Thekchen Chöling, Dharamsala, HP, India - This morning His Holiness the Dalai Lama attended Prayers for His Long Life offered by All India Tibet Support Groups as part of celebrations for his 90th birthday. He was welcomed at the gate to his residence by representatives of the Core Group for the Tibetan Cause—India and then walked to take his seat on the throne at the top of the temple courtyard.
To begin with, a group of lay practitioners, from Roopa and Kalaktang in Arunachal Pradesh performed a ritual related to the practice of Chöd. They concluded their ceremony with the prayer for His Holiness’s long life in a single verse.
In the heavenly realm of Tibet, surrounded by a chain of snow mountains,
The source of all happiness and help for beings
Is Tenzin Gyatso—Chenrezik in person—
May his life be secure for hundreds of aeons!
Tea and sweet rice were blessed and served.
As monks of Namgyal Monastery chanted the respective verses the convenor of the Core Group and two senior members of the Tibet Support Groups offered a mandala and representations of the body, speech and mind of the Buddha to His Holiness.
'The Song of Immortality - The Extensive Prayer for the Long Life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama' by his two tutors was recited first in Hindi, led by Kailash Chandra Baudh, and then in Tibetan. Tibetan and Indian flags were presented to His Holiness. Executive members of the Core Group paid their respects and offered him ‘katas’, silk scarves.
National Convenor of the Core Group for the Tibetan Cause—India, Mr RK Khirmey addressed the gathering and spoke of the inspiration His Holiness has been for so long for the Core Group’s members. He and senior members of the All-India Tibet Support Groups released a Tenshuk Souvenir. Next, they presented His Holiness with a ‘Karuna Ratna’, a Jewel of Compassion, which consisted of a golden bodhi-leaf with a Dharma wheel on one side and a hand in the teaching mudra on the other. The master of ceremonies read out the words displayed on its base:
The Karuna Ratna is reverentially offered to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, by the Tibet Support Groups in India in recognition of his life-long dedication to world peace, compassion and the promotion of India’s ancient spiritual heritage. We reaffirm our steadfast support for His Holiness’s pursuit of the Four Noble Commitments and the restoration of Tibet’s freedom.
A group of women from Arunachal Pradesh sang and danced as part of a performance highlighting the folk traditions, costumes and so forth of the six major tribes of the state. This was followed by a classical dance presentation, dedicated to the Goddess Kali, by artists from Tamil Nadu, which demonstrated the storytelling function of South Indian dance forms.
More than 400 members of the All-India Tibet Support Groups were then able file past His Holiness, paying their respects, while monks of Namgyal Monastery repeated the ‘Prayer of the Words of Truth’.
After Ajit Nehria, President of the India Tibet Friendship Association, Dharamsala had offered words of thanks, His Holiness stepped down from the throne, boarded a golf-cart and drove slowly back to his residence, smiling and waving to the gathered well-wishers as he went.
