The big celebrations of the 80th anniversary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the root guru of the Buddhist followers in the traditional Buddhist republics of Kalmykia, Buryatia, Transbaikalia and Tuva, are under way in the Russian Federation.
Celebration in Moscow
On July 6th, the very day when the whole world will celebrate the 80th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Moscow Office of Tibet and Save Tibet Foundation will organize grand celebration at the Central House of Cinema. The attendees will enjoy two presentations: an audio book based on the famous autobiography of His Holiness Freedom in Exile narrated by the famous Russian actor Valentin Gaft will be released. Commenting upon his work on the project, Valentin Gaft shared his admiration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
“Coming across with such a personality gives an extraordinary energy. This energy comes out of his understanding of life, of his mission, of his desire to help other beings. Such people as the Dalai lama is, help us to understand an unusual beauty of the world, reveal the true meaning of kindness and warm-heartedness”, says the actor.
On the occasion, Save Tibet Foundation (Moscow) under spiritual guidance of Telo Tulku Rinpoche will release six books by His Holiness the Dalai Lama containing his teachings on the major Buddhist philosophical texts. The titles to be presented are Healing Anger. The power of patience from a Buddhist Perspective; A Flash of Lightening in the Dark of Night; Practing Wisdom; Stages of Mediation; Transforming the Mind; Mind of Clear Light. The books published under the umbrella of Nalanda Book Series comprising Russian translations of treatises by Nalanda masters and their Tibetan heirs, will be distributed freely in the Russian Buddhist republics of Kalmykia, Buryatia and Tuva.
The musical part of the celebration will include a long-awaited performance by the Tibetan Institute of performing Arts (TIPA) and the musical offering by a famous Russian rock-star Boris Grebeshikov and his “Aquarium”. Boris Grebenshikov met His Holiness several times, his performance concluded the teachings for Russia and Baltic States in Riga that His Holinerss the Dalai Lama gave last year.
On July 7th the International Museum of Nicholas Roerich, Moscow Office of Tibet and Save Tibet Foundation will jointly hold a follow-up event touching upon a historical mission of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Celebrations in the Russian Buddhist Republics
To mark the festive event each of the Buddhist regions of Russia created an extensive program of joyous events designed to honor the beloved spiritual leader. In Kalmykia the celebrations started with an unprecedented musical offering to His Holiness the Dalai Lama performed by 330 performers playing traditional musical instrument called “dombra”. The event held at the main temple “Golden abode of Buddha Shakyamuni” was attended by thousands Kalmyk followers of His Holiness.
On July 3rd, by the initiative of Telo Tulku Rinpoche, the Honorary Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Russia, Mongolia and CIS countries, Kalmykia will host “The festival of Friendship of Brotherly Peoples” that will be held at the National Drama Theater. Special guests of the festival will be the artists from the Tibetan Institute of performing Arts (TIPA) invited by the Moscow Office of Tibet and Save Tibet Foundation to share rich Tibetan cultural traditions with the Russian audiences in conjunction to the 80th anniversary of his Holiness the Dalai Lama.
On July 6th, a big prayer session in honor of His Holiness will be held by Kalmyk and Tibetan monks at the main temple “Golden abode of Buddha Shakyamuni”. The attendees will have a chance to visit a photo exhibition entitled “Precious Teacher” consisting of photos taken by Kalmyk photographers who attended His Holiness teachings in India and other countries. “The 14th Dalai Lama. Ocean without shores. World without boundaries”, a documentary film by Roman Sukhostavsky on the annual teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for Russian Buddhists in Delhi will be shown on the festive day.
In Buryatia, the annual International Music Festival “Voice of Nomads” organized by the Buryat Ministry of Culture this year will be dedicated to the 80th anniversary of His Holiness. The festival will be launched on July 6th by the musical offering “Melodies of free Steppes”.
On July 6th the Institute of Mongol, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies in Ulan-Ude, Buryatia, will hold an International Seminar “Buddhism and Transformation of Traditional Worldview of Peoples of Russia, Inner and Eastern Asia” dedicated to the 80th anniversary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Among the participants are representatives of Buryat and Tibetan clergy, Buddhist scholars from Ulan-Ude, Novosibirsk, Samara, as well as Mongolia, Bulgaria and USA.
To mark the occasion “Rinpoche Bagsha”, Buddhist Monastery in Ulan-Ude led by Venerable Yelo Rinpoche, will organize a three-day fasting retreat following the ritual text by the 7th Dalai Lama Kelsang Gyatso. On July 6th the temple will hold a solemn prayer session and bless all the participants with the monks robes that His Holiness generously gave to the temple.
The festive day will also see the big concert program organized by the Green Tara Buddhist Center led by Geshe Jampa Thinley and Tibetan Community of Buryatia with the support the Buryat Ministry of Culture.
– Report filed by Tibet Office, Russia –
