The First Month of Tibetan calendar is called “Chothrul Dawa,” the month when Lord Buddha has performed miracles. It is considered that all of our deeds positive or negative are multiplied a hundred thousand times, so it is also called “Bumgyur Dawa.”

It is the tradition started by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche at Namdroling Monastery to perform a great accomplishment ceremony called Drubchen during this month making everyone, ordained or lay, involved in the accumulation of meritorious deeds. This ceremony goes on continuously, 24 hours a day, day and night, non-stop, concluding on the evening of the 8th day so that the sangha has completed at least 100 million mantra together with several different accomplishment sadhana.

This year is the 52nd Drubchen Ceremony at Namdroling Monastery. The practices accomplished simultaneously are:

Main Temple (“Golden Temple”)	Thugdrub Yangnying Dupa from the Ratna Lingpa Dharma Treasure
Zangdok Palri Temple	Shitro (100 Peaceful and Wrathful Deities)
Phurpa Temple	Phurpa
Shedra Temple	Amitayu Saddhana
Namchö Gongkhang	Namchö Dharma Protector
Nyingthik Gongkhang	Nyingthik Dharma Protector
Smoke Offering Site	Sang (Smoke Incense) Offering
Primary School	Younger monks chant prayers for the Swift Return of His Holiness Penor Rinpoche.
Lama Dance Ground	Lay Community chants the mantra of Guru Rinpoche; Teachings and Dharma Advice by chosen Tulkus and Khenpos for the public

There was the display of Giant Thangka of Guru Rinpoche followed by ritual Lama Dance of Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche on the 10th day (Saturday, the 3rd of March).

On the fourteenth day of the Tibetan calendar, Wednesday, March 7, we have a fire puja in the afternoon.

The final day ceremony commences at 3 AM in the morning the last day of Drubchen, on the miraculous, full-moon day (Thursday, the 8th March). We display the giant Thangka of the Three Longevity Divinities at sunrise followed by performance at about 9-9:30 of the Pure-Vision Ritual Dances of Tertön Guru Chowang during the morning time lasting through lunch.

After lunch there will be a wang (empowerment) for the general public so we can all receive the siddhis and blessings. This is followed by the Lamp offering prayer ceremony (Marme Monlam) and dedication ceremony in the afternoon. At that point, our Drubchen ends.

Those who cannot physically attend the practices at the monastery can carry through whatever practice they are engaged in at home, reciting the mantras we are accumulating, then visualizing themselves present with us here at the monastery on the final day and carrying through the dedication together with us. That way at least we can make use of the time in a positive way and strengthen our connection to each other.

For more images from these ceremonies, please visit our Flickr Gallery.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 5th, 2012 at 22:24 and is filed under HE Khentul Gyangkhang Rinpoche, Namdroling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.