Monlam 2012 at Shar Gaden

[WisdomBeing]

Shar Gaden posted this 14 minute video of their Monlam prayers. Do have a look! There are some English subtitles to the captions, which is very cool. At around 5:20, the four monks with brocades over their shoulders stand together and one of them pours something from a huge jug – does anyone know what ritual that is?

The invitation to Maitreya is so fantastic. It is so elaborate and I love to see the monks all walking along the road. At one point, the monks even block the middle of the road and stop traffic!

At 10.27, the Shar Gaden monks pass through the main gate of Gaden. I thought they would not be allowed to but it is great that they can. Watch this lovely video!

http://youtu.be/XjCb86-ybOM
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[Manjushri]

Its' such a grand affair and celebration. I can feel the amazing energy through the video, imagine how it'll feel like being there! I love how the migtstema (is it Migtstema?), was being sung/chanted throughout the video..to bless everyone and the surroundings, as I love how the local people who had to halt their cars to let the procession through first did not even sound their horn! Show the respect they have for holy Sangha members.

Also, I noticed that there is a young boy, a Rinpoche, I would presume, that was together with the abbot of Shar Gaden, Ken Rinpoche, holding his hand whilst walking. I was observing this little boy throughout the video, how he acts, how he offered the Khata to Matreiya, everything.. Kinda got me thinking on reincarnation and how strong the imprints are which is carried forth to all your future lives. Better nurture those good qualities and kick out the bad ones! Spiritual practise helps us do exactly just that.

[icy]

Monlam or the Great Prayer Festival takes place on the first month of each lunar year.  It is the greatest religious festival in Tibet after Tibetan New Year and was instituted in 1409 by Lama Tsongkhapa.  The Tibetan observed the celebration with prayers, ritual, dances traditional foods and giant tapestry-like paintings. 

It is nice to observe that Shar Garden is keeping up with the tradition in style and pomp.  Also it is very interesting to see that they are allowed to use the main entrance of Gaden Monastery.  I am hopeful that after the lifting of DS ban Gaden and Shar Gaden will become one again and flourish forever more.

[biggyboy]

Such joyous celebration and procession to 'relish' with the continuous chanting of migtsema throughout.  How I wish I am there at the celebration.  In fact, it is more joyous to see that the procession from Shar Gaden could pass through the main gate of Gaden.  Yay!  May this continue and the ban be lifted soon enough for the King to be out in the open and sufferings of DS practitioners be eliminated.

[Tenzin Malgyur]

This is such a grand festival with such intensive prayers and also a procession taking place. How I wish I am there too. I noticed there were no lay people in the vidoe though. May I enquire, are lay people allowed to attend the Monlam prayers festival? And it is certainly very comforting to see the procession going through the main gate of Gaden. May the day come in the very near future when the two monasteries be united and the festival be celebrated on a grander scale.

[shugdenpromoter]

Dear Wisdom Being,

Yes, Shar Gaden monks are allowed to walk through the gates of Gaden Shartse.... definitely. Shar Gaden monks were responsible to repaint the holy stupa of Krabje Trijang & Zong Rinpoche in Gaden Shartse courtyard last year cause Gaden Shartse monks could not raise the funds for the gold and jewelleries for the stupa. They asked the administration office of Shar Gaden to raise the fund which jumped on this opportunity immediately without hesistation

I am not surprised or taken aback at this, afterall the monks in the 2 monasteries used to share the same lineage, gurus and facilities at one point in time. It is in fact rather sad that due to the Shugden issue, the monks were split. Same in Serpom and many more places.

I am sure it was very hard for Shar Gaden monks to "survive" at the beginning of the split. But I am also very sure that things will get better and it has as confirmed by the information on this forum. Afterall, Shar Gaden has the biggest asset in the Gelugpa lineage... Trijang Rinpoche. I am a lay dharma person, if I need to enrol in an institution, I will definitely support and enrol myself in Shar Gaden. They have the best Gelugpa masters of all monasteries plus also the most effective protector.

[Tammy]

Dear Wisdom Being,

A BIG thank you for sharing this fantastic video of Shar Ganden.. I have watched it a few times and sure will revisit it from time to time.

It is amazing the since the 'split' Shar Ganden has been doing so well and their activities are being noticed and recognized by increasing number of people. This is exactly the same as with DS temples / monasteries all over the world. Just goes to show the power and swiftness of Dorje Shugden in response to sincere prayers !

I am looking forward to the ban on Dorje Shugden be lifted! It would fuel the growth of Shar Ganden even more!

[Barzin]

Thankyou for the wonderful video.

Personally I respect the Shar Gaden monks a lot.  They are true monks.  They are not involved in the political scene even they were forced to break away from Gaden itself.  They hold their guru devotion and practice close to their hearts.  How they kept His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche's Ladrang, the old oracle house, and their Dorje Shugden statue and practice are all clear signs of true guru devotion.  After all it is the fundamental practice in the Gelupa system.

Let alone the hard ship with no help, no funds, being the bad apples in the Buddhists' eyes to uphold the monastery and buildings.  But look what they can achieve now?  They have the most authentic ritual and ceremony, and yearly I heard so many pilgrims and practitioners are visiting Shar Gaden.  I really respect them a lot.  Not solely because they are Dorje Shugden practitioners, but they are pure, pure practitioners which we should all learn from.

[Big Uncle]

Dear Wisdom Being,

The ritual you are talking about is the Trusol Rabne or Ritual bath and Consecration ritual. I have seen this being done and here is an explanation on this ritual from http://jyasamonastery.org/PRAYERS.html :-
"
Trusol Rabne: Ritual bath and consecration.
Trusol Offering Ritual Bath.
Common practice of all Tibetan Buddhist traditions. In the symbolic bath of trusol, the patron and practitioner in reality cleanses their own negativities, sicknesses and obstacles from life and ensures long term prosperity in one of the most effective Tibetan Buddhist rites. Child is born this offering ritual bath performed to purify his or her bad negative karma.
"

I heard that the Lineage Lamas, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, Dharma Protectors, Dakas and Dakinis are ritually invited to reside in a ritual mirror, which is placed on the plate and then ritually bathed using a bumpa filled with consecrated water. The blessed bath water is then collected and used to consecrate an altar, temple, land or building. Of course, the ritual is more complicated than that but this is just a brief summary of the ritual.     

[harrynephew]

Thank you big Uncle for the explanation of Trusol and Rabne. Indeed this video reminds me of the other videos of the renaissance of Tibetan Buddhism within their country itself. Now it's just down scalled to what we viewed it to be.

Nevertheless, the spirit of celebration in the spiritual sense is still very grounded there in Gaden. I think that is the only sensible thing happening within a political feat.

We all owe it to Lama Tsongkhapa's kindness for this to happen and Je Lama has set the precedence of the entire Monlam, how it should be conducted etc. I wonder how it was like when Je Lama was around, we were told masters and Buddhists from all schools gathered at the Jokhang and did prayers altogether. I think it is only through the blessings of the pure and unsullied Dharma that it is possible.

And through the Dharma, we shall lift this ban and give the Dharma of Tsongkhapa a bright new shine into the world of suffering!

[whitelion]

Thanks WisdomBeing for sharing this wonderful video. As we all can see, the Ven. abbot of Shar Gaden Monastery - Khen Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Phende who look like in his 70 or more, you can see he's still follow thru out the whole ceremony. Khen Rinpoche is very famous for his knowledge in all ancient and modern Tibetan text, wordings or Literature, Khen Rinpoche was also one of HH Kyabje Zong Rinpoche's disciple.

We can see how strong Khen Rinpoche guru devotion is, see the way how he do prostration to the three jewels. Sorry to say but it's very rare to see a real monk who still practice Dharma whole heartedly, just like how Khen Rinpoche does. 

The ban started by CTA, harming their own people, separated their own shanga members. They "disowned" Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and many others high lama, but their plan never work well neither. Personally I'm really rejoice about this Monlam ceremony, how great to see Shar Gaden monks to be independent and carry on all lineage that passed down by lineage masters.

 

[dsiluvu]

Dear Wisdom Being,

Yes, Shar Gaden monks are allowed to walk through the gates of Gaden Shartse.... definitely. Shar Gaden monks were responsible to repaint the holy stupa of Krabje Trijang & Zong Rinpoche in Gaden Shartse courtyard last year cause Gaden Shartse monks could not raise the funds for the gold and jewelleries for the stupa. They asked the administration office of Shar Gaden to raise the fund which jumped on this opportunity immediately without hesistation

I am not surprised or taken aback at this, afterall the monks in the 2 monasteries used to share the same lineage, gurus and facilities at one point in time. It is in fact rather sad that due to the Shugden issue, the monks were split. Same in Serpom and many more places.

I am sure it was very hard for Shar Gaden monks to "survive" at the beginning of the split. But I am also very sure that things will get better and it has as confirmed by the information on this forum. Afterall, Shar Gaden has the biggest asset in the Gelugpa lineage... Trijang Rinpoche. I am a lay dharma person, if I need to enrol in an institution, I will definitely support and enrol myself in Shar Gaden. They have the best Gelugpa masters of all monasteries plus also the most effective protector.

Really? This is interesting to know that Gaden Monastery would actually ask SHAR GADEN to help raise funds for Trijang Rinpoche & Zong Rinpoche's stupa. I thought they were all impure says the CTA/TGIE... so would it not be considered impure funds/dirty money? I guess we all know the TRUTH... THAT IT'S NOT! And I gues the Gaden admin and Abbots obviously is doing this "ban" thing out of NO CHOICE.. which is very sad indeed.

It such a shame that Abbots, High Lamas and holy sangha is being put to such low esteem and degraded in this manner by lay people, where they have to conform to the silly non-existant Tibetan Govt, and literally sacrifice their FREE WILL to do their own practice given by their Gurus. I pray that on day soon the Ban will be lifted and those division walls will come crumbling down!

 

[dsiluvu]

Thanks for this beautiful video post WB! Rejoice!!

The fact that Shar Gaden monks were thrown out cold from their own home monastery --Gaden, despite that, they manage to build everything from scratch and on top of that can still raise funds for Gaden... this is the power of Dorje Shugden, the power of real Dharma practice and the power of real Devotion, Compassion and Kindness. It is amazing and unheard of in the outside world to be able to put down in such a way yet they still stand tall and also help their so called oppositions back Something the CTA shld learn when they deal with China. Sometimes u wonder if the CTA is even Buddhist because they sure do not act like one.

[pgdharma]

This is a beautiful video. Thank you WisdomBeing for sharing. It's  such a grand and joyous festival and even more  rejoicing  to  know that the  Shar Gaden monks are allowed to walk through the gates of Gaden Shartse. I think it wasn't easy for the Shar Gaden monks to start all over again after the split  but through their pure motivation and strong faith in Dorje Shugden, look at what they have achieved now.

I hope the ban will be lifted soon so that Shar Gaden and other Dorje Shugden monasteries will flourish even more.

[WisdomBeing]

How interesting.. I didn’t know about the Ritual bath and consecration called trusol and rabne. Thank you, Big Uncle. I was intrigued because this ritual, while Buddhist, sounds a bit like the baptismal in Christianity where the subject is bathed in order to clear his or her sins, which can be equated in Buddhism as clearing our negative karma.

I’d just like to talk a bit further on this point. Can this ritual really clear our negative karma? I thought that our negative karma needs to be purified in order to be cleared. Can a ritual really clear it and how much can it clear in one ritual? How does it work? I mean I have heard that pujas can clear our negative karma though in that aspect, I have also wondered how much does it clear when we have truckloads of negative karma. I know that in the Christian baptism, it supposedly clears all the sins. Is it the same in Buddhism?