Names of Some Great Benefactors of Nyingma Monlam Chenmo I.F

• 1. His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche Jigdal Yeshe Dorje
• 2. His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche rabsal Dawa
• 3. His Holiness Drubwang Padma Norbu Rinpoche Jigmed Thubten Shedrub Chokyi Drayang Palzangpo
• 4. His Holiness Minling Thrichen Rinpoche Gyurmed Kunzang Wangyal
• 5. His Holiness Thrul-Zhig Rinpoche Ngawang Chokyi Lodro
• 6. His Holiness Taglung Tsetrul Rinpoche Shedrub Nyinjyed Zangpo
• 7. His Holiness jadral Sangye Dorje rinpoche
   

All  the above mentioned Holinesses have considered Monlam Chenmo as an im-  portant event and presided most of the Monlam Chenmo. In particular H.H.  Drubwang padma Norbu had immensely inspired the faithful masses with  his noble guidance and gracing the Monlam continuously from the  beginning till his attainment of Mahaparinirvana.

It  is worthwhile that we commemorate the kindness of the great benefactors  of the Dharma - H.E. Darthang Chogtrul Rinpoche Kunga Gelag Yeshe Dorje  and H.e. Ladakh Choje Rinpoche for their continuous guidance and  generous financial support.

It  is the sole fruition of the sublime intentions and kindness of all the  above-mentioned Rinpoches that even during this degenerate period the  doctrine of the Ngagyur Nyingma is flourishing far and wide.

How the Nyingma Monlam Chenmo International Foundation Came In To Existence

The Sutra of Compassionate White Lotus states:

This  place is the source of one thousand and two Buddhas of this fortunate  eon. And also Buddha said in Agama-kshudraka (Lung phran tshegs): “After  I die, righteous men and women with faith should visit and remember  these four great places. The four great places are where the Buddha was  born; the Buddha attained enlightenment; the Buddha turned the wheel of  the teach- ings revealing the twelve links of dependent origination; and  the Buddha passed into Mahaparinivana.”

Bodh  gaya is one of the four great holy places. It is also the source of  Sutra and Tantra texts. Guru Padmasambhava, in his treasure prophecy  praised the holy place of Bodh Gaya time and again as the source of  ocean like Tantras of Ngagyur such as - Seventeen Tantras; Pith  Instructions of Dzogchen; three kinds of Tantra of Ngagyur; and ocean  like Tantras of Kilaya and so on.

Even  the great beings like - 1st 7 hierarchs after Buddha; Six Ornaments and  the Two Supreme ones; Eighty Mahasiddhas; King Bimbisara; King Ashoka  and so forth had also timely renovated, safeguarded, recognised and  praised it as the supreme field for the accumulation of merits.

Even  today every Buddhist considers it as the source of all the Buddha and  the supreme field of accumulation and continues to do prostrations and  offerings with pure devotion and faith. It is mentioned in many Sutra  and Tantra texts time and again that, just by dreaming and wishing to  visit that holy site will accumulate immeasurable merits and cleanse the  defilements. So, it is needless to talk about the accumulations of  great merits through actual offerings and prostration in front of it.

It  was at that glorious holy site embellished with many stupas containing  sacred relics of Buddha, which had been the heart of Buddha-dharma for  more than two thousand years, that Ngagyur Dorden Monlam Chenmo for  International peace had taken its initial form in early 1980s. In 1982,  H.H. Dodrub Rinpoche led an assembly of Sangha in reciting the Arya  Bhadracarya Pranidhanaraja one hundred thousand times at Bodh Gaya.  Subsequently, H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche led hundreds of monks in  recitations of one hundred thousand times Arya Bhadracarya  Pranidhanaraja and Confession of Misdeeds prayers. This is how the  Ngagyur Dorden Monlam Chenmo for International Peace had begun with an  auspicious coincidence through interdependent connection.

After  that, through the altruistic intention of H.E. Darthang Chogtrul Kunga  Geleg Yeshe Dorje Rinpoche the actual Monlam Chenmo gradually commenced.  The initial motivation came into his mind sometimes during the 1970s.  Rinpoche said:

“Nyingma  Monlam Chenmo is a very important event for upholding and propagating  Buddha-dharma. The great compassionate master of our time, the second  Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro had made profound and vast aspirations at  Bodh Gaya to shine forth the sun of dharma once more from there and  pervade the whole world through its rays. So, I got the courage and  inspiration to sponsor the Monlam continuously. In 1989, I have invited  many friends and Lamas to Bodh Gaya to conduct Monlam for the world  peace, longevity of the dharma and long lives of our lamas and parents.  As the result was outstanding we have decided to conduct it annually.  From then I have attended Monlam as far as possible. In 1993, I have  promised to render support for the future Monlam Chenmo and the Monlam  Chenmo Committee had also promised to manage the Monlam and look for  other sponsors. Due to the blessings and kindness of the Rinpoches I  could accomplish my promises. Although my abilities and potencies have  been exhausted completely, still I will continue to do my best for the  Monlam to continue forever. Annually, many realized masters are  attending Monlam Chenmo and I wish and pray for its further improvements  in the future.”

As  said thus, in 1989 H.E. Darthang Rinpoche personally came to India to  conduct Monlam. With his noble motivations and unsurpassable generosity  the first Ngagyur Dorden Monlam Chenmo for world peace was conducted  under the great Bodhi tree with a great inaugural ceremony. It was  attended by a huge gathering of two sections of the Sangha from Nyingma  monasteries of India, Nepal and Bhutan. It was graced by many great  Lamas like: H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, H.H. Drubwang Padma Norbu  Rinpoche, H.H. Minling Thrichen Rinpoche, H.H. Jadral Rinpoche, H.H.  Tag-Lung Tsetrul Rinpoche, and H.H. Thrulzhig Rinpoche.

For  three successive years, recitation of hundred thousand times Manjushri  Nama Sangirti (the king of all the Tantras) and Arya Bhadracarya  Pranidhanaraja (the supreme aspirational prayer) and extensive clouds of  offering were made successfully. Overwhelmed by the immense joys with  the success of the great meritorious deeds of chanting the profound  prayers and clouds of offerings all the Rinpoches held a conference on  the continuity of the great Monlam Chenmo. They advised the assembly of  Sangha to put collective effort in continuation of such a great  meriorious event. regarding the provision and financial support H.E.  Darthang Rinpoche kindly accepted to provide generous financial supports  as requested unanimously by the Ngagyur Nyingma family and other  Rinpoches also promised to lend their assistance for the provisions of  the great event. Thus, as it was resolved to continue, H.H. Jadral  Sangye Dorje formally bestowed it the name - Ngagyur Dorden Monlam  Chenmo.

During  the next Monlam Chenmo, it was decided that the arrangements for the  annual Monlam Chenmo would be initiated by the respective Major Nyingma  monasteries that were given the responsibility for that particular year,  and the first group of staffs were also appointed for Ngagyur Dorden  Monlam Chenmo organization.

His  Holiness Jadrel Sangye Dorje presided the first three years of Monlam  Chenmo and advised its participants to take only vegetarian food during  ten days of Monlam session. His noble advice is being followed  accordingly by serving only vegetarian food during Monlam Chenmo.

During  the initial four or five years, Monlam Chenmo was organized by the  Darthang Shedra in Nepal under the guidance of Palyul Chogtrul Rinpoche  and Khen Rinpoche Rigzin. After that it has been organized successively  by - Thegchog Namdrol Shedrub Dargyeling, Ogmin Ugyen Mindroling,  Zhechen Tennyi Dargyeling, Dzogchen Ugyen Samten Choling, Thubten Dorje  Darg at Simla, Palyul Chokhorling, Chogling Gon, all the Nyingma  Monasteries of Drejong(Sikkim), and all the Nyingma Monasteries in  Bhutan.

More  than 700 Sangha members took part in the first Monlam Chenmo. The first  three initial years of Monlam Chenmos were primarily managed and  financed by H.e. Darthang rinpoche and he is still a prime benefactor  and protector of the Monlam Chenmo.

Gradual Increase in the Number of participants

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Since  all the objectives and activities of the Monlam Chenmo are solely  related with dharma, its fame had pervaded far and wide and the number  of monasteries taking part in the Monlam has increase amazingly. Till  now there are more than 1100 monasteries which have officially  registered in the Nyingma Monlam Chenmo International foundation. There  are around 528 monasteries which are yet to be registered officially as  they lack the necessary documents. It is open for every Nyingma  monastery in the world to register with the proper documents. from the  7th Monlam Chenmo, the number of Sangha of two sections participating in  Monlam had increased year by year. According to the records more than  six thousand participants joined the Monlam Chenmo officially and more  than thousand came without proper registrations. In particular since  2009, the number of participants of Monlam Chenmo had crossed 10,000.

Actual Session of the Monlam

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As  decided by the great Rinpoches, annual Monlam Chenmo is held from 1st  day to the 10th day of the 12th Tibetan month. During the ten days, in  the morning, the assembly performs - the Ritual of taking Vows of  Bodhicitta, liturgical method for invoking the blessings of Shakyamuni  Buddha, paying homage and making offerings to Sthavira, Tara Ritual, and  The Seven-chaptered prayer to Guru Rinpoche. In the afternoon they  mainly recite Manjushri Nama Sangirti and Arya Bhadracarya  Pranidhanaraja and they conclude the day with recitation of Kunzang  Monlam, Aspiration of Maitreya (Jampai Monlam), prayer to be reborn in  the Sukhavati paradise of Amitabha Bud- dha (De-Mon), and Aspirational  prayers for the continuity and prosperity of the Nyingmapa sect of  Tibetan Buddhism. It is concluded with extensive feast offerings,  prayers of auspiciousness and dedications on the 10th day of the month.  The concluding ritual is performed specifically on the 10th day of the  month, since it is an auspicious day related to guru Padmasambhava, the  ultimate Lord of Ngagyur Nyingma teachings and his followers.

Monlam  Chenmo is conducted on the four directions of the great Stupa of Bodh  Gaya and the seating arrangements are: Nuns on the East, Ordained monks  on the South and West and the Tantric practitioners (Ngagpas) on the  North. To have an organised and disciplined Monlam, many disciplinarians  are also appointed yearly.

Anniversary  of Mahaparinivana of Kunkhyen Longchen Rabjam is also conducted yearly  at Bodh Gaya for three days. It is sponsored by H.E. Darthang Rinpoche.  The main day of the anniversary is on the 18th day of 12th Tibetan  month.

The  reason for conducting the Ngagyur Dorden Monlam Chenmo, particularly in  the 12th Tibetan month is that all monastic colleges within India,  Bhutan and Nepal usually conclude their examinations by this period of  the year. Moreover the weather condition of the place at that particular  time of the year also suits with the people residing within Himalaya  ranges.

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