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THE Ladakhis, quite oblivious to murmurings of discontent, are content to practise the Buddhist philosophy of compassion, tolerance and love, following the "middle path" and place complete faith in their religious leaders. In Leh to attend the fourth Annual Drukpa Council meeting at Hemis Monastery, which is Ladakh’s largest monastic institution, the congregation saw thousands of locals who came to pay obeisance to their leaders and listen to the teachings of the masters. Seeing the young and old brave the weather (minus three) holding prayer beads with reverence and waiting in the open courtyard for hours, without pushing or jostling, demonstrated strong loyalty and faith. The event coincided with a mega tree- plantation drive, which was large enough to get officials from the Guinness Book of World Records to come and place its stamp of approval. The feat entailed planting 99,103 Ladakhi willow saplings across 60 acres of land using the stem-grafting method. Nearly 9,814 school children and young adults swung into action to plant the saplings in the span of an hour. According to Kimberley Dennis, Abjudicator, who came specially from the Guinness World Records Limited in London, "seeing this sea of people dedicatedly setting their sights on not just winning the record of "most trees planted simultaneously", but wanting to play their part in creating a better environment, was heartwarming." In what was a purely voluntary activity, young people came armed with shovels and buckets, happy to be part of a "Green Ladakh drive". The monks of the monastery had gone around local villages on their bikes using mikes to announce the event. The chosen site at the base of the monastery will allow melted snow waters to cascade down the hill slopes to moisten the saplings in summer. The trees, when they come up will be a balm to the eyes, since the harsh climatic conditions do not allow flora and fauna to thrive. The only trees that you see are willows and poplars which are also used in construction efforts. The Annual Drukpa Council (ADC) saw the presence of His Holiness, the Gyalwang Drukpa, the present spiritual head of Drukpa Buddhists, unveiling the dragon flag in the presence of other Drukpa Buddhists, Drukpa masters from India, Nepal, Bhutan, Europe, Americas and Asia and a teeming local population who came to show their solidarity to the Drukpa Lineage. The ADC is the largest gathering of Drukpa masters from across the world, who come together to pray and transfer centuries of wisdom to people. For the Drukpas, it is an opportunity to push for positive change in the social fabric of the region, as well as the world at large. According to Nawang Jinpa, a French national who has been coming to Hemis for the last 15 years and is now documenting the history of the Drukpas, "this lineage is not about debating, questioning and intellectualising teachings but of subduing the mind and integrating it in your daily life through practice and contemplation." On the occasion, three sacred relics were unveiled. The first was a holy dagger made by a Drukpa yogi 300 years ago to ward off negative energies. The dagger, known as "Phurba", was said to have stopped an avalanche and several mishaps in the Himalayas. The second was an 8th century statue, called "Vajrasattva", made by the Indian saint, Guru Padmasambhava who is credited with bringing Tantric Buddhism to Tibet. The statue is believed to eliminate negativities. The third relic was a bronze statue made in the 12th century by Tibet's most renowned yogi, Milarepa's own sister. Believers have seen real hair growing on the crown of the statue and dropping off periodically to let new hair grow again. This statue is believed to grant wish-fulfilling blessings. The Drukpa Lineage follows the Mahayana Buddhist tradition where "getting enlightened for the benefit of others" and the methods, are based on Tantrayana teachings. These were passed down from the great Indian saint Naropa, who was born in 1016 in a West Bengal royal family. It acquired the name Drukpa in the twelfth century when, assuming the human form, Avalokiteshvara — the Great Lord of Universal Compassion — manifested as the outstanding disciple of Mahasiddha Lingchen Repa. The Drukpa tradition is not about worshipping outside but looking inwards. For thousands of years, the masters stayed in caves and meditated. It is only in recent times that they began coming out to connect with people, says Nawang. For Lynne Chain, who is a Malaysian of Chinese origin and a donor-volunteer, looking after some of the communications for Drukpa, "coming to Hemis every year is my annual pilgrimmage." She has been given the local name of "Deepam" and is a familiar face in the area. The present Gyalwang Drukpa is the twelfth incarnation of the founder of the Drukpa Lineage. In his private residence, addressing the media, he says, "I am more of a community leader who believes in working for and with the people and to that extent see more merit in opening schools and dispensaries and planting trees."
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