Long life prayers offered to Dalai Lama in Dharamsala

The Dalai Lama today attended a long life prayer offered to him by the Tibetan Women’s Association, former students of the CST, Dalhousie, and Lhasa districts at the Main Tibetan Temple in Dharamsala.

When the Dalai Lama reached the gate to his residence this morning, representatives of the groups offering the ceremony stepped forward to pay their respects and welcome him.

Ornately costumed women sang on either side of the aisle as the Dalai Lama drove through. The Dalai Lama walked steadily to the lift and then all around the temple to the door. He paused to engage with members of the crowd and to bless rosaries they held out to him.

In the temple, the Dalai Lama took his seat on a throne festooned with garlands of marigolds. He put on a yellow Pandit’s hat to receive welcome from Ven Samdhong Rinpoché, who was the Lama presiding over the ceremony related to ‘Granting the Essence of Immortality’ composed by the Great Fifth Dalai Lama following a vision he had of Guru Padmasambhava in the form of Amitayus.

A representative of the Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA) offered a mandala to the Dalai Lama, requesting him to live long. He was then offered a vase of long-life nectar, long-life liquor, long-life pills, an arrow of longevity adorned with a silk banner and ritual cakes representing peaceful, increasing, controlling and forceful activities. He was then presented trays bearing the eight auspicious symbols, seven royal emblems and eight auspicious substances.

The prayer for the Dalai Lama’s long life composed by his two Tutors was recited. This was followed by a musical interlude during which Tibetan people sang that they belong to a bloodline that has come down from the time of the ancestral kings.

The Dalai Lama said, “So, today, you have repeated these prayers and made a request to me to live long. You have referred to me as someone who can help the people of the Three Provinces of Tibet. We are gathered here together as a result of merit and prayers we have accumulated in the past, but we have been born at a difficult time,” he said.

“I was born in Amdo and named Lhamo Dhondup, but I became someone able to explain the dharma and engage in fruitful discussions with scientists. I believe I have been able to make a contribution to the cause of Tibet and to the preservation of the Buddhadharma. I have also created the karma and made prayers to be of benefit to the people of China, where there is growing interest in the Buddha’s teaching,” he said.

He further said “I will continue to try to fulfil the wishes of the Buddha. Meanwhile, the spirit of the people of Tibet remains undaunted, please, I urge you, keep your spirits up. We, the people of the Three Provinces of Tibet, maintain these incredible traditions, the heritage we received from Nalanda. I’d like to thank all of you for the various contributions you’ve made.”