Participants of the first Gelug Monlam held at Nalanda Monastery, France. Photo by Sonam Sherpa.

Since 1998, the Gelug Monlam—known as the Great Prayer Festival—has been held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in the tradition of Lama Tsongkhapa, who founded the festival in 1409. The Monlam is regarded as one the “four great activities” of Lama Tsongkhapa’s life. It is held on the first Tibetan month of the year, during the “Fifteen Days of Miracles.” It culminates on the full moon, the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, which is the day of Chotrul Duchen.

 Because the Monlam Chenmo prayers are so precious and holy, Lama Zopa Rinpoche thought it would be wonderful for the Western Sangha—specifically the Nalanda Sangha—to attend the Monlam Chenmo in Nepal in 2020.

 Rinpoche discussed with Nalanda about how they could organize a Monlam Chenmo in France. During their time in Nepal in 2020, the Nalanda monks were introduced to the prayers from Geshe Sherab-la, Kopan’s umze (chant leader) who has been the Monlam Chenmo umze for many years, and Kopan monks who serve as the second umze.

 We are so pleased to share that Rinpoche’s wishes manifested this year at Nalanda Monastery as they hosted their first Gelug Monlam from February 23-25, 2024.

 Nalanda director, Ven. Thubten Sherab, shares the details.

In order to benefit all sentient beings, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the manifestation of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas, had expressed the holy wish to bring the tradition of the Gelug Monlam to the West.

The Sangha of Nalanda Monastery decided last December to organize the first Gelug Monlam Festival in France, and probably in Europe, from February 23-25, 2024, Saturday 24 being the holy day of Chotrul Duchen. The more we investigate, the more we realize the value of such an incredibly meaningful event. 

During three weeks prior to the Monlam, we had to face many difficulties, sicknesses, and various obstacles including the sudden breakdown of the internet, and so forth. Ven. Roger Kunsang arrived on February 15, reinforcing the importance of fulfilling Rinpoche’s holy wishes.

Our abbot, Geshe Jamphel-la, requested to invite the best chant leaders of Sera Monastery, and so Geshe Thubten Sonam-la, Umze Genden Dargey (or Chenmo-la), and Geshe Dorjee Wangdak came from Bylakuppe to Nalanda Monastery on February 18. During February 19-22, they taught us how to chant the various melodies. Most of our Sangha and about 15 lay people participated in these training sessions.

Following our invitation, Dagpo Rinpoche, one of the highest Gelug lamas living in Paris, wrote to us: “I am indeed very grateful to you for undertaking this magnificent project, very precious for the sustainability and dissemination of the teaching of the Buddha and the tradition of Je Tsongkhapa.”

Gelug Monlam held at Nalanda Monastery, February 20-23, 2024. Photo by Sonam Sherpa.

On Friday February 23, 7.00 am, the deep voice of the chant master Genden Dargey opened this historical moment! In front of His Holiness’ throne and the altar of the main gompa, six geshes and the umze (Geshe Jamphel, Geshe Thubten Sonam, Genden Dargey, Geshe Dorjee Wangdak, Geshe Gyaltsen, Geshe Dakpa, Geshe Losel) faced the audience. Forty-four monks and nuns together with about sixty lay people, started to sing the inspiring melodies and profound prayers celebrating Buddha Shakyamuni, Lama Tsongkhapa, and Maitreya. Attendees made bath offerings, prostrations to the Thirty-five Buddhas, meditated on the general confession, etc.

During three days, the gompa was full and some people followed on screen in the zen garden, below the gompa. Many people from various countries joined and prayed with us online. On the last day, we made a procession and offering bath to Maitreya, circumambulating the main temple. You can watch a joyous short video of these proceedings. 

The Monlam has been very successful and brought together the monastics and the lay community living near or abroad.

Procession and offering bath to Maitreya. Photo courtesy of Nalanda Monastery.

Nalanda made many offerings: to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Stupa of Complete Victory, to His Eminence Ganden Tri Rinpoche Losang Tenzing, and to the geshes and all the present Sangha. The monastery offered food and lodging to all the monastics during their stay, and the traveling costs of the monks of Sera Je and other important guests who participated.

The monastery also received many offerings from all around the world which will be used for the second Monlam in 2025 and the production of a film that is being made on this first Gelug Monlam at Nalanda.

It is really amazing to consider how all the various actions made by so many different people in so many different areas suddenly came together to complete this holy wish of Rinpoche  and make it a reality!

To list of the names of all the benefactors and all the people who participated in one way or another would be very, very long indeed. We deeply thank each and every one of them and rejoice in such an accumulation of merits!

Prayers during the Gelug Monlam at Nalanda Monstery, February 22-25, 2024. Photo by Francois Lecointre

We would like to especially express our gratitude to Geshe Thubten Sonam-la, Genden Dargey, Geshe Dorjee Wangdak-la—to have joyfully made this long journey from Sera Je to Nalanda to patiently plant the seed of the Monlam here in the West; to all the geshes, monks, and nuns including Ven. Norbu from Sera Mey and Ven. Namjong for their help and translation; Ven. Tsultrim Tsepal for the creation of phonetics; Ven. Tsomo who managed the translation of the Monlam Chenmo prayer book including Tibetan, Tibetan phonetics, and English; Yanis Casse who translated the English version into French in an inconceivable short amount of time; all the residents and volunteers; all the local people who came with devotion and enthusiasm to help us and are ready to come back; all the generous donors; the Tibetan community of Occitanie; and all those who prayed with us here at Nalanda or online.

To all of you, thank you so much!

We invite you to join us at Nalanda Monastery for the second Gelug Monlam Festival at the monastery from March 10-15, 2025 (March 14 being Chotrul Duchen).

 May all these unbelievable merits be dedicated to the long and healthy life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and for the swift return of our Guru Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche. May all his future actions be very vast in the three worlds and without any obstacles in order to benefit even more all sentient beings without exception.

Written by Ven. Thubten Sherab, director of Nalanda Monastery.

Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), is a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.