Monlam Pavillion, Bodhgaya
3 February 2025
The Kagyu Monlam began in Tibet hundreds of years ago during the timespan between the 7th to 10th Karmapas (1454 -1674). After the Tibetan diaspora in 1959, the Monlam was re-established in Bodhgaya in 1983 under Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche, supported by Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche. At that time, it consisted of just a few hundred monks. After Kalu Rinpoche passed away in 1989, Bokar Rinpoche assumed full responsibility for the Monlam and ensured that it continued, and under his leadership, by 1997, there had been a great increase in participants —up to 3000 monks and nuns from all over India, Bhutan and Nepal, Bokar Rinpoche renamed the gathering as the Kamtsang Kagyu Sangha Monlam. Bokar Rinpoche passed away in 2004, and at that point the young Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, took over.
As the reincarnation of the original co-founder of the Monlam in India, Kyabje Bokar Choktrul Rinpoche has a special connection with the Monlam. Now a mature lama, he was enthroned in his monastery last year, and has now been awarded a special role at this year’s Monlam. The 17th Karmapa, he said, had issued a ‘’command’’ to teach. His motivation, he added, apart from obedience to His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, was to make a dharmic connection with us all.
The following is an edited transcript of his teaching on a text called The All-Pervading Benefit of Beings, written by the Mahasiddha, Tangtong Gyalpo, frequently referred to as the Bhutanese Bridge-Builder.
Now, please give rise to this mind of awakening and listen to the teachings.
The Mahasiddha, Tangtong Gyalpo, was a great practitioner, and his mind was actually inseparable from the Great Compassionate One, Chenrezig, I regularly engage in this practice.
Tangtong Gyalpo’s main lineage was Sakya, but he also had a connection to the Nyingma lineage. There are two different views regarding his lifespan. Some say that he lived to the age of 125 years, while others say that he lived to the age of 128. Let’s say that he lived more than 120 years.
During his lifetime he sent forth many emanations, who spread throughout the world, bringing great benefit to beings. One of his activities in Tibet and Bhutan was building bridges made of iron chains. It's said that about 58 bridges had been constructed in these two countries. Hence, he became known as the Mahasiddha Bridge Builder.
That's just a very brief account of the great Mahasiddha, Tangtong Gyalpo, a great yogi with a particular connection to Chenrezig, the Great Compassionate One.
I would like to offer some instructions from the commentary written by the 15th Karmapa, Khakyab Dorje. He lists six points:
• the preliminaries of refuge and bodhicitta.
• the main practice of meditating on the deity.
• the recitation of the mantra.
• concluding advice for carrying the practice.
• dedicating the virtue.
• the benefits of the practice.
1. Refuge and Bodhicitta
Refuge is the root of all Buddha Dharma.
Imagine that in the space in front is one's root lama, inseparable from the great powerful Chenrezig. surrounded by a great ocean of the other objects of refuge. Imagining these objects of refuge in the space before us, think that you're surrounded by all sentient beings, and then you and all sentient beings, with one voice, and one-pointed mind, beseech him with faith to be protected, to be given refuge from this ocean of samsaric suffering.
The second point of refuge and bodhicitta is this aspiration, that we be protected, that we be granted this refuge, having a strong intention with that wish. And the third point under this refuge is having confidence that Chenrezig has the power, the ability to give us this refuge and protect us and all sentient beings.
The lines for refuge are, "In the supreme Buddha Dharma and assembly I take refuge until attaining enlightenment."
Generating the mind of bodhicitta
Bodhicitta is the very root of the Mahayana.
To continue, all of these sentient beings who have been our mothers, who are pervasive as space, desire happiness, and wish to avoid suffering. There's no one who doesn't think like this. But, on account of all the negative karma that they have accumulated over numerous lifetimes, they wander in the ocean of suffering,
Now in order to be able to lead them to a state of happiness, and to bring them to the state of perfect Buddhahood, I'm going to engage in this practice and recitation of the Chenrezig mantra. Thinking like this, we generate the mind of awakening, or bodhicitta.
In order to be of benefit to sentient beings through the practice of Chenrezig, we must attain this state ourselves. Once we've attained it, then we can work to establish it in all beings who have been our mothers.
Now we come to the next point, which is the main practice.
2. Meditating on the deity.
We imagine that above the crown of our head is a lotus and a moon disk. Atop this lotus and moon disk is the heart essence, or seed syllable Hrī, which is made of light and radiates light to the buddhas of the ten directions, making offerings to them. The buddhas are pleased and the light returns from the buddhas and dissolves into the Hrī. Then again, light radiates from Hrī and extends to all sentient beings of the six realms.
In so doing, it purifies all their obscurations, misdeeds and afflictions. Again, the light returns and dissolves into the Hrī. Once that light comes back and dissolves into the Hrī, then instantly the Hrī is transformed into the Great Compassionate One, Chenrezig.
These are the words that appear in the text, The All Pervading Benefit of Beings.
"On the crown of my head and other beings pervading space, is a Hrī. on a white lotus and moon. From it appears noble and supreme Avalokitesvara. He is brilliant white and radiates the five lights. Handsome and smiling, he looks on with eyes of compassion. He has four hands. The upper two are joined in prayer. The lower two hold a crystal mala and a white lotus. On his upper body he wears a deer skin. Amitābha crowns his head. His two legs are in the vajra posture. His back rests against a stainless moon. He is the embodiment of all objects of refuge."
• The recitation of the mantra
The first part is the supplication to invoke the mind stream of Chenrezig. And then the second part is the radiating and gathering of light, where we meditate on our body, speech and mind as being the body, speech and mind of Chenrezig.
We make the supplication from the depths of our heart with one voice, with the wish that we can be liberated and may we come to experience the complete omniscience of Buddhahood.
The supplication that appears in the text, The All-Pervasive Benefit of Beings, reads:
"White in color, unstained by faults, a perfect Buddha adorning your head.
You look upon beings with eyes of compassion. Avalokita, we prostrate to you."
We can recite the supplication, 3 times, 7 times, 21 times, as many as we like.
This is the short supplication, and if we want to increase the length of the practice or expand upon it, we can do the supplication by Pema Karpo; or we can do any other supplication by the great masters and siddhas of India or Tibet.
And then the second point is the "Radiating and Gathering."
For this aspect of "Radiating and Gathering," we're meditating on Chenrezig, inseparable from the root Lama on the crown of our head. By making this supplication to invoke the mind stream of Chenrezig, five coloured lights radiate, embracing oneself and all sentient beings. All of the misdeeds and obscurations that we have accumulated from beginning-less time are purified in one instant, such as those that come from the five acts of immediate consequence, and those that come from the ten negative actions.
What happens is that we become the noble one, Chenrezig, and we think that all other beings take this form. The environment is also transformed. All form becomes the form of Chenrezig. All sound becomes the sound of the six syllables of the secret mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum. And all of our thoughts, all of our memories and conceptual thinking become non-conceptual wisdom.
We engage in this practice which we call the three-fold integration, regarding form as the form of the deity, the sound as the mantra and all conceptual activity as being non-conceptual wisdom.
From The All-Pervasive Benefit of Beings, the text reads:
"Due to supplicating one pointedly, light rays stream from the body of the noble one and purify impure karma, appearances, and mistaken consciousness. The outer world becomes the pure land of Sukhavati. The body, speech, and mind of the inhabitants within become the body, speech, and mind of Avalokita. Appearances, sound, and awareness are inseparable from emptiness.”
When we recite this text and do this practice, we do the three-fold integration regarding form, sound, and thoughts as the body of the Noble One, the speech of the Noble One, and non-conceptual wisdom mind.
Reciting the mantra
One thing that can be done during the mantra recitation is the brief visualization previously explained.
As we're reciting the mantra, we imagine that from the seed-syllable in the mantra, light radiates, and it goes to the buddhas; the buddhas send back the blessings of their awakened body, speech, and mind in the form of light. We imagine that it dissolves into oneself and other beings.
• Concluding advice on carrying the practice.
Before we go into the three aspects of integration, there's the dissolution in which everything dissolves into light, and gradually this light dissolves into oneself as Chenrezig.
In the text itself, there are no words to describe the dissolution stage. But in the commentary by the 15th Karmapa, it states:
All of the phenomena surrounding us, all of the outer environment and other beings, dissolve into light, and this light dissolves into us in the form of Chenrezig. Then our form as Chenrezig also dissolves into light, which dissolves into the Hri, the seed syllable in the heart centre. Then the Hri also gradually dissolves until there's just a tigle, and then a nada, the last point of light before emptiness. When that nada dissolves, one rests in emptiness, the ultimate meaning.
Once we arise from that, we want to engage in the three-fold practice of integration. At all times we should do our best to imagine that all forms are the form of the Noble One, all sounds are the melody of the six syllables, all movement of thoughts are the non-conceptual wisdom of the noble Chenrezig.
We should do this whether we're traveling from place to place, just moving around, sitting or sleeping or lying. At all times we should do our best to integrate these three aspects of body, speech and mind.
Turning back to the text, The All-pervasive Benefit of Beings,
The physical appearances of myself and others is the body of the Noble One,
sounds are the melody of the six syllables, thoughts are the expanse of great wisdom.
• Dedication
We dedicate this merit towards Buddhahood. We think about all the virtue we've acquired through this practice, all the virtue accumulated from beginning-less lifetimes, and we dedicate it to all sentient beings to attain the state of precious Buddhahood,
So, while we are thinking like that, we recite the words from The All-pervasive Benefit of Beings. The last few lines of the text read:
‘’By this merit may we quickly accomplish Avalokiteshvara
and establish every being without exception in that state."
• The benefits of the practice
The benefit of reciting the six syllables, the king of all secret mantras,
was explained by the victorious one, the flawless voice of the perfect Buddha, Shakyamuni and the illustrious master, Guru Rinpoche, Mahaguru Padmasambhava in the form of a testament to the people of Tibet. His treasure teaching revealed by the undisputed great revealer of treasures, Jatsön Nyingpo states:
'Om Mani Padme Hum,' the six-syllable mantra, is the very essence of the 84,000 root teachings of the Dharma. It is the very heart of the Buddhas of the five families. Each of the six syllables contains pith instructions. The mantra is the source of all goodness and positive qualities. It is the root of all accomplishments of benefit and happiness. It is the great path to the higher realms and to liberation.
Merely hearing, even once, the six syllables, the essence of all Dharma, one will attain the irreversible bhumi and will become a guide who leads beings to liberation. Any animal that hears it at the time of death will be liberated and take birth in Sukhavati.
Merely recalling the six-syllable mantra, all misdeeds and obscurations, from the accumulation of negative actions done in all lifetimes, are purified and one will be reborn in Sukhavati. Just touching it, one will attain empowerment from countless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Meditating on it once, one's hearing, reflecting and meditating will be fulfilled. All appearances will arise as Dharmakaya and it will open the mind treasure to activity that benefits beings.
‘I’II want to share what I have written down, regarding each of the six syllables’’
The first is OM. And it's said that the OM contains the wisdom of the five kayas. Mani, means norbu or jewel. Padma or pema, the lotus flower. But the end is the e, right? It's not padma, it's padme or peme. So what does that signify? This signifies that it's one who is holding that lotus.
So if we put these two together, mani, norbu or jewel, and lotus, that means the one who is holding the lotus. this is just another name for the noble Chenrezig.
The last syllable ‘Hum’ means having the ability or the awakened activity to protect, to give refuge to all beings of the six realms.
The first syllable, OM, you can visualize it as white.
And when reciting the mantra from this OM, the white light radiates and it goes to the god realms. When it strikes these gods, it purifies the suffering of falling. And it instils in the gods one of the six kinds of wisdom. The first wisdom is the wisdom of equality.
The next syllable, ma, is green. And when reciting, the light radiates from this green ma and it goes to the demigod or the asura realm. It purifies the suffering of quarrelling.
The next of the six wisdoms is all-accomplishing wisdom. The ni is yellow. The light radiates from this yellow ni and it strikes the beings of the human realm, purifying the suffering of birth, old age, sickness and death, and instils in them the next of the six wisdoms, spontaneously arisen wisdom.
The pa, or the pe, is blue. Light radiates from this and goes to the beings in the animal realm, relieving them of the suffering of being put to work and used. And it instils in them or reveals the next of the wisdoms, the wisdom of the dharmadhatu.
Then we have the me, which is red, and this light goes to the hungry ghost realm, purifying the suffering of hunger and thirst and it instils in them discriminating wisdom.
The last letter is a black hum, from which light radiates and goes to the hell realms, relieving them from the suffering of heat and cold so that they can actualize the mirror-like wisdom.
So in general we can say that these six syllables of the secret mantra are the king of mantras. They are the nature of the noble Chenrezig, and they are imbued with the nature of the spontaneous radiance of the six wisdoms. Through these six syllables it purifies the suffering of the beings of the six realms. Thus, we say that these six syllables contain the very essence of the 84,000 types of teaching.
This concludes a brief teaching on the practice of the noble Chenrezig.
