Thekchen Chöling, Dharamsala, HP, India - This morning, as the mountains shone in the sun under a clear blue sky, monks and supporters of Nechung Monastery offered prayers for the Long Life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The ceremony, presided over by Khochhen Rinpoché, the director of Mindrolling Monastery, took place in one of the halls in His Holiness’s Old Residence. The sound of cymbals, drums, long and short horns portended His Holiness’s arrival. After saluting the congregation, he took his seat on the throne. Khochhen Rinpoché presented a katag, a silk scarf, by way of welcome.
Prayers began with an invocation of Guru Padmasambhava composed by His Holiness and continued with the prayer for His Holiness’s long life by Jamyang Khyentsé Chökyi Lodrö.
Tea and ceremonial sweet rice were served.
A mandala was offered along with symbols of the body, speech and mind of enlightenment. Five monks representing dakinis, in brocade costumes and five-leafed crowns, filed into the hall playing damaru hand-drums and bells. They gathered before the throne. At the back of the hall was a statue in the likeness of His Holiness, a cubit in height, standing, as if he were about to leave, with his palms facing outward in a gesture of protection.
The presiding master and his companions then chanted to the dakinis, who would take the Lama to their pure lands, that this statue, having received all the necessary blessings, was more precious to them than the living lama and should be taken instead.
One by one, the dakinis—Vajra-dakini, Ratna-dakini, Padma-dakini, Karma-dakini and Buddha-dakini—left their places before the throne, without looking back, and gathered around the statue. Then they left the hall taking the statue with them.
The medium of the Nechung Oracle offered His Holiness symbols of the body, speech and mind of the Buddha. The prayer for His Holiness’s long life by Jamyang Khyentsé Rinpoché was chanted once more. Requests were made for all aspects of longevity and glory from throughout the universe to be granted to the Lama. This was followed by offerings of the vase of longevity, long-life pills and the nectar of longevity.
The Nechung medium, who was seated in the front row, facing His Holiness, to the left of Khochhen Rinpoché, went into spontaneous trance. Wearing the headdress of a yogi, he approached His Holiness and requested him to live long for the good of the Dharma and the welfare of sentient beings. After the oracle had offered a silk scarf to the presiding master, the trance lapsed and the medium was carried out of the hall.
As a procession of people bearing a variety of offerings filed through the hall, Khochhen Rinpoché offered His Holiness the eight auspicious symbols and the seven emblems of royalty, requesting him to live long and to continue to give teaching. The Nechung medium returned and made an offering to His Holiness of the eight auspicious substances.
Jamyang Khyentsé Rinpoché’s prayer for His Holiness’s long life was chanted for a third time. This was followed by a prayer by the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, a ‘Supplication of True Words Invoking the Three Jewels’, a prayer by Gotsangpa, and verses of auspiciousness.
Addressing the gathering, His Holiness noted that today there had been good prayers as part of the ceremony being offered for his long life.
“I work hard to ensure the flourishing of the teachings and the welfare of all sentient beings and I pray to be able to continue to do so. There are now people all round the world who are taking an interest in what the Buddha taught about the workings of the mind and emotions. I will carry on doing what I can to share this knowledge and ensure the comfort and happiness of sentient beings. Meanwhile, I would like to thank everyone here belonging to and associated with Nechung Monastery for making this Long-life Offering today.”
