The 74th lunar calendar birthday of Thiksay Rinpoche, Nawang Chamba Stanzin was celebrated at Thiksay monastery on May 20.

The day was honoured with performing the Lah-sang chant (a smoke offering; traditional purification ceremony) at 6:00 AM and the So-jong practice (for purifying and restoring broken vows exclusively for ordained monks and nuns.) at 7:30 AM in Dukang the main prayer hall of Thiksay monasteries.

Following So-jong, the Tsog (gathering) were performed by a large number of monks with extensive prayers and recitation of complex Long Life Prayer (Sku Sung thug Sten Mandal) offering to Thiksay Rinpoche. The purposefulness of this prayer is to ask for a long and healthful life for the Thiksay Rinpoche and to compass the teaching of Buddha.

At 10:00 am Rab-nas (consecration ritual) were offered to Rig-Sum-Gombo (sets of triple stupas commemorating the three great bodhisattvas of Mahayana Buddhism) In the present of Thiksay Rinpoche, monks of Thiksay monastery and  witnessing by its village representatives, officials and large number of villagers, with incenses and other religious artefact at monastery main gate.

Interviewing him on his reincarnation, childhood, education and work, he smiled; and said, “I was born in 1943 to a Tsetan Palzin (mother) and Phuntsok Paljor (father). My mother passed away during childbirth and father passed away within a year. At the age of 10, I left for Drepung Monastery in Tibet for religious training and higher studies in Buddhist philosophy and received extensive teachings in Bodhi grammar, philosophy, oral transmissions and initiations from many revered lamas particularly from Khenpo Nawang Nyima and Gendun Lodoe. Later was forced to return to Ladakh as a result of the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959.  

Speaking on his reincarnation he said, the monks of Thiksay Monastery had requested His Holiness the Dalai Lama, while propitiating deities of the monastery, to reveal signs to discover the rebirth of the previous Head Lama.  His Holiness the Dalai Lama disclosed a statement that said: The boy is born at TsePhun to the west of Thiksay Monastery.

A search team had started working on the revelation, investigating villages to the west of Thiksay monastery but the team was failed to do so. However, Geshe ( an equivalent of Ph.D. in Buddhist Philosophy) from Sera monastery who was on pilgrimage helped to predict. He was particularly announced that there will be a round shaped Mani Wall in front of the house where the boy was born. This greatly helped to consolidate previously revealed signs and eventually confirmed the revelation by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, because “TsePhun” is found to be the contracted name of his parents – Tse as in Tsetan, the mother and Phun as in Phuntsok, the father.  His Eminence Bakula Rinpoche, Head Lama of Spituk Monastery having accepted the boy as the true reincarnation gave the name Nawang Chamba Stanzin.” He added.

Developments such as the establishment of a common kitchen to offer free meals to the monks and health care facilities through the Cultural & Welfare Society of the monastery and Chamba Hotel are the essential initiatives taken by monastery over the year. 

 

Later in the evening, a grand dinner and cultural show was organised to villagers and its representative on behalf of the monastery.