Teachings and novice ordinations in Mon

 In June 2022, at the request of Gontse Gadhen Rabgyeling Monastery, Bomdila, His Eminence Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche travelled to the monastery, to give teachings on His Holiness the Fifth Dalai Lama’s text Manjushri’s Words (Teachings from Manjushri’s Mouth), on the stages of the path to enlightenment.

Upon arrival at Guwahati airport on 2 June 2022, His Eminence Rinpoche was accorded a revered welcome by the officials of Gontse Gadhen Rabgyeling Monastery. Staying overnight at Mangaldoi Hotel, His Eminence travelled to Balemu, stopping at IB Guest House, and thereafter headed to Gyuto Monastery, Tenzingang. After a formal reception at Gyuto His Eminence Rinpoche arrived at Gontse Gadhen Rabgyeling monastery in the afternoon of 3 June 2022.

In the morning of 5 June 2022, His Eminence Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche began ten-day (5 June 2022 – 14 June 2022) teachings on His Holiness the Fifth Dalai Lama’s text Manjushri’s Words (Teachings from Manjushri’s Mouth), on the stages of the path to enlightenment. Convened in the vihara-temple of the monastery, besides the resident sangha members, ordained and lay devotees from various parts of Mon region attended the teachings.

On the first day of the teachings, after advising all to set a pure motive in going to receive the teachings, His Eminence Rinpoche explained the origins of the presentation of the teachings in the format of the three capable practitioners’ stages of the path to enlightenment, and of the commentarial texts, Manjushri’s Words (Teachings from Manjushri’s Mouth) by the All-Seeing His Holiness the Fifth Dalai Lama is summarization in brief, of the thoughts of Jey Rinpoche, after having examined through the four types of reasoning the teachings of Jey Rinpoche. That is because, His Holiness the Fifth Dalai Lama was a great teacher with the mastery of the teachings and practice, not having to still rely on others. And, since the text was written to suit the mental capability of the people at that time, it stands out as a distinct commentarial text on Lamrim, the stages of the path to enlightenment. The very title of the text, “Teachings from Manjushri’s Mouth”, expresses the meaning that the text is to be regarded as no different from as if spoken by Jey Rinpoche, the human manifestation of Manjushri.

His Eminence Rinpoche explained that Manjushri’s Words by the All-Seeing the Great Fifth is of not that many words, compared to other Lamrim commentarial texts. Yet, since greatly vast subjects are covered in summary within even few lines of the teachings of the All-Seeing the Great Fifth, it is difficult to elucidate in details the teachings of His Holiness the Great Fifth Dalai Lama. There are many parts in them that are similar to that of Jey Rinpoche’s wordings. In terms of the major texts, His Holiness the Great Fifth Dalai Lama had written on all the five major texts.

His Eminence Rinpoche then remarked that the present teachings are at the long-standing repeated request from Gontse Gadhen Rabgyeling Monastery, Bomdila, though a series of teachings on Jey Rinpoche’s middling-version of Lamrim was already given by His Eminence Rinpoche at the monastery some years ago.

Thereafter, His Eminence began by bestowing the Transmission-blessing of the text, followed by explanatory commentary.

In the morning of 14 June 2022, prior to concluding the ten-day teachings on Manjushri’s Words, on the occasion of the day being Vesak Purnima (Vesak Full Moon), His Eminence Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche kindly bestowed Śramaṇer-novice vows to a large number of recipients, in the vihara-temple of Gontse Gadhen Rabgyeling Monastery, Bomdila.

In the afternoon, His Eminence Rinpoche consecrated the newly-installed statue of Buddha, at the intersection near Gontse Gadhen Rabgyeling Monastery, in commemoration of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama’s sojourn in Bomdila, from 12 April – 17 April 1959, on the way to exile. The statue was commissioned by Ama Tenzin and Apa Kushab Tashi Dirkyipa Memorial Charitable Foundation Trust, Thembang, Dirang. Present at the consecration ceremony were the members of the state assembly, deputy commissioner, and many other dignitaries.

In the morning of 16 June 2022, at the completion of the teachings on Manjushri’s Word, Gontse Gadhen Rabgyeling Monastery offered His Eminence Rinpoche a Tenshuk Formal Request to Kindly Continue to Live Long. The rites of the Tenshuk was done through the Sutra system. The same morning, at the request of the monastery, His Eminence Rinpoche kindly bestowed a longevity empowerment of Amitayus, in the Siddharani system of the lineage.

In the evening of 16 June 2022, prior to departing Bomdila, His Eminence Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche visited the temple established by His Eminence the 12^th Kunkhyen Tsona Rinpoche, and met Serche Rinpoche.

In the afternoon, His Eminence Rinpoche arrived at Gyuto Monastery, Tenzingang.

In the afternoon of 17 June 2022, His Eminence Rinpoche departed Gyuto Monastery, Tenzingang, for IB Guest House, Balemu, but due to road block from heavy rainpour, His Eminence returned to Gontse Gadhen Rabgyeling Monastery, staying overnight, and thereafter on the following day, in the morning, His Eminence departed for Guwahati, and arrived at the airport the same morning.