Today people across the country will visit monasteries and lhakhangs to offer prayers and butter lamps to observe Lord Buddha’s Parinirvana, coinciding with the 15th day of fourth month of the Bhutanese calendar.
But at the National Memorial Chorten in Thimphu, the commemoration will take place in a different way.
Students and youth dressed as Buddha and his first five disciples (Khor Ngade Zangpo) will walk around the chorten and chant praises to the Buddha for coming to earth and blessing all sentient beings.
The programme will be carried out by a group of young Buddhists called Druk Nangpoi Zhoenu, a non-sectarian Buddhist association launched on April 26 last year.
According to the association’s president, His Eminence Garab rinpoche, the idea was to celebrate Buddha’s birthday in ways that capture the imagination of the younger generation and bring out the importance of celebrating auspicious Buddhist days, such as the Buddha’s birthday.
“Such activities will serve as a reminder to people, who are busy at work or lost in family matters, of the significance of the Buddha’s birthday,” Garab rinpoche said.
According to rinpoche, the Buddha said: “When modern civilisation arises, culture and dharma will deteriorate.” Likewise, in urban Bhutan, Buddhism is waning. The age old culture and customs are seen only in the rural areas. Rinpoche added that it was essential for the younger generation to learn to embrace religion, culture and tradition.
The association aims to prevent youth from getting involved in substance and alcohol abuse, and divert their interest towards religion, by conducting religious activities in a different way.
Rinpoche said that most Bhutanese youth today do not like prayers and chanting mantras. “When they lose interest in these things, the essence of Buddhism is lost,” he said. He also said that most of the urban dwellers do not attach much importance to occasions like the Buddha’s birthday. “We call ourselves Buddhists, yet do not know when the Buddha’s birthday is.”
Last year, the group walked through Thimphu town on Buddha’s birthday, but this time they are not allowed to go beyond the chorten premises. One of the members said the very idea of the progamme was to remind the people in town, and not in the chorten and monasteries, which already knew the day.
The group will be distributing sweets and Buddha’s portrait in the other dzongkhags as part of the celebration.
Druk Nangpei Zhoennu, established with only a few youth, today has 3,000 members, who are trainees, students and some are civil servants.
Source : http://www.kuenselonline.com
