the windows.

The actual prayer ceremony started at 6.00 pm when His Holiness  arrived and sat on the portico in front of the main entrance to Tergar Monastery shrine hall, flanked by the Akshobhya retreatants. A painting of Akshobhya had been hung in front of the His Holiness’ throne. A table held rituals and tormas (ritual cakes) necessary for the ceremony.

Gyalwang Karmapa sat there facing the image of Akshobhya.

The 21 monks, nuns and laypeople who had been participating in the Akshobhya retreat were seated on the porch around the Gyalwang Karmapa.

Monks were helping with the fire ceremony. Two boxes were placed near the fire: one contained the names of the deceased and the other contained those of the living.

As His Holiness and the retreatants said the prayers, the attendants put the papers with the names of the deceased and the living in the fire. Monks worked the fire by pouring melted ghee over it, (clarified butter), and also ensured that the papers were burned. More sticks were fetched to the keep the fire going.

Hundreds of devotees and Monlam guests from around the world took part and witnessed the esoteric ceremony. Guards sat on the stairs leading up to the temple, ensuring that prayers were  conducted smoothly. No one was allowed to enter the porch.

Often the flames reached high, lighting up the faces of those witnessing the puja, clearly moved by the power of this ritual.

Ranged along two sides of the temple, members of the audience watched the ceremony and listened to the reassuring and calming sound of His Holiness’ voice. A scattering of people from around the world and of all colors sat on the lawns in front of the temple and filled the drive to the main gate.

At one point the electricity went off, in the ensuing darkness, the glow of the fire lit up the evening sky.

Finally, His Holiness led everyone in the recitation of the six-syllable mantra, Om Mani Padme Hung, with melody, creating a touching spectacle and a fitting finale to an elaborate puja which had lasted for more than a month.

Where words fail to communicate, rituals succeed, it seems.

Evening at the Monlam Pavilion

From Tergar Monastery, the sound of vigorous drumming could be heard, punctuated by the voice of the Gyalwang Karmapa broadcast over the sound system.  Another rehearsal was under way. His Holiness was checking personally that everything was in place for the long life offerings to H.E. Tai Situ Rinpoche and H.E. Gyaltsap Rinpoche the following morning, and supervising the rehearsal for the Marme Monlam the following evening.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • E-Mail

Related Posts

  • Full Transcript of the Address from His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa to the 36th Kagyu MonlamJanuary 27, 2019
  • The Karmapa Contributes to Disaster Relief in BiharSeptember 16, 2017
  • His Holiness and Wade Davis – In Dialogue in VancouverJune 22, 2017
  • The Gyalwang Karmapa Begins His First Canadian TourJune 2, 2017

[ long read ]

MIND TRAINING TEACHING
The Gyalwang Karmapa gave an extensive teaching on the 8 Verses of Training the Mind

[ video series ]

THE PRAJNAPARAMITA
Taught over six sessions, this is a direct explanation of the Buddhist view of emptiness

[ long read ]

THE CHENREZIK PRACTICE
The Gyalwang Karmapa taught on how to practice Chenrezik and recite his mantra

[ video series ]

100 SHORT INSTRUCTIONS
Taught over nine sessions, this text by the 8th Karmapa was taught in great depth by the present Karmapa.

[ long read ]

THREE PRINCIPLE ASPECTS
A comprehensive teaching that condenses the entire Buddhist path by Tsongkhapa

 

Recent Updates

  • The Essence of Glory: A Shakyamuni Puja in the Kadampa Style
  • The Gyalwang Karmapa’s Closing Remarks to the Mar Ngok Summer Teachings
  • Differing Perspectives on the First Council and the Compilation of the Tripiṭaka
  • Upāli – the Foremost in the Vinaya and Contemporary Analyses of the First Council  
  • Ananda’s Offenses, Arhatship, and Recitation of the Sūtras
  • Results of the First Buddhist Council: How the brahma penalty was imposed on Channa
  • The First Council continues with contributions from Ananda, Upāli, and Pūrṇa

Kagyu Office Around the World

中文 // Français // Polski // Español
The Karmapa’s website is carbon neutral. //

About the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa

His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, is the head of the 900 year old Karma Kagyu Lineage and guide to millions of Buddhists around the world.

Born in 1985, the Karmapa resides in his temporary home at Gyuto Monastery in India after making a dramatic escape from Tibet in the year 2000.

Traveling the world, the Karmapa skillfully teaches traditional Tibetan Buddhist Dharma while also advocating topics such as environmental conservation, feminism, digitization of the Dharma, and much more.

Please use the icons below to find the Karmapa on social media maintained by his office of administration.

// // // //

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Please view our Privacy Policy. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo