This is very interesting, official China newspaper carry news of Panchen Lama’s guru giving Kalachakra, are they trying to dissuade the Tibetans from going to the Dalai Lama and coming towards Panchen Lama instead?
Source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-06/03/content_15458177.htm
XIAHE, Gansu – Thousands of pilgrims gathered Saturday on a grassland near a monastery town in northwest China to attend a four-day Buddhist ritual, known as Kalachakra, offered by the 11th Panchen Lama’s guru, senior Tibetan monk Jamyang Gaytso.
We expect more than 100,000 Tibetan Buddhism devotees to turn out during the ritual,” said a spokesman of Xiahe county, Gansu province, home to Labrang Monastery — one of the six major Gelugpa monasteries in China. “Not just Gansu, people from neighboring Qinghai and Sichuan provinces are also coming.
Kalachakra, which means the wheel of time, is a key ritual of the Gelugpa sect of the Tibetan Buddhism. The ritual, if offered by senior monks, often draws a huge crowd.
Amid rain, the 83-year-old guru gave Buddhist teachings in Tibetan language for hours from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the first day. He sat at a center stage surrounded by circles of crimson-robed Tibetan monks and devotees who listened, meditated, and prayed. Some used mobile phones, cameras, and recorders to record the teachings.
Jamyang Gyatso, a native of Xiahe, entered Labrang Monastery at the age of eight. He earned the Gesi title, bestowed only to masters of Tibetan Buddhism, and was chosen in 1998 to guide the Buddhist studies of the 11th Panchen Lama. The guru offered Kalachakra initiation to the Panchen Lama, then 12 years old, at Zhaxi Lhunbo Monastery in Tibet in 2002.
Words of the Saturday’s ritual has been circulating on the Internet for a week, as many Tibetan scholars and religious leaders relayed the news on their Sina Weibo microblogging accounts.
It is an opportunity that can not be missed. Best regards to my guru.
~ Jompo Rinpoche, a senior monk in Xigaze, Tibet.
“It is a blessing to attend the ritual,” said Lobecheri, a monk who came to Xiahe with a dozen monastery fellows from Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai. “If I missed the Kalachakra, I would be very sad.”
As pilgrims came, tents dotted a 10-km stretch of the grassland, typical for the Tibetan nomads, though some set up their tents on flat-bed trucks to avoid the rain-soaked ground. “My family will sleep on the truck tonight. No problem for us. We feel honored to be here already,” said Namgachi, a young herder.
“The government stands ready to provide help for pilgrims coming to temporarily live on the grassland,” said Wang Yan, deputy head of the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture government which administrates Xiahe.
Local officials say they have set up medical care booths, deployed seven trucks carrying clean drinking water, and installed about 30 pre-fab toilets on the grassland. More than a hundred traffic police are also mobilized as more and more pilgrims are arriving by car.
“We are more experienced, because a number of key religious activities are held here every year,” said Tserangji, deputy head of Xiahe county government. “Large religious gatherings with more than 10,000 turn-out were held as usual this year and all went on well.”
Panchen Lama with Jamyang Gyatso
English
Indonesia
Tibetan
Arjit Guttha
June 10, 2012
Such an auspicious view of thousands of Sangha members attending the Kalachakra by Jamyang Gyatso. Great to see the Dharma being spread into the ten directions.
Here’s my take on this issue:
I think it really does not matter whether this is a counter measure used by the Chinese against the Dalai Lama, so long as the Dharma can be spread to more places and people. Some people might not be able to attend the Kalachakra initiation by His Holiness and this is definitely a good effort by the Chinese and Panchen Lama to spread the same teaching.
Having said that, there are still some slight doubts regarding this matter. I did a short research about the Panchen Lama’s guru, Jamyang Gyatso, but did not find much information regarding his bio, lineage and practise. Although the vast presence of Sangha members who attended the initiation proves the validity of the teaching, I realize it is still important to investigate a Guru thoroughly before receiving any teachings, especially for tantric initiations like Kalachakra.
I would deeply appreciate anyone who can shed light regarding this matter.
Peace,
Arjit.
wensaba
August 22, 2012
Gen Jamyang Gyatso is a direct disciple of the famous Master Gedhun Gyatso of Labrang Monastery. Gen Gedhun Gyatso was an abbot of Labrang after its restoration and considered a great Yogi and scholar. He had a few great disciples, like Gen Samten Gyatso and Jamyang Gyatso.
Gen Jamyang Gyatso, like his teacher, a real scholar and practitioner, just like Lama Tsongkapa. its is said that some of their disciple recite the entire Lamrim Chenmo as their daily recitation. We are talking about at least 400 pages of text.
Like Gen Gedhun Gyatso, Gen Jamyang Gyatso was a fierce and strick Gelugpa practitioner, and he even do not worship Shugden. His main protecting deity is Dharmaraj, Shenje Chogyal, the Lord of death.
Gen Jamyang is extremely close to H.H. the Dalai Lama and currently he is the tutor of Panchen Lama.
Camilia
June 28, 2016
It is extremely good news to read that China as a nation had moved on from the previous communist image of anti-religion, to now embracing religion freedom and according respect to religions leader, like the Panchen Lama. By allowing national China newspaper to carry news of Panchen Lama’s guru giving the Kalachakra, the report publicized that hundreds of thousands of pilgrims attended the 4 days Buddhist ritual held at the beautiful grassland, called Xiahe in Gansu. The exact location of the event was in one of the 6 major Gelug monasteries in China. People flooded to the monastery from nearby cities and towns. The Chinese government also demonstrated their supportive stance by on standby ready to provide help, set up medical booths, deployed trucks to disperse clean water and installed toilets in the vicinity. More than hundred traffic police were mobilized to ensure pilgrims who arrived by car reached the destination safely. Very wonderful. Rejoice!