Gangtok, Jul 21: Large number of monks and devotees, including students from different schools in and around Gangtok, took out a huge procession to mark the birth anniversary of the patron saint of Sikkim, Maha Guru Padmasambhava.
The devotees also carried a sculpted life size statue of Guru Padmasambhava from Chorten Gonpa in a solemn procession yesterday morning amid the chanting of ‘Om Ah Hung Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hung Rhi’.
Organised by the Guru Trungkar Tsechu Committee and Sikkim Buddhist Duechen Organisation, the procession started from Chorten Gonpa, Deorali, and took a round of the National Highway before departing to the monastery.
Guru Padmasambhava is adored in Sikkim as the patron saint and is referred to as Guru Rinpoche, ‘the precious one’. He is the founder of Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet and the source of the Terma tradition of the Nyingmapa.
He is also regarded as the second Buddha as rays of letter ‘hrhi’ descended from the heart of Buddha Amitabha into the north-western land of Oddiyana and onto the Dhanakosha Lake from which Guru Rinpoche was born in a lotus flower.
Guru Rinpoche turned the wheel of sacred Vajrayana teachings. The Dakinis called out to him from their hearts forming the Vajra Guru Mantra – ‘Om Ah Hung Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hung’ (I invoke you, the Vajra Guru Padmasambhava, by your blessings may you grant us ordinary and supreme spiritual fulfilment).
Followers believe that he is still in the same body in Zangdogpalri, a manifested pure land in the centre of the Camara sub-continent, and that he can be seen by ‘realised’ people.
The Guru Rinpoche Trungkar Tsechu was also celebrated in other parts of Sikkim by the monks and local devotees. Devotees lugged sacred Buddhist texts on their shoulders and made a parikrama.
Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and other delegates also offered khadas to the statue of Guru Rimpoche at the white hall.
Source: newkerala.com
