Kalachakra Puja begins with a message for world peace
Bodh Gaya, 13 January 2003: The three-day preliminary teachings of the Kalachakra puja began yesterday in the afternoon at the Kalachakra Maidan in Bodh Gaya. Over a hundred thousand devotees from all over the world attended the teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, which continued this afternoon. His Holiness gave a religious discourse on the 37 Practices of Bodhisattva and Lamp of the Path to Enlightenment.
The teachings began with a recitation of Buddhist Sutra in Pali, Sanskrit, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese and Chinese by the representatives of the monks and nuns of various Buddhist temples in Bodh Gaya. A significant number of local people and about two thousand foreigners also attended the teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. A simultaneous translation of the teachings into Hindi and English has been officially made available to the devotees. There are also translations available into few other languages arranged by different groups from abroad.
During the teaching this afternoon, His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave Gye-nyey Donpa (religious vows for the lay people) for those lay devotees, who wish to take this vow. The devotees, who take this vow, must avoid the following five demerits or any of them, which he or she can decide: Sok-choye, Majenpay Lenpa, Lok-yem, Tzun, and Chang Ara.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama took a very brief moment to reply to a few questions from the media persons just before returning to the Maitreya Project yesterday after the teachings was over at the Kalachakra Maidan (see the transcript below). The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and DIIR will be organising a Press Opportunity with His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Thursday, 16 January 2003 at 1030 hrs at the Kalachakra temple here.
The preliminary teachings by His Holiness will continue tomorrow in the afternoon.
The DIIRs public talk and video show kicked off last evening. Kalon Thupten Lungrig, Kalon for Religion & Culture and Education, spoke on the life and mission of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in this series of public talk in Bodh Gaya. The public talk and video show will continue every evening for the next six days.