Monlam Pavillion
25 December 2025
On December 25, 2025, under instructions from the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, His Eminence Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche bestowed the empowerment of Vairocana Abhisaṃbodhi [The Complete Awakening of Vairocana]. The empowerment was attended by thousands of practitioners, both monastic and lay, from India, Nepal, Bhutan and further afield. The empowerment consists of two parts - the preliminary and the main sections. Since the preliminary section had been completed the previous day, today the main empowerment was completed in its entirety.
In the morning, His Eminence Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche performed the main empowerment ritual. In the afternoon, beginning at 2 o'clock, he started bestowing the actual empowerment. First, His Eminence Gyaltsab Rinpoche, dressed in elaborate silk brocade robes, was escorted into the pavillion and took his seat on the great dharma throne. Kyabje Bokar Choktrul Rinpoche and Bokar Khenpo Rinpoche Lodro Dönyo offered prostrations on behalf of the entire assembly. The chant master led the recitation of the short supplication to Dorje Chang and the Thirty-Seven Mandala Offering. The head lamas and sponsors from Gyaltsab Rinpoche’s Ralang Monastery in Sikkim offered a threefold body-speech-mind mandala.
Then His Eminence Gyaltsab Rinpoche gave extensive and profound explanations of the stages of the empowerment. Finally, he completed the bestowing of the full main empowerment of Vairocana Abhisaṃbodhi to the entire assembly. During the empowerment transmission, Kyabje Bokar Choktrul Rinpoche and other high lamas received the empowerment blessings directly, on behalf of everyone. At the conclusion of the empowerment there was a thanksgiving ceremony, during which Lama Karma Chodrak, the director of the Monlam Chenmo, along with key staff members, offered an elaborate three-fold mandala with representations.
Finally, the assembly chanted the Mahamudra Aspiration Prayer as an auspicious conclusion to the preliminary teachings for the 40th Kagyu Monlam Chenmo.
