Dharamshala — His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama attended a Long Life Prayer offered to him by the Monpa Community of Arunachal Pradesh at the Main Tibetan Temple on Saturday and His Holiness said, "this Long-Life Ceremony has been organized by the Mönpas. These were the people who came to greet me and showed deep respect, when I left Tibet many of them touching their heads to my feet. Mönyul is where I entered India and, as I say, I was very moved by the devotion of the people."
His Holiness the Dalai Lama attended a Long Life Prayer offered to him by the Monpa Community of Arunachal Pradesh (India) at the Main Tibetan Temple, Dharamshala, on September 7, 2024. His Holiness arrived by golf cart at the gate of Tsuglagkhang, the main Tibetan temple. The people waiting for him greeted him with smiles and devotion, offering him white and yellow khatas, His Holiness smiled and waved to well-wishers. The courtyard was well decorated with banners and colourful flowers (marigold garlands), and the pillars were wrapped in cloth in the colours of the Indian flag. The path of His Holiness in the courtyard was covered with a red carpet decorated with colourful auspicious symbols.
When His Holiness reached the gate in a golf cart, Pema Khandu, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh stepped forward to greet him and offered a golden silk scarf. He and other Mönpas, people from Tawang District of Arunachal Pradesh, the organisers of yesterday’s teaching and today’s long-life ceremony then escorted His Holiness to the temple. As the golf cart approached the lift on the eastern side of the temple a Mönpa laywoman and layman offered the traditional Chema Changpu as a mark of welcome.
His Holiness then took his place on the throne of the temple, with representatives of the Mönpa community seated to his right and former and current high-ranking officials of the Central Tibetan Administration to his left.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu was accompanied by his wife and children, Arunachal MP Tapir Gao, Education Minister Shri Pasang Dorje Sona, MLAs from Lungla, Tawang, Kalatang and Dirang, as well as the Chairman of DoKA – the Department of Karmik and Adhyatmik Affairs. The 1400 Mönpas His Holiness has met over the last three days were joined in and around the temple by 3500 local Tibetans and other interested people.
Ling Rinpoché, who presided over the ceremony, sat directly in front of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. To his right was Namgyal Lobpön Lobsang Dhargyey and to his left Guru Tulku Rinpoché, former Abbot of Tawang Monastery, and Khandro Tsering Ché-nga with them were several Mönpa Abbots.
A procession of Mönpa people in traditional costume bearing a variety of offerings began to pass through the temple. Ling Rinpoché gave His Holiness nectar and pills of longevity and the long-life arrow. He then presented him with trays bearing the eight auspicious symbols, seven royal emblems and eight auspicious substances.
During the recitation of the prayer for His Holiness’s long life by his two tutors, Chief Minister Pema Khandu offered him a statue of Jé Tsongkhapa. His Holiness was offered ‘tsog’. Representatives of the Mönpa community came before the throne to pay their respects, among them was a young boy called Lhagyala Rinpoché.
His Holiness addressed the congregation and said, "Since we are all gathered here for this Long-Life Ceremony, I am going to give a transmission of a Guru Yoga practice called ‘Stairway to the Potala’. It begins, ‘Homage to Lokeshvara, Lord of the Universe’ and continues, ‘On my crown, upon a seat of lotus and moon, sits my root teacher, who is inseparable from Supreme Noble Avalokiteshvara, the Lord of the World, with one face and four hands — the first two folded in prayer while the two remaining hands hold a crystal rosary and the stem of a white lotus in full bloom’. He is the embodiment of all refuges."
His Holiness said, "All of us here are practitioners of Avalokiteshvara, let’s recite the six-syllable mantra together." For several minutes the temple hummed to the chanting of Om mani padme hung.
The spiritual leader of Tibet explains, "Since we left Tibet and came into exile I have been able to serve people extensively around the world from India. This Long-Life Ceremony has been organised by the Mönpas. These were the people who came to greet me and showed deep respect, when I left Tibet many of them touching their heads to my feet. Mönyul is where I entered India and, as I say, I was very moved by the devotion of the people."
"Today you have organised this ceremony, for which I thank you. I pray that Avalokiteshvara will bless you and fulfil all your short and long-term goals. That’s all," His Holiness the Dalai Lama concluded.
