Gyalwang Karmapa consecrates the land for the new Kagyu Monlam Centre

January 16, 2009, report by  Jo Gibson, photos taken by Karma Lekcho,

8.30am on a rather chilly but sunny Bihar morning, His Holiness sat, wrapped up against the cold, under a white gazebo in an unploughed field, its four boundaries marked by garlands of marigolds. The occasion was the consecration of two acres of land, adjacent to Tergar Monastery, for the new Kagyu Monlam Centre. The centre, designed by Taiwanese engineer, Choekyi Gyatso, will provide accommodation and offices for Kagyu Monlam staff. Half the land was donated by Mingyur Rinpoche  and the other half  was  bought in October 2008.

His Holiness remained unperturbed by a few hitches before the ceremony could begin, particularly the lack of a sound system, which made chanting with the two ranks of monks and nuns sitting to his left nigh impossible. His Holiness waited patiently, then an impromptu sound system appeared – a megaphone. He laughed good-humouredly when this improvisation failed to produce enough volume. Finally, with his megaphone pointed in the direction of the monks and nuns, and another megaphone in front of the chant master, prayers could be completed successfully. It was a simple ceremony, no elaborate music and no ritual fire. Together with the monks and nuns, Gyalwang Karmapa recited The Twelve Deeds of the Buddha, made a tea offering to Mahakala and the dharma protectors, and concluded the ceremony with the Prayer of the Eight Auspiciousnesses and a prayer for the Buddha’s teachings to flourish.

Then he rose and walked back along the dusty track to Tergar Monastery, greeting a handful of Tibetan pilgrims who had clustered along the edge of the neighbouring fields to offer khatags.