Above are recent photos from the ceremonies now ongoing at Namdroling Monastery. We thought to share these and the following notice, posted inside of Namdroling Monastery, in order to aid our students who are now carrying through practice and maintaining their connection with Holiness in this way.

“This is to inform all that the First Parinirvana Anniversary Puja of our Beloved Guru, the late His Holiness Penor Rinpoche will be carried out for five days with effect from 14^th March 2010. The timings of the sessions will be as follows:

Morning  session: 7 am to 9 am and 9.30 am to 11 am

Afternoon session: 1 pm to 3 pm.     Evening session: 3.30 pm to 5 pm

All the monks will gather at the Golden Temple, Padmasambhava Buddhist Vihara, to perform Shitro (100 Peaceful and Wrathful Deities) sadhana. All the monks are requested to wear Choego (Yellow Ceremonial Robe).

All the nuns will gather at Zangdog Palri Temple to carry out the Vajrasattva Sadhana according to Minling Tradition. (Minling Dorsame).

Students of the His Holiness who are lay practitioners can assemble for the ceremony at the Golden Temple. They can do Vajrasttva practice. Guru Yoga and recite the prayers for the swift rebirth of His Holiness.

All the retreatants of Ngondro, Tsalung and Dzogchen should also participate in this prayer ceremony and they should gather at their respective locations for retreat session at night from 7 pm.”

YouTube Video of ZangdokPelri:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQN03Q5CiZ0

Official Announcement regarding Kudung of HH Penor Rinpoche

The Kudung (holy body) of the late His Holiness Penor Rinpoche is preserved in the second story of Zangdog Palri Temple in Namdroling Monastery.

At present, there is a big question that arises in the minds of all the well-wishers and faithful students of the late His Holiness Penor Rinpoche regarding the construction of Kudung Chorten (the stupa that preserves the Holy Body of His Holiness).

Hence the top level authorities of Namdroling Monastery have come up with the final decision of planning the construction of the Kudung Chorten, mainly at Namdroling Monastery, India and Palyul Monastery, Tibet. If possible, there will be Kudung Chortens in Europe, the United States, Taiwan, and Bodhgaya, India. Therefore, when this noble project starts, there will be an official announcement through all the possible medium of communication including [this] website.

With prayers,
(Sealed)
Office of the Administration
Namdroling Monastery

In Namdroling we are carrying through the practice and puja of the Hundred Deities for the full day starting from 14th and continuing through the 18th of March 2010.

For our centers, we are advising Guru Yoga practice followed by Vajrasattva or Hundred Deities practice. You may accumulate the Short Swift Rebirth Prayer as much as you can, particularly on 16th of March. This is the main day of the Parinirvana in the Lunar Calendar. If you can, then continue for three days with this practice.

We all hope every one can enjoy practice together for the Swift Rebirth of our most beloved Root Guru, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche. May the Light of His Reincarnation illuminate all of Cyclic Existence, Samsara, clearing out the darkness of ignorance and liberating all beings in the ultimate Clear Light of Enlightenment.

With blessings from the Guru and the Lineage.

Mask Dances of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche

On 22th February 2010, the Eight day of the First Month of the Tibetan calendar, Drubchen (Great Accomplishment Practice) based on Palchen Dupa deity was started. On Tsechu, the tenth day of the same month, Cham or mask dances of the eight manifestations of Guru Rinpoche were performed before the giant thangka (scroll painting) of Guru Rinpoche, displayed to devotees in the morning. HE Gyangkhang Tulku Rinpoche and HE Muksang Kuchen Rinpoche presided over the Cham ceremony.

Amitayuus Long Life Thankga

During the Drubchen, Khenchen Pema Sherab and Khenpos as well as Tulkus gave teachings based on the various aspects of Buddhist practice to lay people who assembled to recite vajra guru mantras.

At 3 am on the 16th day, the siddhi or the spiritual attainment of the Drubchen was taken by all the drupchen practitioners after which a giant thangka of Amitayuus was displayed followed by mask dances. A large crowd of people both ordained and lay gathered for this auspicious occasion. Drubwang or the empowerment of the drupchen was conferred to all the laypeople that were present. HE Gyangkhang Tulku Rinpoche and Khenchen Pema Sherab presided over the ceremony.

In the evening, the monks conducted the Butter Lamp Offering Prayer and made auspicious prayers thus concluding the drupchen.

Cham (Lama Dance)

Lay Audience for Holy Lama Dance

Gutor

Originally uploaded by Palyul

On 8th February 2010, the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month of the Tibetan calendar, the monks of Namdroling conducted a puja Gutor (ritual torma offered on the 29th day to ward off evils and obstacles) was started by performing the rites of Kabyed (Eight Heruaka Sadhana,) Sendong (Rat-phur (Kilaya of Ratna Lingpa ) and Gudrag (ritual of wrathful Padmasambhava). The mask dances of Gutor along with the ritual of throwing tormas was carried out on the twenty ninth day of the same month.

On 13th February 2010, the thirtieth day of the twelfth month of the Tibetan calendar calendar, The Khenpo Tulku and the monks conducted the Tse Chok’s ritual of the Long Life Puja.

Uploaded by Palyul on 12 Feb 10, 11.07PM PST.

Palyul Namdroling Monastery would like to welcome all who wish to participate in this anniversary ceremony.

In other updates, this year’s Drupchen will be held according to the usual annual schedule, on the 8th day of the first month (Western calendar 22 to 28 February, 2010).

Every year, from the 9th to the 15th day of the 4th Tibetan month, Namdroling Monastery conducts the Kama Drubchö, or the Great Accomplishment Ceremony that Confers the Supreme and Common Siddhis of the Kama Teachings. This year’s Kama Drubchö ceremonies coincided with the Western calendar dates of 1 to 7 June, 2009. During these seven days, ceremonial practices are conducted around-the-clock at the monastery.

Procession on 6 June, 2009 for Kama Drupchod Conclusion

Ritual practices prior to Kama Drubchö began on 27 May with the Tsa Cham, or the “Root” lama dances discovered by Lochen Dharma Shri in the 16th century. Other preparatory practices include “opening the countenance” of seven distinctive Mandalas. These Mandalas, which embody a total of thirteen Kama Teachings, are: the Mandala of the Sutra Practice of the Great Gathering, the Peaceful Magical Net, the Wrathful Magical Net, the Union of Buddhas, the Yangdag Heruka, Rongzom’s Version of Vajrakilaya, and the Six-faced Yamantaka.

In strict accordance with tradition, after receiving Khelchog, the arrangement of the Mandalas began on 30 May, were completed on the 31st, and the main ceremony began precisely on 1 June. The Mandala of the Sutra Practice of the Great Gathering was established in the Golden Temple, which is Namdroling’s main temple, while the other mandalas were established in other temples at the monastery.

On the morning of 2 June, the mammoth painting of Lord Buddha, Thoung-Drol (Liberation Upon Seeing), was hoisted over the High School-level dormitory. The Garcham (lama dance) was performed on the 5th, and on 6 June the Rolcham (dance with cymbals) and Throcham (wrathful dance) were performed. On the last day, 7 June, the fire ritual was performed in the morning. At this time, thousands of local people gathered at the monastery to offer substances that held particularly special significance to them. In the afternoon, the empowerment for the Great Accomplishment practice was granted to all the devotees. By evening, dedication of inestimable merits and aspiration prayers were performed, together with offerings of bountiful butter lamps. The ceremonies concluded with prayers for auspicious circumstances, the tossing of flowers, and songs of sacred hymns accompanied by the sounding of ritual instruments.

Written by Ogyen Wangchuk from Rigzod Editorial Committee.

Shakyamuni Buddha Statue in Namdroling Monastery (image from Flickr)

15th Day, Fourth Month, 2136 (7 June, 2009): Today is the Anniversary of three miraculous events: the Birth, Enlightenment and Parinirvana of Shakyamuni Buddha, the Buddha of this aeon.

This day is so sacred that the result of any good deed or religious practice multiplies ten million times in effect. This also applies to negative actions.

Skillful ways we can accumulate merit include:

Outer (Actions):
- Do not eat meat
- Feed and save the lives of animals
- Do not speak lies
- Do not steal
- Do not indulge in any intoxicants

Inner (Thoughts):
- Put aside angry thoughts; practice patience
- Put aside jealous thoughts; practice joy
- Put aside thoughts of hatred; practice love

As the Buddha taught: “Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.”

Prayer (Sacred/Secret):
- Join practice at your local center
- Recite the Mantra of the Buddha: Om Muni Muni Maha Muniye Soha
- Carry through any practice you have been given by your religious guide

The image above was photographed in the shrine in Orgyen Dungag Shedrub Osel Dargye Ling Temple, the “Golden Temple,” located in Namdroling Monastery, Bylakuppe, South India.

Shakyamuni Buddha Thangka of 180-feet is unfurled over the high school dorm in Namdroling Monastery