On the main stage of Kalachakra Ground, Bodhgaya, offering prayers before the teachings start. December 2022. Photo by Bill Kane.

By Frances Howland-Moscatt

More than 65,000 devotees attended the winter teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Bodhgaya, Bihar, India, December 29 – January 1. It was his first visit to Bodhgaya in three years, the last time being in January 2020, just before the pandemic changed the world. As well as the many Tibetans, there were people in attendance from the Himalayan regions including Nepal, Ladakh, and Bhutan; some wearing beautiful embroidered local costumes. Among the 3,700 foreign attendees were people from Mongolia, the Russian Buddhist Republic of Kalmykia, and Korea. This time there were no visitors from Tibet or China, due to the many pandemic-related border closures and lockdowns.

Stupa and grounds of Root Institute, Bodhgaya, December 2022. Photo by Jane Seidlitz.

Bodhgaya was bursting with energy. The restaurants and hotels that survived the pandemic closures were full again, street sellers and beggars were everywhere to be seen, and there was a carnival atmosphere in the dusty air.

FPMT students from around the world traveled to Bodhgaya to attend the teachings. For many it was the first time back since the last teachings His Holiness offered in January 2020. Many traveled directly from Kopan Monastery in Nepal after attending what was the first one-month November Course since 2019.

Root Institute for Wisdom Culture was once again buzzing with activity after a long period of closure. It was completely full with over 150 foreign guests including more than 30 FPMT sangha. Lama Zopa Rinpoche was in his house at Root, with the many colored light offerings illuminating the building. Other lamas there included Tenzin Phuntsok Rinpoche (the reincarnation of Geshe Lama Konchog), now 20 years old and studying at Sera monastery, nine year old Tenzin Rigsel Rinpoche (the reincarnation of Kopan’s late Khen Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup), the newly recognized young incarnation of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teacher, Dhakpa Tritul Rinpoche, and Sengye Rinpoche.

His Holiness taught for three mornings from December 29 on Nagarjuna’s Commentary on the Awakening Mind. Translated simultaneously into many languages and broadcasted on FM channels, it was also live-streamed for those unable to attend in person. Audience members could also watch the proceedings on a number of large screens, while monks ran among the crowds with salty butter tea and fresh warm Tibetan bread.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama waving to the crowd of attendees during the teachings at Kalachakra Ground, Bodhgaya, India. December 2022. Photo by Bill Kane.

His Holiness was driven each day in a large golf cart to the Kalachakra Teaching Ground, always smiling and waving to well wishers who gathered on either side of the road. At the conclusion of each day of teachings His Holiness came to the front of the stage while waving to the audience, in all directions, as the audience responded with applause and appreciation.

On the right of the stage sat the past and present leaders of the Sakya tradition, including the forty-first Sakya Trizin, who retired in 2017 when his eldest son Ratna Vajra Sakya was enthroned as the forty-second Sakya Trizin. On the left side were the leaders of the Gelug tradition, the Gaden Tripa, Sharpa Choje, and Jangtse Choje, along with H.E. Ling Rinpoche and many other high lamas both young and old, including Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

On the first day of teachings, Theravada monks, mostly from the two Thai monasteries in Bodhgaya, opened the proceedings with chanting of the Karuniya Metta Sutta in Pali, the Buddha’s words on loving-kindness. His Holiness started by saying, “This, the Seat of Enlightenment, it is the most sacred of the sites associated with the Buddha. Elsewhere he taught the Four Noble Truths and the Thirty Seven Harmonies of Enlightenment, but here we are reminded of the essence of all his teachings, which is to discipline the mind for the benefit of sentient beings extensive as space.”

Before conferring the Bodhisattva Vows, His Holiness shared his recent experience at the Wat-pa Thai Temple, “I saw a painting of the Buddha in front of me on the wall, and when I reflected on the Buddha I had a feeling that the Buddha came down and actually stroked my head, and there were some sweets and I had a very clear vision that the Buddha gave me a chocolate from amongst the sweets.” His Holiness added that if we carry out the practices of what the Buddha taught, it’s reasonable to feel he will be pleased.

On the third day His Holiness conferred the Arya Tara empowerment (jenang) saying, “Here, on behalf of this great gathering of people I’ve been requested to give a permission related to Arya Tara.” His Holiness then gave the jenang of the Twenty-one Taras. “While I go through the preparatory rites, please pray to Arya Tara that the Dharma may flourish, that people may be well and that teachers and those gathered here may live long. Keep in mind that the longer you live, the greater will be your opportunity to accumulate merit. What’s more, since Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig) sits on the crown of my head, you all share a special bond with him, which means you will be cared for by him in life after life.”

Audience of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings in Bodhgaya, December 2022. Photo by Bill Kane.

On the New Year morning of 2023 a long life puja was offered by the Gelug International Foundation, which represents the entire Gelug tradition. His Holiness pointed out the auspiciousness of the day by saying, “This was something that was not pre-planned as such, it just happened coincidentally, so this is the New Year of the Western calendar, which is over two thousand years old. So, this place, where you are offering this long life puja for me, is the very special place of Vajrasana, the Diamond throne.” His Holiness continued, “As for myself, in this very body for a hundred years I will serve the Buddha Dharma, particularly the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. I pray to be able to live long to serve the Dharma and I pray that as long as space endures, as long as sentient beings remain, I will abide to dispel the miseries of the world, this is my sincere prayer every day.”

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Ven. Roger Kunsang, Ven. Thubten Tendar, Ven. Holly Ansett, Thubten Rigsel Rinpoche, and Ven. Thubten Kunkhen on their way to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings, Bodhgaya, December 2022. Photo by Bill Kane.

While the Gaden Tripa Tenzin Lobsang Rinpoche read long life praises and dedications, a young violinist from Mongolia performed a beautiful song, a large group of women performed traditional dances and sang—a moving offering for His Holiness.

Ven. Khunphen from Germany has been the spiritual program coordinator at Tushita Meditation Centre in Dharamsala for 19 years, and is currently the acting director. She said, “[The teachings] are always inspiring, wonderfully organized, with hardly any queues. It was so good to see after the pandemic. Root Institute is our home; it is very comfortable, wonderful food, the cooks get up and have breakfast made for us by 4am, amazing, amazing.”

Ven. Lindy Mailhot from Tasmania, Australia has been the director of Chag-Tong Chen-Tong Centre for 20 years. “It has been extraordinary being here, an amazing sense of collective connections. Root Institute is wonderful with delicious food, great service, surrounded by so many holy beings, friends—it’s a big home for many of us.”

Ven. Thubten Kalden (Marcos Troia) from Brazil, is assistant director of Nalanda Monastery in France where 22 monks live and study. Ordained three years ago, he said, “For me this was very special now that I am a monk. I brought my mother here from Brazil. It has been wonderful to share with her all these moments—we did some pilgrimage, and attended the teachings. It is incredible to see how Root Institute has the capacity of doing so many things in such a busy period. In 2019, before COVID they had so many more volunteers helping.”

Bill Kane, an American photographer living in Thailand, commented, “Most people are appreciating being here since we have missed it for three years. You could see that people were very happy everywhere you went, even the security, everyone I encountered with my press pass, everybody was very happy to be back and have His Holiness back in Bodhgaya. I love staying here at Root Institute, especially to be away from the dust and pollution. Bodhgaya is always an extreme place to visit.”

Paloma Fernandez previously served as the FPMT Spanish National Coordinator, and is currently project manager for the planned Lama Tsongkhapa Retreat Center in Spain. She first came to India in 2006 and worked as a volunteer nurse at Root Institute’s Shakyamuni Buddha Clinic. This time, she said, “I came with a group of seven from Bilbao, it is amazing to be here, it’s like coming back home. The pandemic was such a difficult time for many of us running the centers, as soon as we saw in the news that His Holiness was teaching in Bodhgaya we all bought tickets. We thought, ‘We have to do it!’ My husband Koke (Alvaro) Muro is director of the Nagarjuna Wisdom Center in Bilbao and was accompanied by his mother. It is amazing to see all the lamas, to see Lama Zopa Rinpoche again; because with the pandemic, we did not know if that would ever happen again. It feels like reconnecting with what is the most important thing in our lives. The first few hours I was here at Root Institute, seeing the Indian staff I know from before, so happy to see them, I got hugs from some of them, really amazing, I am very happy.”

Luke Davis works as a teacher in Kathmandu. He said, “It is incredible to be in this magical land, to be in the presence of His Holiness, the embodiment of Avalokiteshvara, and receive succinct yet incredibly profound teachings that cut right to the heart on emptiness and bodhicitta. Root Institute is a sanctuary, especially the Stupa Garden where I am staying, with the Kadampa stupa and the many goats whose lives have been saved by Lama Zopa. Away from the hustle and bustle of Bodhgaya, it provides a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the day’s teachings and connect with Dharma friends.”

All in all, it was a wonderful four days, back with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Bodhgaya, the unique, special and holy place where the Buddha sat under the Bodhi Tree and manifested enlightenment.

Frances Howland-Moscatt is the FPMT South Asia Regional Coordinator and lives in Kathmandu, Nepal.

You can follow important and inspiring news about His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the official website of His Holiness:
https://www.dalailama.com/news

We invite you to follow the teaching schedule of His Holiness on the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s official website.