Hunsur, Karnataka, India, 10 December 2015 - His Holiness the Dalai Lama made an early start today, coming down to the Gyumey temple at 7 o’clock in the morning. He greeted Ganden Tri Rinpoche, the Sharpa and Jangtse Chöjeys, and Sakya Trizin.
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama and senior monks performing the preparatory rituals for the Preliminary Guhyasamaja Empowerment at Gyumey Tantric College in Hunsur, Karnataka, India on December 10, 2015. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL
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With the present and former abbots of Namgyal Monastery and a team of Gyumey monks they sat down together before the octagonal mandala pavilion. The Chant master set a brisk pace as they embarked on the preparatory rituals for the Preliminary Guhyasamaja Empowerment that His Holiness was to give in the afternoon. The sound of the monks chanting, periodically punctuated by the penetrating ring of their bells, was probably much as it was when Je Tsongkhapa conducted the same rituals with his disciples 600 years ago.
Once the procedures were complete, at about 10.30, His Holiness was escorted out of the temple to the adjacent covered debating yard where a ceremony was held to celebrate his being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 26 years ago. The crowd stood while first the Indian and then the Tibetan national anthems were played. Students of the Snowland School then performed a song originally composed to celebrate His Holiness’s receiving the award.
Representatives of the Rabgyeling community in Hunsur presented His Holiness with a golden butter lamp for daily use at his residence as a mark of gratitude for his leadership. The Gyumey Abbot read the accompanying eulogy. Next the Snowland students and staff offered an image of Buddha Amitayus, the Buddha of Limitless Life.
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| Students performing a song commemorating the
anniversary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama receiving the Nobel Peace
Prize during celebrations in Hunsur, Karnataka, India on December 10,
2015. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL |
Karnataka PWD Minister Dr HC Mahadevappa gave a long account in English of His Holiness’s life and achievements. Hunsur MLA, HP Manjunath followed this with an address in Kannada which essentially sought His Holiness’s blessings that the whole land of India may be at peace. A Tibetan representative acknowledged how kind and accommodating the Karnataka government have consistently been to the Tibetan community. His Holiness the Dalai Lama responsed:
“My greetings and respects to the representatives of the Karnataka Government, friends from across the world and members of the Hunsur Rabgyeling Settlement. Today’s event has coincided well with these teachings here at Gyumey. I would particularly like to thank the students for their fine performance and especially the elderly lady who trained them.
“I would like to thank Dr Mahadevappa and Mr Manjunath for the kindness the Karnataka Government and people have shown Tibetans. Karnataka used to be known as Mysore State, with its capital at Mysore. I came here in 1956 when Mr Nijalingappa, ‘the maker of Karnataka’ was Chief Minister. He had a special concern for Tibetans. After 1959, when we came back to India as refugees, Prime Minister Nehru wrote to the state governments asking if any of them could provide land on which to settle Tibetans. Karnataka offered the most and there are 30,000 Tibetans living here now.
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama with special guests during celebrations commemorating the 26th anniversary of his receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in Hunsur, Karnataka, India on December 10, 2015. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL
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“Major monasteries have been re-established here keeping up the Nalanda tradition of memorizing root texts and commentaries, then studying and debating them. On the basis of this we uphold the Mahayana and Vajrayana vehicles too. This comprehensive practice of Buddhism is something precious to the world, because the knowledge of the mind and emotions it represents is something everyone can benefit from.
“When we came to India as refugees the government and people of India offered us immense support. Here in Karnataka, Chief Ministers who came after Nijalingappa were kind to us too. I’d like to express our deep thanks.
“Being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize was an honour, but I still remained a simple Buddhist monk committed to peace and non-violence. Over the last 30 years I’ve also engaged in dialogue with modern scientists. As a result I’ve learned a lot about the external world and they’ve learned about the mind, consciousness and emotions. The Tibetan language is the medium that most accurately expresses this knowledge of the mind and Buddhist philosophy.”
His Holiness presented gifts to the two Karnataka representatives and the Abbot of Gyumey read the words of thanks, concluding:
“May His Holiness the Dalai Lama live long and may he return to Tibet to take his seat on the golden throne in the Potala Palace.” This final wish evoked spirited applause.
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama reading from the text during his teaching at Gyumey Tantric College in Hunsur, Karnataka, India on December 10, 2015. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL
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Back in the temple after lunch, His Holiness resumed his reading of Choney Lama Rinpoche’s ‘Interspersed Commentary on (Tsongkhapa’s) In Praise of Dependent Arising’, which presents Tsongkhapa’s verses in several chapters. He began the preliminary rites for the Guhyasamaja Empowerment by presenting a ritual cake to dispel obstacles and said:
“Yesterday, when we were reading, ‘Destiny Fulfilled’ it mentioned two vehicles, Sutrayana and Tantrayana. The perfection vehicle describes the practice of the perfections as the causal vehicle, whereas tantra is the resultant vehicle. There have historically been those who dispute that tantra was taught by the Buddha, but Nagarjuna wrote extensively arguing that he did. Similarly, Maitreya’s ‘Ornament of Clear Realization’ argues that the Buddha taught the Mahayana. Tantra is referred to as secret because, with the exception of Kalachakra, it isn’t taught openly in public. We can divide the Buddha’s teachings into those intended for the general public, like the Four Noble Truths and those only intended for specific disciples or categories of disciples.
“Sutrayana teachings are not a cause for the form body of a Buddha, although the wisdom teachings are a cause of the wisdom truth body. The form body, which is of service to other sentient beings, arises as a result of the path of deity yoga.”
His Holiness went on to discuss different levels of consciousness and how sensory impressions are present when we are awake. They cease when we are asleep. Subtler consciousness manifests in the dream state and it becomes even subtler in deep sleep. When we faint and fall unconscious the mind is subtler still, while the subtlest consciousness of all manifests at the time of death.
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama conferring the Preliminary Guhyasamaja Empowerment at Gyumey Tantric College in Hunsur, Karnataka, India on December 10, 2015.
Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL
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He mentioned the phenomenon of people whose bodies do not begin to decompose after clinical death has taken place. The Tibetan Buddhist explanation is that as long as the subtlest consciousness remains, the body maintains cohesion. His Holiness mentioned 30 cases he knows of where this has taken place since coming into exile. They include his tutor Ling Rinpoche who remained in absorption for 13 days and the 100th Ganden Tripa who remained for 18 days.
He explained that some friends who are scientists have taken an interest in researching this and have provided equipment and training in its use to monitor what is physically taking place on these occasions. He said that although there are some findings, they are as yet inconclusive. He linked this to a more complex discussion of the use of drops and energies in tantric practice, remarking that this is most clearly elucidated in Guhyasamaja Tantra. He mentioned that for Je Rinpoche, Vajrabhairava was the foundational practice, Guhyasamaja was the actual practice, while Chakrasamvara provided enhancement.
He went on to complete the preliminary procedures, including giving the bodhisattva vow, distributing kusha grass and giving instructions on the observance of dreams. He declared that he will conduct the actual empowerment tomorrow, beginning in the morning and concluding in the afternoon.
