His Holiness the Dalai Lama Arrives in Bodh Gaya, Bestows Blessings upon Tibetans inside Tibet

Bodhgaya,Bihar:23^rdDecember 2022: Thousands swarmed the streets of Mahabodhi Mahavihara Temple yesterday to welcome the arrival of Tibetan spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who was visiting the holy place after a gap of nearly two years since his last visit in January 2020.

Having arrived in Bodhgaya yesterday, this morning His Holiness the Dalai Lama made a visit to the Mahabodhi Temple to pay his respects at the Seat of Enlightenment. He drove from the Tibetan Monastery, Gaden Phelgyeling, to the main entrance in a golfcart from which he could easily see the devout who lined the street and they could see him. He was welcomed by the Secretary of the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC), Nangzey Dorjee.

As he carefully descended the steps, His Holiness occasionally glanced up at the Stupa on top of the temple and said a quiet prayer. At other moments he looked down to the Bodhi Tree beneath which the Buddha sat. In between times he looked to his right and his left, smiling and waving to the throngs of people gazing up in hope of catching his eye.

Following that, His Holiness briefly addressed the media and bestowed blessings upon those who could not attend the teaching, particularly the Tibetans inside Tibet. His Holiness said, “Physically, we are separated from our Tibetan brothers and sisters inside Tibet. However, spiritually, we are very much connected. Similarly, all those from the Himalayan region have tremendous devotion and dedication. All of them are in my prayers. I believe that, eventually, the truth will prevail”.

His Holiness bowed and paid his respects at the foot of the Bodhi Tree and proceeded to circumambulate the temple, waving and smiling at people, young and old, peering through the stone railings. On the far side of the temple His Holiness entered the chapel, paid his respects, and sat down before the renowned statue of the Buddha. With him were Theravada monks as well as monks from Namgyal Monastery.

While an Indian monk belonging to the BTMC wrapped silken yellow stoles around the statue in lieu of an offering of robes, His Holiness and the Namgyal monks chanted prayers that included: The Three Continuous Practices; the Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra; In Praise of Dependent Arising; a Supplication to the Seventeen Nalanda Masters; an Ecumenical Prayer to the Buddhist Traditions of Tibet; Verses of Auspiciousness Connected with the Three Jewels; and a prayer for His Holiness's long life composed by his two Tutors.

The recitation was concluded with several dedication prayers including:

May the sublime precious bodhichitta
Arise where it has not yet grown;
Where it has grown, may it not decline
But develop and flourish.

As a result of the Buddha’s coming into the world,
His teaching shines as bright as sunlight,
And those who guard it are harmonious like siblings,
May his teaching endure for a long time.

“In today’s fast-paced world, we have seen enormous development in material things while there is a setback in the progress of basic human nature which must be paid more attention”, His Holiness further added before leaving for his residence.

His Holiness is scheduled to begin teaching from 29-31 December. On 27th December, His Holiness is scheduled to visit Wat Pa temple, Thailand’s Buddhist temple in Bodhgaya.

Nyima Arya

Source: tibetnet.com/dalai Lama.com