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Lama Zopa Rinpoche prostrating in front of the large thangka of Guru Rinpoche at Khachoe Ghakyil Ling, Nepal. Photo by Ven. Thubten Choying.
For the fifth year in a row, a very large thangka of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) was displayed and an auspicious 100,000 tsog offering event (Guru bumtsog) took place at Khachoe Ghakyil Ling, Nepal, also known as Kopan Nunnery on January 23, 2020. The thangka, which is 75 feet (23 meters) high and 87 feet (27 meters) wide depicts, in stitched appliqué, the Padmasambhava merit field in the center. Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme (Khadro-la) attended this offering festival and the monks accompanying her, led the chanting for the puja.
Construction of the display area for the Guru bumtsog offering events. Photo by Ven. Thubten Choying.
Last year, due to the kindness of a benefactor, the nunnery was able to build a stable permanent structure for displaying the thangka. This will also help protect the thangka long-term and is a lot safer than the previous set up.
Giant Guru Rinpoche thangka displayed at Khachoe Ghakyil Ling, Nepal. Photo by Ven. Thubten Choying.
Guru Rinpoche is perhaps the most universally cherished realized being in all of Tibetan Buddhism. Guru Rinpoche came to Tibet from India in the 8th century and helped establish a pure lineage which is still practiced today by all four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism around the world.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has explained that displaying large thangkas is an auspicious way for anyone in the area to make a Dharma imprint and connection to the deity depicted. “You may think that a statue or thangka is just a statue or thangka,” Rinpoche has said, “but it is the transcendental wisdom of dharmakaya, which understands and directly sees absolute truth, as well as conventional truth.”
Rinpoche also expressed that it is his wish for many FPMT centers to have huge thangkas and once a year to display the thangka and have a festival day for the public based around the holy object. During the festival day, Rinpoche requested for there to be many thousands of offerings in front of the thangka, as well as offering banners. There could be some introduction to Buddhism offered to those in attendance, and then a puja, that is based on the deity of the thangka. Then, people can offer music, dances, and so forth to the thangka (and also for everyone to enjoy). People can also circumambulate the thangka. For example, the center could have a horse and carriage and children can ride along. In this way, even the horse collects merit, as well as any animal that comes on that day and goes around the thangka. This makes their life so meaningful! The main goal is to think that all are offering to Buddha. By offering to Buddha this becomes such a beneficial event.
The Padmasambhava for Peace Project sponsored the puja (offerings, lunch and small offerings to all the Sangha).
Please rejoice in this auspicious yearly event which is fulfilling Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions and has profound effects on those in Nepal and the the entire world.
The Holy Objects Fund offers grants to the creation of holy objects around the world. All are welcome to donate to this fund to ensure grants like this continue long into the future.