His Holiness the Dalai Lama Confers Hayagriva Initiation at Sera Jey

Bylakuppe: His Holiness the Dalai Lama conferred Hayagriva initiation today at Sera Je courtyard to over 10,000 people including monks, nuns, students and lay people.

His Holiness reached at the courtyard in the morning around 7:30 am and held preliminary initiation ritual till 9:00 am. Gaden Tripa, Gaden Trisur, President Dr Lobsang Sangay, Sherpa Choeje, Jangtse Choeje, Tibetan settlement officer and retired CTA staff were present at the initiation ceremony.

At the ritual ceremony, His Holiness said, “As per request from Sera Jey Monastery, I have accepted to bestow this initiation. There are disciplines in order to take initiation and most of all is to have faith, which I can see in all of you. I even did Mo and it showed really good. So I think it is good to confer initiation to all of you.”

“Since from Tibet Sera Je has unique relation with Hayagriva and I thought it is appropriate to confer this initiation today,” he remarked.

Before beginning the initiation, His Holiness talked briefly about the history of Tibetan settlement in Bylakuppe. “I was here at the initial stage when Tibetan use tent to stay here. The then Chief Minister of Karnataka was so dear to us that we were able to establish Mundgod and Bylakuppe Tibetan settlements,” he said.

“Our ancestors have done their best to preserve the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Those of us in exile have the best opportunity to preserve that. Previously, people were focussed only on ritual aspect of Tibetan Buddhism but after coming to exile in India, we have done a rigorous study of the Buddhist texts of Nalanda in monasteries as well as other academic fields.”

His Holiness told the devotees that he would see them next day at the inauguration of Sera Mey courtyard.

-Filed by Correspondent Tenzin Phende-