His Holiness Karmapa tests the monastic Sangha

December 23, 2009, Tergar Monastery, report by Karma Palmo and Michele Martin, photos taken by Karma Norbu, Pema Orser Dorje

 

Early on the morning of December 23, gelongs and gelongmas, (fully ordained monks and nuns) getsuls and getsulmas (novice monks and nuns) began arriving at Tergar Monastery, their yellow robes neatly folded over their left shoulders, to participate in the testing of proficiency in wearing the monastic robes according to His Holiness Karmapa’s new and still evolving guidelines.

As they filed into the Shrine Hall, they took their seats in their monastery groupings and waited somewhat nervously for His Holiness to arrive. Soon, to the sound of gyalings, His Holiness entered the Shrine Hall to fulfill his role as the main judge. This year four other prominent teachers  sat in front of the shrine on chairs that flanked His Holiness: HE Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, HE Goshir Gyaltsap Rinpoche, Surmang Garwang Rinpoche, and Khenpo Lodro Donyo.  Behind them a towering Buddha Statue seemed to oversee the whole event.

Khenpo Kelsang, the chief Khenpo and disciplinarian, explained the procedure of the test, telling the gathering that His Holiness would put his hand into a jar containing the names of all the monasteries and nunneries participating in the Kagyu Monlam, and draw out names one by one, to indicate the order of testing. Three were chosen to be tested this year: Shedrup Chokhorling in Rumtek, Vajra Vidya Institute in Sarnath, and Rigpe Dorje Institute in Nepal.  From each one chosen, four or five members would stand in a cleared space in the middle of the Shrine Hall and go through the entire routine of donning and taking off the zen (the cloth that is draped over the shoulder and round the upper body), the chogo  (the yellow cloth that novice nuns and monks wear during prayers, dharma teachings etc) and the namja r (the yellow cloth that fully ordained monks and nuns wear), and opening, folding and using the dingwa (the special square cloth that monks and nuns sit on) for different purposes. 

The test also covered prostrations, sitting properly, and wearing the tsesha, the yellow pointed hat that is curved and fringed. They were further tested on the proper way to receive and drink tea, including reciting a prayer beforehand. The next exam looked at how they received a begging bowl from a young monk and then how they walked when carrying a text of the Kangyur (the teachings of the Buddha) on their shoulder. And finally they were tested on how to receive alms.

His Holiness spoke to the gathered sangha:

Without having to do anything, we nuns and monks receive food and lodging. We should remember this kindness of the sponsors. We should display good comportment and be very careful about how we behave. As the sangha, we are a support for all people, and if we do not carry ourselves well, if we do not maintain a proper physical demeanor, there’s a danger that people will disrespect us and we will then harm ourselves and others.

"However it is not just our outer expression that is important, but we must tame our minds as well, because there is a deep connection between our inner mind and our outer behavior.

"People come from all over the world to the Kagyu Monlam. Some have no money and so they sell their house to help support the Monlam. Some have employers who will not give them time off, so they resign from their work, and then must find a new job when they return home.  They have great enthusiasm, sincerity, and interest in the Monlam and we should take them as an example.

"Why is it that so many major prayer festivals Nyingma, Sakya, Geluk, as well as Kagyu meet in Bodhgaya? It is to show our gratitude to the Buddha, who attained full awakening in Bodhgaya and also for peace and well-being in the world.

"The purpose of the Kagyu Monlam is to benefit all living beings.  There is not one of them who has not been our mother or father.  They all want happiness but create suffering for themselves so we generate great compassion for them and dedicate our prayers for their benefit.  The Monlam also benefits those of us who have come, for it plants the seed of full awakening within us. Given such great benefits, the ordained sangha should be most attentive in everything that they do.

"This past month, we tested form each monastery two discipline masters and two people working in registration and this went well, which makes me very happy.  As the ordained sangha, we are responsible for the spread and preservation of the genuine Dharma, so we have to be especially careful.  And not only during the Monlam, but also when we return home to our monasteries.”

With this advice His Holiness finished his talk to the ordained sangha.

After the tests and talk were concluded, everyone offered a kata to His Holiness and received his blessing along with a red blessing cord.