Long-life empowerment ceremony in Kalachakra initiation by Julianne

Long life empowerment ceremony

18 May 2015

Kalachakra initiation is a very important ceremony in Buddhist tradition. It is an intense process of prayers, rituals and rites through which pupils are empowered to attain Buddhahood. The initiation is given by his Holiness the Dalai Lama and the entire ceremony lasts for 12 days. Usually the final day of the Kalachakra initiation is dedicated to a long-life empowerment ceremony. Prayers are given so that his Holiness and all the participants may all have a very long, happy and fulfilling life. According to Buddhist traditions, it is believed that if a spiritual leader dies it is because inhabitants of another realm want him to come and share his wisdom and knowledge with them. In order to postpone this moment and lengthen his stay on this world, special prayers and offerings are made on the final day. The three deities associated with long life are Amitayus, White Tara and Ushnishavijaya. Among these deities,  Tara is associated with purity and the special quality of removing obstacles in people’s lives and thereby enhancing the quality and longevity of their life. It is on this deity that the Kalachakra empowerment rituals are usually performed. Once the empowerment ceremony is completed, long-life offerings are made to the Dalai Lama. The offering involves chanting of a lineage prayer and a show of respect by the Monks and the Oracles. It is quite common to see a few devotees get possessed during this event and such devotees to get an opportunity to pay their respects to his Holiness. Members of various communities too take this opportunity to give offerings to his Holiness. The ceremony witnesses participants from all around the world. The last Kalachakra initiation was held in Ladakh in northern India and was attended by over 150000 people. The next Kalachakra initiation is scheduled to be held from 14 to 25 January, 2016 in Bodh Gaya , India. You too can participate in the Kalachakra initiation and the long-life empowerment ceremony. For more information, please click here. To watch our video about Kalachakra 2016, please click here.

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The mythical land of Shambhala by Stéphanie

The mythical land of Shambhala

16 May 2015

Shambhala is an ancient kingdom believed to be hidden somewhere in Central Asia. The name finds a mention in both Hindu as well as Tibetan Buddhist literature. It is a believed to be a place filled with happiness, peace and tranquility. It is even referred to as a paradise on Earth whose inhabitants are loving, wise, kind and compassionate. Shambhala has been the topic of acute interest for many a scholar, scientist, philosopher and researcher but their findings show enormous variations. While certain texts place Shambhala in modern day India, others believe that the kingdom lies in Southern Siberia. There are even texts that suggest that the kingdom is located in China. The legend of Shambhala dates back a few millennia. The epic Hindu text Vishnu Purana mentions Shambhala as the birth place of Kalki, the final incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who is expected to usher in the Satya Yuga, the age of truth where intrinsic goodness in people is expected to reign supreme. Buddhist texts state that Shakyamuni Buddha is said to have taught the principles of Kalachakra to King Suchandra, the then ruler of Shambhala. Vajrayana, a sect of Buddhism, suggests that Shambhala would be ruled by thirty two kings and the reign of each of them lasts one hundred years. The first seven kings are known as the Dharmarajas (meaning messengers of Truth) and the remaining 25 kings are known as the Kalki Kings. Legend has it that the last Kalki king and his army will triumph over evil and bring peace to the world. While the kingdom of Shambhala can possibly be dismissed as a work of pure fiction, the philosophies and ideas that it stands for are worth reflecting upon. The kingdom can be perceived as a symbol of hope for a good, honest and fulfilling life and its inhabitants as examples of how a human being should live. In fact, many Tibetan Buddhist teachers view Shambhala as more than just a physical place. The place has a subtle meaning for it also represents one’s own mind and body. The ideal of Shambhala is built on the fact that in order to establish an enlightened society, one first has to have a pure heart.

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The Himalayas: a sacred land by Gokul

The Himalayas a sacred land

15 May 2015

In many religious faiths, mountains are held with a strong reverence and are associated with sanctity. It is perhaps because they rise majestically into the sky and stand tall above the rest of the world they are considered as religious abodes. The Himalayas, home to some of the tallest peaks in the world, is an eminently sacred land for many a religion. From Hindu temples such as Amarnath and Kedarnath in the west to Buddhist temples in Lumbini in the east, hundreds of temples are located all across the mountain range. Some of these temples are hundreds and even thousands of years old. Year after year, devotees brave challenging weather conditions and steep slopes to undertake pilgrimages to various places of worship in the Himalayas. These devotees come from many different religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Bönism. One particular peak, Mount Kailash is held sacred by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Böns alike. It would be no exaggeration if one were to say that Kailash is the most revered mountain in Asia. To know more about the religious significance of Mount Kailash, please click here. There is such might, such grandeur and such beauty in each of those majestic peaks that one cannot help but feel where else in this world can one be closer to God. Even if one were to view the Himalayas from a non-religious perspective, it is certainly more than just a range of mountains. It is the source of many a river in Asia – rivers that provide the livelihood to millions of people living in the plains.  No wonder the Himalayas is held sacred!

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Kailash: the sacred mountain for four religions by Stéphanie

Mount Kailash

14 May 2015

Mount Kailash, also referred to as Gang Rinpoche by the Tibetans and Gangdisi Shan by the Chinese, is a 21778 feet tall majestic peak located in Tibet. Though it does not rank among the tallest peaks in the Himalayas, one of Mother Nature’s finest creations, Mount Kailash holds significance for other reasons. It occupies an important position in the beliefs of four religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Bönism. Buddhism According to followers of Tantric Buddhism, a sect that firmly believes in the Mahayana philosophy of Buddhism, Mount Kailash is the home of Demchok, the divine figure who is associated with the feeling of ultimate bliss. Moreover, there are many religious sites dedicated to Guru Padhmasambhava who is said to have laid the foundations for the spread of Buddhism in Tibet. According to religious folklore, Mount Kailash was the scene of one of epic battles between proponents of two religious faiths. Before Buddhism planted its roots firmly in Tibet, Bön was the predominant religion in this region. However, Jetsun Milarepa, a famous Buddhist yogi and poet, called upon the advocate of Bon religion Naro Bön-chung for a combat. Both the warriors were equally matched and during the course of the battle it became evident that neither one of them would be able to claim a conclusive victory. Finally, it was mutually agreed that whoever reached the top of Mount Kailash first would be declared the winner. Naro Bön-chung quickly began his ascent but just when he was about to reach the summit, Jetsun Milarepa rode on the rays of the sun and pipped him to the finish. Thus, this landmark race firmly established Buddhism as a major force in this region. Jainism Jains believe in the concept of rebirth and they also believe that the soul can attain ultimate liberation or moksha only if it frees itself from the human form that it is constrained to. According to Jain texts, Rishabadeva – the founder of Jainism – is said to have attained moksha at Ashtapada, a mountain peak adjacent to Mount Kailash. Jain literature also refer to Mount Kailash as Meru Parvat and consider this peak to be the centre of all physical as well as spiritual cosmos. Hinduism Lord Shiva, one the three most important gods of Hindu religion, dwells in Mount Kailash. Mount Kailash is the abode of Shiva and his wife Parvati where they are said to exist […]

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Amritapuri embraces the ideal ‘The world is one big family’ by Fanny

Eyes of Buddha

13 May 2015

Many philosophers across the world have enthusiastically embraced the philosophy that the world is one big family. Mata Amritanandamayi Devi is one such philosopher and spiritualist who professes to live by this noble ideal. Popularly known as Amma (‘Amma’ means mother) among her followers, Mata Amritanandamayi is an Indian spiritual leader whose sayings are followed with firm reverence by millions of people all across the world. She was born in a village called Parayakadavu in the South Indian state of Kerala. Parayakadavu is now known as Amritapuri and it houses the main ashram (monastery) of Amma. In this ashram, it is quite common to find people from virtually all parts of the world. Though these people are divided various parameters such as nationality, religion, language, race and customs they are united by a common pursuit to find the meaning of life. The ashram is open all round the year to any individual who is interested in this higher quest for meaning. There have been numerous instances where foreign nationals have lived here for years together and some of them have even made Amritapuri their home. This quaint little South-Indian coastal town has truly become a global village and the number of international residents has grown to more than 3000. The ashram provides meals and accommodation facilities to all its residents for as low as 3 US dollars a day. The ashram does not subscribe to any particular religion nor does it preach any. The mission of the Amritapuri ashram as well as the organization is to attain spiritual unity and therefore there is no visible presence of any religious undertones. As Amma herself has so often proclaimed, “My religion is love”, the only religion practised here is love and kindness for fellow human beings. Such a virtuous principle not only melts away all the differences that separate people but it also unifies them into one huge family. In order to sustain the principle, the ashram offers yoga retreats, meditation programmes and studies in traditional spiritual practices to interested individuals. These programmes not only help improve the physical and mental wellbeing of the participants but cultivate inner peace in the hearts of individuals. Peace is the platform on which the concept of ‘Love thy neighbour’ is built. A stay in the Amritapuri ashram would certainly be an enriching and enlightening experience for any human being.

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A Monday morning visit to the Tibetan Children’s Village School in Dharamshala by Julianne

12 May 2015

The Tibetan Children’s Village School located in upper Dharamsala was started with a mission to provide a solid educational foundation to Tibetan children and develop a strong sense of cultural identity in them. Today as many as 1500 children study in this school.  The school is often frequented by his Holiness the Dalai Lama, who regularly motivates his students to lead a better life. It is quite evident that his Holiness is very fond of the children for he celebrated his 80th birthday along with this friend Reverend Archbishop Desmond Tutu in this school on April 23, 2015. To watch his birthday celebrations, please click here. Omalaya decided to pay a visit to the school on a Monday morning to get a first-hand experience of a typical day in school.  What we witnessed was in fact eye-opening. Right from kindergarten, children are being taught traditional Tibetan prayers, meditation sessions and yoga exercises to improve their overall physical and mental well-being. During the meditation sessions, the teacher goes around and ensures that the students meditate in the right manner. One or two naughty kids even open their eyes behind her back! *wink wink* During the yoga sessions, the children were made to go through a comprehensive full-body exercise that involved flexing the muscles of their hands, heads, shoulders, eyes, legs and back. Such a curriculum that focuses on the overall development of the children is most certainly holistic and visionary in nature. For the Omalaya team, it was a heartening experience indeed. For more videos from Omalaya, kindly visit our Youtube page.

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