H.E. Gosok Rinpoche's Birthday Celebration 2011 in Golok Monastery.

[DharmaSpace]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8CzUt-Nfd8
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What does everyone think about celebrating one's lamas birthday and the benefits of it? 
Anyone here a disciple of Gosok Rinpoche? I kne him throught he Great Masters section on this website.

Do share people.

[whitelion]

When I first got to know about Varjayana, I was shocked by the way they respect "their" lama. They treat their Lama (Human) as a Buddha. They have their Lama picture on the throne, and we make prostration to the throne first instead of altar where Buddha is. Later when I got to know more about "their" culture, and the reason why they treat their lama as a Buddha.
One of the senior student told me that time, a Buddha statue is a representative of Buddha's enlighten body and a lot of other deep meaning, but to understand that we need an intermedium who totally understand the Buddha teaching and surpass the message to us. In this case, a qualified (by the monastery) guru will be the intermedium, who doing the same "job" which Buddha Shakhamuni have done 2500 years ago. A qualified dharma teaches must hold his vows, have a compassion mind and totally understand the inter, outer and secret meaning of Buddha teaching, since he or she have no different compare to the Buddha Shakyamuni, we should treat them just the way we treat Buddha shakyamuni.
To celebrate one lama's birthday have no different compare to celebrate Buddha's birthday. For any lama who have total control of their mind, birth and death, when they choose to be reborn in our world on certain day must be a reason. We celebrate their birthday because they have choose to come back and benefit all sentient beings again, this have no different compare that we celebrate Buddha's birthday.
It's very lucky that we are able to celebrate lama's birthday or makes any offering to them, the merit that we collected will be the same as we make any offering to Buddha. The culture that I felt weird before have become my culture now, I'm lucky to meet my guru, because he have no different compare to Buddha Shakyamuni.
This is just what I have understand so far, please share more if anyone have other understanding.

[Barzin]

i remember i've received a teaching on why do we celebrate birthday?  Some people might think that it is not important whereas some think that it is very important.  To celebrate one's birthday is to remember the precious day that that special person is born, what wonderful qualities that the person has, therefore you would want to show your appreciation to that person thankyou for being someone special in your life.  So you either buy him/her present to remind yourself how special he/she is.

So by celebrating birthday of a high lama might lead you into thinking that the lama is still attached to samsara, having fun, food, drinks and receiving gifts.  Oh no!  not like that.  It is an auspicious day to tell your lama that how special he is!  Thankyou for giving and teaching you the dharma!  He was special since the day that he was borned!!!

Also the higher purpose is, the kind lama is giving us a chance to make offering to gain merits!  Why?  because a lama teach us the precious dharma, the lama holds his vows, accomplished Buddh's study and teach us the dharma.  Therefore it is very auspicious to make offerings to higher beings!  It is to connect so in future time we'll be able to connect with dharma.  By offering with a clear and good motivation and to an object of holy being gained tremendous merits compared to an ordinary being.  Because merits don't exhaust, karma do.

[DharmaSpace]

I think if we cherish our lama and show it by actions, it is likened to cherishing the dharma. If we cherish the dharma we will get more of it for sure. When we celebrate our lama's birthday we are creating the causes to get dharma now and future lives. The Lama is a repository of dharma knowledge they hold the dharma within them and they can impart to willing students.

Yes i truly believe if we show care and cherish our lama we will create the causes to have dharma in all lives, plus creating the causes for dharma to stay and flourish more. As there is lamas there is dharma.  Where there is lama the dharma will spread. 

[shugdenpromoter]

To celebrate one lama's birthday have no different compare to celebrate Buddha's birthday. For any lama who have total control of their mind, birth and death, when they choose to be reborn in our world on certain day must be a reason. We celebrate their birthday because they have choose to come back and benefit all sentient beings again, this have no different compare that we celebrate Buddha's birthday.
It's very lucky that we are able to celebrate lama's birthday or makes any offering to them, the merit that we collected will be the same as we make any offering to Buddha. The culture that I felt weird before have become my culture now, I'm lucky to meet my guru, because he have no different compare to Buddha Shakyamuni.

I totally agree that if a high lama can control his rebirth and death, the date he choose to be born is very special and auspicious, therefore to make offerings on that day is important. Therefore, all student should celebrate and make as much offerings as possible on that day to your lama. Of course, the biggest offering a student can offer is the mind transformation.

I've also heard before that if one view your teacher as a high incarnation, and if you make offerings, you will generate merits in relation to how high your view of your guru is. And vice versa...ie if you break your vows and etc, you will also collect negative karma in relation to how you view of your teacher.