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Seventh 100 million mani retreat at Idgaa Choizinling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, September 2019. Photo by Ianzhina Bartanova.
One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization is to sponsor 100 million OM MANI PADME HUM retreats around the world. Rinpoche has said, “[I would like] for the organization to establish 100,000 recitations of 100 million OM MANI PADME HUM mantras. This can be retreats of 100 million recitations, so 100,000 different retreats in different parts of the world and where it is happening, then for it to happen regularly, each year.”
The FPMT center in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Ganden Do Ngag Shedrup Ling, organized their first mani retreat in 2013 with assistance from the FPMT Practice and Retreat Fund. Led by Lama Zopa Rinpoche that year, it was the first big retreat he had led since he manifested a stroke in 2011. They have been organizing and self-sustaining a mani retreat annually ever since, completing their seventh annual retreat in September 2019. Center director Ianzhina Bartanova shares the story.
Ganden Do Ngag Shedrup Ling has completed its seventh 100 million mani retreat in a row. In 2019, for some logistical reasons, this major annual event took place in the month of September. It was a surprisingly warm and pleasant month for Mongolia, enabling participants to better concentrate on the practice without experiencing the discomfort of a hot summer or cold winter.
However, we observed that there was a reduction in the number of people who could join us in the Idgaa Choinzinling Monastery gompa because the retreat coincided with the beginning of the new school year. Nevertheless, the average attendance of approximately 100 to 150 people yielded the excellent result of a collective recitation of 108,000,000 OM MANI PADME HUM mantra recitations. These were offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the first mani retreat in Elista, Kalmykia, in October 2019.
Ganden Do Ngag Shedrup Ling center director, Ianzhina Bartanova, paid a visit to Elista and offered congratulations to the abbot of the Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni (the Golden Temple) upon the successful hosting of the mani retreat there. Ven. Anja was pleased to know about the annual 100 million mani retreat in Mongolia. Ven. Anja expressed that people from Kalmykia might now be more interested in visiting Mongolia and participating in the mani retreat here.
Ani Thubten Gyalmo, Ani Nyima, and Ani Kunkyen taking part in the seventh 100 million mani retreat at Idgaa Choizinling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, September 2019. Photo by Ianzhina Bartanova.
Thirty days of retreat passed very quickly at Idgaa Choinzinling Monastery, and new lessons were learned along the way. Although we have some familiarity with how to organize this event, there is always room for improved service and further implementation of skillful ways to overcome obstacles.
The second day of the retreat was marked by the sudden declaration of a state holiday due to the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin. When the Mongolian government made this announcement they recommended citizens stay home in order to reduce traffic congestion for the two presidents! Fortunately for our staff and retreat participants we followed our normal schedule. The daily schedule was changed only once, when Geshe Thubten Soepa gave special teachings explaining the meaning of the OM MANI PADME HUM mantra.
Seventh 100 Million Mani Retreat at Idgaa Choizinling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, September 2019. Photo by Ianzhina Bartanova.
Every year the devoted retreatants touch our hearts with their seemingly magical stories. Retreatants share about experiencing immediate healing with blessed water and other miraculous events that have happened in their lives. We view these stories as further confirmation of the power of the Buddha of Compassion, the power of faith, and the power of merits. We sincerely dedicate our collective merits for world peace and the resolution of the climate crisis to significantly reduce the suffering on this planet.
As we look towards the future and consider how we can continue to improve our offerings, we are discussing the possibility of organizing a strict retreat in 2020. This retreat would conclude with a fire puja for participants who can commit to full participation and the recitation of the required number of mantras. We warmly invite everyone to join us and help in fulfilling Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Vision for Mongolia.
For more information about Ganden Do Ngag Shedrup Ling, visit their website:
http://www.fpmtmongolia.org/shedrub-ling-center
The Practice and Retreat Fund provides grants and sponsorships for students engaged in retreats such as 108 nyung nä retreats, 100 million mani retreats, recitations of sutras, and long term retreat:
https://fpmt.org/projects/fpmt/practice-and-retreats-fund/
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