Activities at the Namdroling Dratsang
The Buddha Era 2559, 17th Rabjung, Tibetan Royal Year 2142, Wood Female Sheep Year started from February 19, 2015. The whole Namdroling sangha gathered early in the morning inside the Golden Temple and made auspicious prayers for the well-being of all sentient beings in general and for the long life of the Fourth Drubwang Penor Rinpoche, Migyur Dechen Garwang Zilnon Dorje Pal Zangpo, in particular. The New Year celebration was followed by a grand three-day feast for the entire Namdroling family as well as dignitaries from the local area and abroad. On 26th February, the annual seven-day accomplishment practice of Rigzin Thugdrub Palchen Duepa (Mind Practice of Vidyadharas as the Gathering of the Great Glorious One) started with various masked dances, followed by the display of the great thangka of Guru Padmasambhava on 28th February and Amitayus on 5th March. The accomplishment practice ended on the same day with the empowerment of the accomplishments, the butter-lamp prayer, as well as many auspicious dedication prayers.
According to the noble wishes of the late His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, the ritual of Ratling Phurpa (Vajra Kilaya Sadhana, revealed by Terton Ratna Lingpa) is being conducted inside the Vajra Kilaya Temple daily by about twenty-five monks from the Dratsang and the Jr. High School, for the peace and prosperity in the world in general, and particularly for the spread of Buddhadharma and the longevity of living Dharma masters. In addition, the regular rituals of offering to the Guru, Deva, Dakini and Dharmapalas are being performed on the tenth days of the waxing and waning periods of the moon every lunar month by all the monks of the Dratsang and Jr. High School, from class four and above.
As usual, the one-month retreat began from 8th March. Over five hundred practitioners undertook their respective practices. His Eminence Gyang Khang Khentrul Rinpoche bestowed teachings on Namchö Ngondro, Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso on Tsalung, and Khenchen Pema Sherab gave teachings on Dzogchen practice.
On 28th April, the annual five-hundred-thousand preliminary practice accumulations started. Over one hundred monks and lay practitioners undertook the practices from 7 A.M. to 9 P.M. daily for six months. They practiced prostration together with reciting Refuge Vows and generating bodhichitta, followed by mandala offering, Vajrasattva visualization and recitation, Guru Yoga, and ending with phowa—transference of consciousness. The practices are done according to the teaching of Namchö Cycle (revealed as “sky treasure” by Terton Migyur Dorje, and taught to him by Avalokiteshvara). Venerable Tulku Chödar looked after the practice by bestowing the oral transmissions and instructing the retreatants. The practice ended on 3rd November, coinciding with the day of Lord Buddha’s Descent from Heaven.
On 3rd April, the anniversary of the first Kalachakra teaching at Amaravati, the faculty members of Namdroling offered the long-life prayer of the Three Jewels—symbolized by a statue, stupa and scripture—to H.E. Choje Ayang Rinpoche of Thubten Shedrub Jangchub Ling Monastery, Bylakuppe, for his longevity and for the enhancement of his dharma activities till the end of samsara.
On 1st and 2nd May, the Namdroling sangha performed a two-day ritual for the well-being of Namdroling as well as for the benefit of sentient beings according to the prophecy by H.H. Dodrub Rinpoche at the request of H.E. Gyang Khang Khentrul Rinpoche. They mainly performed Nyingthig Solkha (offerings to the Dharmapalas according to Chittatilaksadhana), 10,000 Dugkar Chogdrubma (Skt: Sitatapatra uttamasadhana), 10,000 recitations of Mipham Rinpoche’s Duengen Nerig Kunjom (Mipham Rinpoche’s text called “Pacifying All Kinds of Diseases in the Troubled Times”), and 1,000,000 recitations of the Lion-faced Dakini’s Reversing Ritual. Later, on 25th May, presided over by Gyang Khang Khentrul Rinpoche, Namdroling’s monks and nuns offered prayers to the dharmapalas.
The 44th Kama Drubchod, the Great Accomplishment Ceremony of the Kama Teaching, began on 23rd May. On that day, the Tsa Cham (Root Ritual Dance) was performed as an initiation prior to the Drubchod. The actual accomplishment ceremony took place from 27th May to 2nd June. This Drubchod was conducted on the basis of seven different mandalas: the Mandala of the Sutra Practice of the Great Gathering, the Peaceful and Wrathful Magical Net, the Union of the Buddhas, the Yangdag Heruka, Rongzom’s tradition of Vajrakilaya and the Six-faced Yamantaka. On the morning of 28th May, the great painting of the Buddha Shakyamuni was displayed. During the ceremony different ritual dances were performed consecutively. These were the Garcham on 31st May, and Rolcham (dance with cymbals) and Throcham (the wrathful dance) on 1st June. The last day involved a fire ritual of the four activities—pacifying, increasing, magnetizing and subjugating—to pacify the diseases, evil spirits and fears; increase lifespans, merit and wealth; magnetize the three realms (desire, form and formless) and the three existential worlds (the nether world of nagas, the surface world of humans and the upper world of gods); and to subjugate harmful enemies and obstacles. The empowerment of the accomplishment practice was granted to all devotees in the afternoon, and in the late evening, inspirational prayers such as the butter-lamp prayer, dedications and extensive prayers of auspiciousness were chanted with munificent offerings of butter lamps, incense, flowers, spiritual songs and the music of ritual instruments. Likewise, the Mahakala sadhana was conducted from 27th May by about one hundred lamas, tulkus and monks inside the Zangdog Palri Temple. The ritual ended successfully with the three ferocious activities of subduing, scorching and casting out the enemies of dharma.
On 31st May, at 7 P.M., chaired by H.E. Gyang Khang Khentrul Rinpoche, the president of Namdroling Monastery, in the presence of the whole monastic community, the annual accounts of the Dratsang, Monastic School, Institute and Nunnery were read out by their respective treasurers. His Eminence praised all the staff for their great service and achievements and bestowed precious advice to the gathering.
On 3rd June, the annual robe distribution to the entire Namdroling family was conducted. H.E. Gyang Khang Khentrul Rinpoche distributed robes to the senior monks in the morning, to junior monks in the afternoon and to the nuns in the evening in front of the Zangdog Palri Temple.
On 16th June, the Namdroling monks and nuns made long-life prayers for His Holiness Jadral Rinpoche from 3:30 to 5 P.M. by reciting Sampa Lhundrub (the Wish-Fulfilling Spontaneous Pith Instruction) and Barche Lamsel (the Prayer for Clearing Away the Obstacles from the Path) inside the Golden Temple.
The 45-day Summer Retreat practice started from 1st August. Around 600 senior monks from the Dratsang and Junior High School attended the rituals of Nyingthig Solkha, Namchö Solkha, Karling Zhithro, Ratling Sengdong, Ratling Tsechog and Ratling Phurpa. These rituals were performed each week respectively inside the main temple.
From 2nd October, the whole Namdroling family were given a three-day picnic in front of Jr. High School after returning of their Eminences Gyang Khang Khentrul Rinpoche and Mugsang Kuchen Rinpoche.
In January, 2016, the Namdroling monks and nuns will attend the 27th Annual Nyingma Monlam Chenmo—the Nyingma World Peace Ceremony—in Bodhgaya, Bihar. After the ceremony, they will come back to the monastery and perform the ritual of Karling Zhithro (Karma Lingpa’s Treasure Teaching on Peaceful and Wrathful Deities) and Yangsang Ladrub (Innermost Profound Guru sadhana) along with extensive offerings to commemorate the 657th mahaparinirvana anniversary of the Omniscient Longchen Rabjam on 26th January. The monks of the Institute will also give a religious discourse and engage in debate. From 3rd February, the five-day Gutor ritual—in which ritual cakes are thrown on the 29th day of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar to ward off evil and obstacles—will commence with the rites of Kagyed (Eight Heruka sadhana), Sengdong (ritual of the Lion-faced Dakini), Ratling Phurpa and Gurdrag (ritual of Wrathful Padmasambhava). The five different masked dances of the Gutor along with the ritual of throwing ritual cakes will be carried out on 7th February. Ratna Lingpa’s ritual of procuring long life will be conducted on 8th February.
Yangsi Rinpoche’s Hair Offering Ceremony
The late His Holiness the Third Drubwang Padma Norbu Rinpoche, Jigme Thubten Shedrub Chökyi Drayang Pal Zangpo’s hair-cutting ceremony was performed by Khenchen Ngagi Wangpo and he received many auspicious empowerments to be able to turn the wheel of Dharma, and to regain all his wisdom and realization. Similarly, the fourth Drubwang Padma Norbu Rinpoche, Migyur Dechen Garwang Zilnon Dorje Pal Zangpo’s hair-cutting ceremony was also performed by Khenchen Ngagi Wangpo’s reincarnation, Chogtul Khenchen Sangye Tsering Rinpoche, on 4th April, 2015. Yangsi Rinpoche also received the Refuge precepts and a long-life empowerment. Currently, Yangsi Rinpoche is being educated under the supervision of His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche and other appointed khenpos as Yangsi Rinpoche’s personal attendants. Great Nyingma masters like H.H. Dodrub Rinpoche and H.E. Domang Yangthang Rinpoche visited Yangsi Rinpoche this year and bestowed upon him long-life empowerments.
Nepal Earthquake Prayers and Support
In the midst of the destruction and tragedy that this year’s disastrous earthquake caused to many parts of Nepal, the Namdroling sangha paid deep tribute to the victims that included more than 9,000 lives lost, and injuries to over 23,000. The earthquake occurred at 11:56 NST on 25th April with a magnitude of 7.8Mw/8.1Ms and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of IX (Violent). Hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless, with entire villages flattened across many districts of the country. Aftershocks were strongly felt in various parts of Nepal as well as in northern parts of India for the next few months. H.E. Gyang Khang Khentrul Rinpoche, the president of Namdroling Monastery, donated 1,000,000 NRS for humanitarian earthquake relief as well as to repair destroyed temples and stupas. Also, Rinpoche made a request to all the khenpos, lopons, tulkus, lamas, monks and nuns of Namdroling who are currently residing in various parts of Nepal to help the victims to whatever extent feasible. Accordingly, the members of the Nepal Palyul Nyingma Society, Thegchog Wodsal Palyul Chöling Monastery and many other Palyul monasteries of Nepal worked in relief campaigns to provide food, shelter and medicines. The Nepal Buddhist Nyingma Association and the Nepal Palyul Buddhist Society organized dedication prayers on 6th June, in Kathmandu, near the Baudhanath Stupa, for the victims of the earthquake.
Samten Wodsal Ling Retreat Centre
Samten Wodsal Ling Retreat Centre was founded on 3rd June, 1985, Wood Ox year, by H.H. Penor Rinpoche for the monks to extensively practice meditation. This year, the 9th three-year retreat concluded successfully as scheduled. This 9th retreat started on 31st May, 2012, and finished on 20th July this year, coinciding with the Buddha’s first turning of the wheel of Dharma. There were 36 retreatants—2 khenpos, 1 tulku, 11 lopons and 22 senior monks. All the practices followed were from the treasure teachings of great Nyingma masters. Khenchen Pema Sherab gave extensive teachings on these practices before and during the retreat. A new group of monks has already settled in for the 10th three-year retreat; however, the construction inside the retreat area is ongoing due to the increased number of practitioners.
H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama’s 80th Birthday Celebration
On 6th July, H.H. the Dalai Lama turned 80 years old. For this auspicious occasion of his successive spiritual journey, the faculty members of Namdroling Monastery held a gathering and decided to perform prayers for his continuous dharma activity around the world. For this event, the Namdroling nunnery accumulated 100,000 Tara prayers on the 18th, the monks of the Dratsang and Jr. High School performed Ratling Phurpa on the 19th, the students of NNI recited the whole Kangyur on the 20th and all the monks and nuns of Namdroling undertook the long-life prayer according to Terton Ratna Lingpa’s Tsedrub Sangwa Duepa (Amitayus as the Gathering of All Secret Accomplishment Practice) on 20th June. On the actual birthday celebration day, the whole Tibetan community-in-exile was given a three-day holiday from 6th-8th July, where people celebrated with various dancing and singing programmes. Namdroling monks and nuns also attended the programmes that took place in Sera Lachi.
Activities at the Ngagyur Nyingma Institute
The Ngagyur Nyingma Institute (NNI) reopened after the winter vacation on 23rd March, 2015. The newcomers sat for their written and oral entrance examinations on 23rd and 24th March respectively. This year, 295 students—152 in the preliminary class and 143 in the first year—enrolled in the Institute. On 27th March, the results of the 2014 annual examination of NNI, the Nunnery Institute and newcomers to their respective institutes were announced by the examination controller of NNI in the presence of Gyang Khang Khentrul Rinpoche, the three seniormost Khenchens and other khenpos and lopons in the basement of the Golden Temple. Gyang Khang Khentrul Rinpoche awarded the mark-sheets to the graduates. To the first and second position holders from each year he also presented prizes, as well as to the students who had memorized more than 100 pages of the root text from their major subject. The results announcement was followed by speeches from the Khenchens and Gyang Khang Rinpoche on “do’s and don’ts” as well as the importance of education, ways of behaving and dealing with dharma in this degenerate era, etc.
This year, 225 qualified khenpos and lopons were sent to serve the Buddhadharma in various places—83 to Nepal, 57 to Bhutan, 80 inside India and 5 abroad. Thirty-three khenpos and lopons are currently taking care of the NNI students. Also, many lopons were placed in various sections inside the monastery such as the Jr. High School, Nunnery, International Nyingma Dictionary Editorial Committee, etc.
The courses for the academic year started from 14th April. From 15th to 17th April, a three-day general puja for the welfare of the NNI family was performed. After this, Khenchen Pema Sherab bestowed the full ordination vows upon 102 monks and the novice vows to 232 monks and nuns—151 from Namdroling, 12 from Kagyu Monastery, 46 from Orissa and 23 from Tsogyal Shedrub Nunnery—at the Vinaya Shrine in the Golden Temple.
This year, under the supervision of the faculty members of NNI, the second teacher training programme was held inside NNI’s main prayer hall from 3rd to 7th April. The Verses of Prayer to the Eight Noble Auspicious Ones was performed by the presidents of Namdroling Monastery; Chief Guest Ven. Geshe Lhakdor, Director of The Library of Tibetan Works & Archives, Dharamsala; Karma Chungdak, director of Sambhota Tibetan School, Dharamsala; and Khenpo Tandin Sithub, 2014’s NNI president, along with more than 234 senior monks and nuns from their respective institutions. After that, Geshe Lhakdor and Karma Chungdak trained the assembly for the next four days. The main focus of this workshop was how a teacher should plan and distribute the subjects while teaching, bring up or treat the students, etc.
The 21st April was the annual day for appointing the staff of NNI. Accordingly, the previous workers and staff were discharged and new ones appointed to serve in various sections of NNI for a year. That evening, the outgoing president Khenpo Tandin Sithub and the former faculty members of the institute shared their experience of working in NNI for a year and also bestowed spiritual advice to the students of NNI. On 26th April, Khenpo Yeshe Dorje, the appointed president, and the new faculty members of NNI bestowed spiritual advice to the students.
From this year, during Kama Drubchod, 20 NNI monks were selected to perform rituals for the welfare of the NNI family as well as for the NNI sponsors and for the benefit of all mother sentient beings. They performed chagdul (Exorcising Ritual according to Vajrakilaya) on the first day, Karling Zhithro on the second and third days, the ritual of Medicine Buddha on the fourth day, 100,000 verses of Prajnaparamita on the fifth and sixth days and Karling Zhithro on the last day, dedicating the merit to all living beings for their happy, wealthy and prosperous lives.
The omniscient Mipham Rinpoche’s Mahaparinirvana Anniversary was initiated at NNI in 1981 by H.H. Penor Rinpoche to commemorate the kindness of this great scholar of the Nyingma lineage. This year was his 103rd Mahaparinirvana Anniversary—the 34th celebrated at NNI. It was conducted inside the Golden Temple presided over by the president and students of NNI on 15th June. The Sadhana of Peaceful Manjushri according to the tantra called, ‘Accomplishing the Supreme Light of Wisdom’ was performed and colossal feast offerings were arranged to mark the festive ceremony with the purest devotion and respect from 7 A.M. to 11 P.M. Each student from the second, third, fourth, sixth and seventh year gave discourses on the two truths from Shantarakshita’s Madhyamaka-lamkara, compassion from Chandrakriti’s Madhyamaka-avatara-nama, philosophical view from Vasubandhu’s Abhidharmakosha, generating bodhichitta from Maitreya’s Prajnaparamita, and the origination of the tantra teaching from Samantabhadra’s Guhyagarbha respectively during tea-break times. In the evening, all the students of the Jr. High School and the monks of the Dratsang as well as lay people from nearby camps gathered at 7 P.M. in the temple. The programme started with Manjushrinamasamgiti prayers and the assembly was offered tea and sweet rice. After the tea service, the secretary of NNI read out the schedules for the day and all the gathered devotees offered auspicious scarves in front of Mipham Rinpoche’s great painting while reciting his prayer thus:
The wisdom of Lion’s Speech (Manjushri) dawned upon your heart.
You perfectly accomplished the aspirations of [Bodhisattva] Samantabhadra
And carried out the enlightened activities of the buddhas and their heirs.
I make supplication to Jampal Gyepe Dorje [Manjushri Pleasing Vajra]!
After this, two students from the third year started debating on Madhyamika. Similarly students from the second, fourth, sixth and eighth years debated on their main subjects for 15 minutes each. The ceremony concluded with various auspicious and dedication prayers at 11 P.M.
During the academic session, various rituals are performed once a month as the spiritual cause for the longevity of His Holiness the Fourth Penor Rinpoche, His Holiness Jadral Rinpoche and other living Dharma masters. Also, every Friday evening, various prayers are carried out according to sponsors’ requests. Regular monthly debate competitions are also held between classes.
On 28th April, Khenchen Pema Sherab delivered a speech to the teachers and students of NNI as per the request made by NNI’s standing committee. He talked about the importance of Buddhist education in this degenerate era as well as about preserving the pratimoksha precepts like our eyes and heart. Khenchen also spoke about not being a hypocrite, but rather to make practical use of knowledge in our day-to-day lives. He also made a sincere request to all the monks to devote their life to accomplishing the noble wishes of H.H. Penor Rinpoche in spreading the Buddhadharma and helping others, after completing their studies.
On 2nd July, the Universal Incense Offering Day was celebrated on a peak called Betapur, a few kilometres from Namdroling. This peak is believed to be the place where Nagarjuna meditated during his time; the local government has built more than one thousand stairs to reach the top. Annually, this puja is performed for peace, happiness and prosperity in the world by offering thousands of prayer flags in the sky on this auspicious day. The faculty members of NNI along with the ninth and fifth year students and some other students gathered there and performed a purification ritual in the morning. Meanwhile, the Dratsang’s kitchen organized breakfast there and the NNI kitchen staff offered an extensive lunch to all the monks after they came back.
The annual 45-day summer retreat, Yarney, began on 1st August. More than 375 fully ordained monks and 507 novice monks carried out the retreat. During this period exposition, debate and composition competitions were held for the improvement of the monks’ studies. The ninth year’s selected students, kyorpon, wrote compositions on topics selected by NNI’s standing committee whereas other eighth and ninth year students discussed those compositions. Similarly, sixth and seventh year students gave discourses on Maitreya’s Prajnaparamitra and Mipham Rinpoche’s commentary on Samantabhadra’s Guhyagarbha respectively. Likewise, students from the second, third and fourth year had their debating test. The preliminary class and first year students held various competitions in subjects such as handwriting, debating, grammar and so on. The results of all the aforementioned competitions were given on 26th September inside the NNI hall in the presence of Gyang Khang Khentrul Rinpoche and faculty members of NNI, the Dratsang and the nunnery.
Moreover, Khenpo Yeshe Dorje, the current president of NNI, gave the oral transmission of the commentary to the Glorious General Sutra of Gathering Intentions called the Radiant Light Rays of the Dawn of Elegant Sayings Illuminating the Sun of Yoga to the NNI students as well as nuns and other monks from the Dratsang and Jr. High School every Saturday 1-5 P.M. and Sunday 8-10 A.M. during Yarney.
The seminar on the “Unique View and Tenets of the Ngagyur Nyingma Tradition” was initiated last year following the directions of Khenchen Pema Sherab and the standing committee of NNI. This year it was carried out on 15th October, coinciding with the auspicious day of the omniscient Jigme Lingpa’s parinirvana anniversary. Chaired by Khen Rinpoche Yeshe Dorje, five selected kyorpons from the 8th year composed theses based on “The Common Object of Perception” and “Does Madhyamika Philosophy Have an Assertion or Not?” in our Nyingma Tradition.
Self-study for the final exams began on 14th November. NNI students will sit for the annual exams which are scheduled to start on 7th December. The final exams will end by 20th December, 2015. Soon afterwards, the monks of NNI will travel to Bodhgaya to attend the 27th Annual Nyingma World Peace Ceremony, which is scheduled to be conducted from 10th to 19th January, 2016.
The seminar on the “Unique View and Tenets of the Ngagyur Nyingma Tradition” was initiated last year following the directions of Khenchen Pema Sherab and the standing committee of NNI. This year it was carried out on 15th October, coinciding with the auspicious day of the omniscient Jigme Lingpa’s parinirvana anniversary. Chaired by Khen Rinpoche Yeshe Dorje, five selected kyorpons from the 8th year composed theses based on “The Common Object of Perception” and “Does Madhyamika Philosophy Have an Assertion or Not?” in our Nyingma Tradition.
Self-study for the final exams began on 14th November. NNI students will sit for the annual exams which are scheduled to start on 7th December. The final exams will end by 20th December, 2015. Soon afterwards, the monks of NNI will travel to Bodhgaya to attend the 27th Annual Nyingma World Peace Ceremony, which is scheduled to be conducted from 10th to 19th January, 2016.
Teaching of Omniscient Longchen Rabjam
As requested by the members of NNI’s 2014 faculty, Khenchen Namdrol Tsering gave the teaching of Khenchen Ngawang Palzang’s commentary to The Great Expanse of Space—The Dual Letters from the Great Perfection Lama Yangtig (Guru’s Unexcelled Innermost Essence) entitled, ‘Sunshine’ from 24th May inside the NNI prayer hall. First, Khenchen bestowed the empowerment of Accomplishment Practice of the Lama called ‘The Sealed Bindu’ to the devotees on its starting day and completed it with various auspicious prayers on 13th April. The devotees made an offering from Accomplishment Practice of the Lama called ‘The Sealed Bindu’ to Khenchen as well as a mandala offering to the Three Jewels—symbolized by a statue, stupa and scripture—for the propagation of his dharma activity and longevity. More than 1,300 devotees including Namdroling’s khenpos, lopons, lamas, tulkus, monks and nuns as well as from nearby Palyul centres and other parts of India, Nepal and Bhutan received this teaching. Khenchen also gave a speech about his plan to give teaching on the Dzogchen chapter from the Treasury of Knowledge in the upcoming year at the same time.
