Taiwan: On 23 May, Kelsang Gyaltsen Bawa, Representative of the Office of Tibet in Taipei (Taiwan), received Kyabje Gaden Tripa Jetsun Lobsang Dorjee Pal Sangpo upon his arrival at the international airport. The organising committee also welcomed Kyabje Jangtse Choje Gosok Rinpoche Ngawang Sungrab Tenzin Gelek Pal Sangpo and Kyabje Sherpa Choeje Jetsun Ngawang Jorpal Sangpo.

In the morning, the two eminent Buddhist masters were received with great reverence at the courtyard of Mahamayuri Temple, where devotees greeted them in a ceremonial procession featuring conch shells, incense, and sacred scriptures. As the monastic assembly chanted prayers, the masters jointly unveiled a Buddha thangka measuring 12 feet in length and 10 feet in width.

This was followed by a Sangsol (incense offering) and Lhagyel (victory prayer chanting), after which a traditional Tibetan opera, Tashi Sholpa, was performed. Auspicious tea and sweet rice were then served to those in attendance.

Representative Kelsang Gyaltsen Bawa subsequently addressed the gathering, introducing the purpose of the occasion. The Abbot of Mahamayuri Temple, Tzu-Jie, the President of the Taiwan Buddhist Research Center, Abbot Tsewang Rigzin, and the Chairman of the Taiwan Tibetan Buddhist Association, Hu Maohua, also delivered speeches. In the presence of the two masters, the Buddhist community then observed rituals including the lighting of lamps, a face-covering ceremony, and the traditional Chinese bathing ritual for the statue.

The monastic community proceeded to chant prayers for over half an hour in the master’s presence, after which the Buddhist masters addressed the gathering on the significance of Saga Dawa, the holiest month in the Tibetan Buddhist calendar.

The afternoon programme featured Tibetan Buddhist dialectical debates conducted in Chinese, traditional Tibetan dance performances, sand-mandala construction, Tibetan musical performances, and a nomadic tent exhibition. Attendees also appreciated a display of items from Men-Tsee-Khang and other exhibits. The event concluded with ordained monks and nuns leading devotees in prayers for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, followed by the recitation of the King of Aspiration Prayers for Excellent Conduct (Samantabhadra Pranidhana).

The event was attended by approximately 400 participants, including abbots, geshes, and religious instructors from Tibetan Buddhist communities in China and Mongolia, as well as monks, nuns, Tibetans residing in Taiwan, and Taiwanese and Han nationals.

-Report filed by Office of Tibet, Taipei