BUMCHU: THE HOLY VASE WATER

                            

Among the many festivals in “Bayul-dre-mo-Dzong” the hidden valley or Sikkim, which is compared to the celestial abode of Buddha Akshobeya, Bhumchu is perhaps the most holy ceremony that held on the 15^th day of first month of Tibetan calendar, falling in February or March every year at Drakar Tashiding. This time festival falls on 19^th march where Tashiding would once again witness the thousands of people from all across the globe gathering to receive the holy water. Drakar Tashiding or Tashiding is perched on the top of the hill, guarded by mighty mountains at the top between the Rangit and Rathong River at two sides, decorated by thousands of prayer flags fluttering a way to glory amidst number of holy chortens or stupas around.

             History of Tashiding goes back to 8th century A.D. when great Guru Padmasambhava or Guru Rimpoche, the lotus born Buddha or who is also regarded as an embodiment of all Buddha, brought Buddhism to Sikkim through Tibet and Bhutan. Guru Rimpoche, a great guru of mysticism, well versed in Tantricism, an amalgam of Buddhism, while propagating the doctrines of Sutras and Tantras in Tibet visioned through his divine power that in the future the noble teachings of Buddha would be a subject of conflict and reach the edge of disappearance due to growing human hatred and attachment, which could eventually lead to forget the precious past and be devoid of respect for Gurus and elders. Therefore, in order to protect Dharma from vanishing, Guru Rimpoche blessed several lands including Tashiding, so that when the barbaric times comes those blessed lands do not get disrupted and fortunate human beings could live peacefully and preserve and practice the noble teachings. For that he concealed many treasures under the mighty protection of guardian deities with an instruction for a different Terten (treasure revealers) that would come in different stages and reveal those hidden treasure for the benefit of all sentient beings.

    Guided by his divine vision and holy motive of safeguarding the Dharma, Guru Rimpoche with his escort Yeshi Tshogyal, Berotsana and Twenty-Five disciples descended on the hill top of Tashiding. He blessed and sanctified this place as a holiest of holy place and thereby concealed many treasures which are to be concealed later on from all the four directions and eight cardinal points of Sikkim. Furthermore, he brought local Gods, Nagas, Mara and Demons under his command and designated them to safeguard the doctrines of Buddha Sakyamuni according to their capabilities. Similarly, he appointed Mt Khang-Chen-Dzo-Nga as the guardian deity of upper valley, Pawo-Hungri as a guardian deity of medieval part and Madue-Chamdral as the guardian deity of lower part of this hidden valley of rice. Eventually, in the medieval period of Buddhism the emanation of guru and king of all the treasure discoverers, Rid-zing-goe-dem-chen came to Sikkim and opened the sacred entrance of the various holy places. He is also said to have founded several Gonpas, Chortens and Hermitages at the place called Pawo-Hungri near Drakar Tashiding.  He was later followed by second Rig-zing-leg-den-ze and propagated the sacred dharma in Sikkim. Ruins and remains of these two great masters still exist till today at Pawo-Hungri.

   However, it was in Seventeen century A.D when three pioneer lamas came from Tibet and met at Yuksam, in West Sikkim. They are not only credited for the coronation of first Chogyal, but also for spreading Buddhism all over Sikkim and establishing Buddhist monastery and places everywhere under the royal patronage of Chogyal Phuntsok Namgyal. They hunted down all the concealed treasures and sanctified holy place of Guru Rimpoche and built temple there.  Among the lamas, Nga-dag-sempa-chenpo or Nga-dag-sempa-phuntsok-rig-zing first built Lhakhang Marpu in Yuksam and later Tashiding Monastery in the year 1641. Besides building the Tashiding monastery, he also introduced Bhumchu festival in Sikkim, which he had brought from Tibet.        

                   The origin of Holy Vase goes back to the time of Guru Rimpoche who was at the time in Tibet propagating the doctrines of Sakyamuni Buddha. Before his departure to the south-west demonic realm (Lho-nub-simpai-yul) Chogyal Tri-sung-deo-tsen had made a special request to Guru Rimpoche for the short but effective practice that could enable the king to gain supreme empowerment from the cyclic suffering and attain omniscient in that very life. King’s request had come after his lack of time for the devout full time religious practice due to his responsibility to lead his Kingdom as a head. Guru Rimpoche accepted king’s request and agreed to bestow a special initiation called Thuzi Chenpo Khorwa Ledrol (Teaching on compassion liberating from worldly existence). With his divine power he collected precious gems, special earth and water from all the holy places blessed by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and instructed Thamchen Garalegpa to prepare a vase. He then performed twenty one days of special rituals after the completion of Vase, wherein he invoked blessing and empowerment of Chenrezig, a lord of Compassion. While performing the Sadhna of Yidham Choe-Zig-Chal, the entire retinue deities are said to have appeared in the sky and subsequently immersed in the vase. The water contained inside the vase overflowed and spread in all four direction in the form of rays. The holy water was thus distributed to all those gathered including the King Tri-sung-deo-tsen. It was found that holy water in the vase never decreased and all those received became spiritually benefitted. The vase was then concealed into the sublime hidden treasure with the remains of holy water under the special protection of guardian deities with an instruction to be revealed in later period for the sake of all sentient beings. It was in the year, 1524, the great Terten Choki Gyalpo Garwang Zingpulingpa unearthed the Holy Bhumchu and conducted a grand prayers and rituals and kept at Thulnang Monastery in Tibet. Then in the year 1556, Terten Choki Gyalpo Zingpulingpa passed the Holy Vase to Terten Choki Gyalpo Takshyamchen. During the later part of his life Terten Takshyamchen entrusted the Bhumchu to Nga-dag-Sempa-Chenpo with special guidance that holy Bhumchu to be sited at Drakar Tashiding, the most holiest and sanctified land of Guru Rimpoche.

                It was in Lhakhang Marpu (which Nga-dag-sempa-chenpo had first built this temple after his arrival at Yuksam) where he performed his first billions recitation of mantra OM-MANI-PED-ME-HUNG for the holy Bhumchu (Vase Water). Second and third billion recitations are believed to have performed at Rinchenphong monastery in West and Bharphung in South Sikkim before the final recitations at Tashiding Monastery to enhance the power of Holy Bhumchu. Many unusual signs were observed after the completions of five billion mantra, such as Bhumchu never decreases, nor spoils and healed freshmen. The jubilant people gathered at the time, was benefitted with spiritual fervour and their mind dwelt on spirituality and happiness spread all over. Ever since the installation of Bhumchu at Tashiding monastery, especial prayers are held every year following the lineage of great masters. During the erstwhile kingdom, the representatives of king used to come and check the seal, and open the lock as the key was then kept at the royal palace. However, after the merger, the ecclesiastical department is enterprising that responsibility.  The holy vase is therefore opens amidst prayers and incantation in the mid night of 14^th day of first month of Tibetan lunar calendar. Three cups of holy water are taken out for all the devotees, monks and public gathered. Earlier, three cups are taken out categorically for the royals, the monks and the public. However, those categorical practices have stopped now. After the distribution of holy water next whole day, the holy vase is again filled with three cups of clean water brought from Rathong Chu as replica are locked and sealed by the representatives of ecclesiastical department and keeps secretly in the monastery.

            In Conclusion, the holy text of Guru Rimpoche has said that whoever receives the holy water will cease from the birth in the lower world of realms, such as hell, beasts and hungry ghosts and will be born either in Gods, Semi-goddess and Human life of upper world of realms. The power of Bhumchu is such that if one born in human life, person will be adorned with seven virtuous qualities and where one could always have an opportunity to associate oneself with the noble teachings of Dharma, which could eventually give them a birth in the Zang-To-Palri, Abode of Guru Padmasambhava.

Thuchela.  

           This paper was prepared with the help of Dr (late) Rigzing Nguedup Research Officer, NIT’s works on different publications, Mr S. Gyatso Dokhampa, Joint Director Eccl Department, personal query with the senior monks of Tashiding and Denzong Charab by Chogyal Thutob Namgyal.

                  

Time to be real faithful

This Article was written by me on 10^th December, 2010 and was published in Sikkim Express His Holiness last visit to our Demazong.   

                

Soon streets will be full of gates and lights, security will be tight, where we will see people joggling with fight to get the better side for clearer and closer sight of a person who they regard as a more than of a human, because Gyalwa Tenzing Gyatso, the 14^th Dalai Lama, the living embodiment of Avaloketesharaya, Buddhist’s ambassador to the world, spiritual leader of millions of Tibetans and the Nobel prize laureate will be on his next visit to our tiny Himalayan state, Sikkim. The institution of Dalai Lama of Tibet shares a great attachment with our tiny Sikkim, right from the beginning, as it is known fact that before the merger in 1975, our erstwhile kingdom had a great relationship with Tibet than any other, where then also previous Dalai Lama was actively engaged with the affairs of Sikkim, be it social, political or religious, but from all his predecessors the present Dalai Lama is in more ways different in terms of present Tibetan political scenario and responsibilities. He was not a man born of Kings and Queens, he was just a simple monk from a pheasant family, who lost his complete freedom at the age of fifteen years and had to leave his country for his own survival with handful of people. His wisdom came from the quiet meditation from the mountains of roof of the world, and the winds and the trees, from the rivers and the vast open spaces of his motherland where his people had never thought that their deserted country will be a victim of invasion by another country. It was a country of a pure and mesmerizing peace, where person can truly contemplate the scope and meaning of their life. Few years back in his present residents in Dharamsala where he runs his government in exile, he says: “Here (in India) you can enjoy the freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of movement, because when I was just a fifteen I lost that freedom”.

From the invasion to the detritions of his rich culture he has witnessed everything but never forgets to smile and wait for the justice. At the age of 70s today, Dalai Lama is beloved by Hollywood celebrities to the politicians all across the globe and often regarded as a uniter of people from all religions and political backgrounds. He believes in inspiration that he receives from every human being.  Today, His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama is a great promoter and practitioners of the science of peace and love, besides being a writer on the subjects running from the neural science to the art of happiness. His glowing personality and infectious laugh makes him distinct from others. On one level he is a humble Buddhist monk from the humblest of beginnings; on another he has become a kind of rock star of peace, drawing huge crowds of fans, media and admirers everywhere he goes on the world. It is irony to see a man of such a great charm, dynamic, play full and wise could have any enemy at all, but for all his worldliness, he is a refugee, a citizen of the world, lacking of passport from his own country. As the truth cannot be hidden, China today has always seen him as their greatest obstacles. Still then, he has not given up his fight, his fight for the religious freedom, preservation of rich Tibetan culture and human rights, but differences is his just being in a purely Buddhist principles of Non-violence. He has forgiven long time back to his enemy and constantly tries even today to find a common ground, and in his seventies today his search continuous for the answers and as the world embraces this giant nation more and more every day, easy answer seems further away than ever. 

          This visit of His Holiness to this peaceful state seems to be more significant than his earlier many visits. As it is known fact that human life is not permanent, and one day they have to leave this mundane world leaving behind all and everything, be it layman or noblemen, rich or poor, everyone. As Buddhism says, death is the greatest truth.  So, at the age of seventy five plus will he ever be able to visit again due to his numerous responsibility and huge demand all over the world amidst his growing health concern??. Secondly, the question of re-incarnation is lingering in the minds of Tibetans and followers of Tibetan Buddhism all around.  Can they ever get to see their next Dalai Lama with the growing Chinese power and intervention into the Tibetans internal affair, will ever Dalai Lama institution allows continuing?? Even if they did, can’t it be same as mysterious as Penchen Lama or rather different?? These are some of the harsh reality that is coming into observation looking at today’s Chinese politics and power. On the question of his re-incarnation, he answered to the television programme on the occasion of his 75^th birthday in July this year with NDTV24/7 host Barkha Dutta (the famous television personality) “my re-incarnation or whether never, shall depends entirely on the faith of Tibetans and followers, if they have strong belief in it with diligent practices of religion”.

                       Now the real question is how faithful is Tibetans and followers of Tibetan Buddhism. Are they real Buddhist that he always preached them to be? There are two kinds of Buddhist as we see today in Sikkim. One who is because they have found a meaning on it, which helps them to attain inner peace and fulfil their life’s purpose. Second one is either because their family is or cannot adopt other religion due to social or family reason. But they claim themselves Buddhist without knowing and trying to know the basic ideas of religion that they are proud of. The first one is seen today mostly in western or other countries where the growing challenges and competitions are disrupting their happiness and inner peace, and Buddhism is in growing demands to solve inner as well as external problems around the world. Buddhism in Sikkim roots back to eighth century A.D when the great patron saint Guru Padmasambhava visited and consecrated this tiny place as a holiest place and hides many treasures and texts for the prosperity of future generation of this land and longevity of Buddhism all over. In the course of time, many Lamas and scholars have visited the holy place and revealed many treasures and helped to maintain the traditional religious sanctity of Sikkim. Today, Sikkim is in the edge of having massive statue of Triratna (Choed-Lung-Trul- Sum-Ku) in different parts of Sikkim. Thanks to government of Sikkim, that Buddhist could actually see it happening and governmental effort to further enhance and develop the Buddhist sanctity.  However, the construction alone will not give any Buddhist identity until and unless people grow with the ideas of self satisfaction, harmony, faith, brotherhood, compassion, patients, diligent and most importantly the love. The growing penetration of technology into human life, people are going far away from all of these noble ideas for which Buddhist is known for. People are endorsing themselves more with the outer materialistic world and becoming very impatient, jealous and lazy which is resulting in a rise of stress and restlessness, suicides and even divorce also.

          Time has come, whether if Buddhists in Sikkim are truly follower of Buddha which is today promoting by Dalai Lama, to understand and faithfully follow their teaching and pray purely for his safe return and blessings for the peace and harmony in Sikkim (be it in this life or next life) or just be Buddhist and go for his preaching or initiation like they always do and forget everything as soon as that ends and return back to the usual materialistic world. Or do people really want his re-incarnation?? Choice is peoples’.

Thuchela

Sikkim - Satyajit Ray

Dear all Thoku,
Here is a must watch video by all our Sikkimese which i am sure you all will enjoy watching. This was a work of great artist Satyajit Ray which was initially banned by the government of India due to some political reason. However, the same documentary was released last year in november in Kolkota. The documentary was officially inagurated by His Highness Jigmey Keshar Namgyal Wangchuk the present Chogyal of Bhutan, which was also screened in cinema hall in our capital for few weeks. So, enjoy and feel our Demazong. Lastly, i would expect you to share your feelings and experiences after watching this.
Thuchela

Never have the Last Chogyal

                                    Crown prince Wangchuk Namgyal with Chogyal Palden Thendup Namgyal and Salyum

It was disheartening to see the question paper drafted in recently conducted examination for Sub Inspector by reputed SPSC Gangtok.  They had asked in the GK section question number 2.  Who was the last king of the Namgyal Dynasty? And the options for the answer included

1. Namgyal Phuntsok

2. Tensung Namgyal

3. Palden Thendup Namgyal.

4. Tenzing Namgyal

In which 99% (surely) have answered 3. Palden Thendup Namgyal as the last Chogyal. However, none of the above Chogyals was the correct answer because after the death of 12^th Chogyal Palden Thendup Namgyal in 1982, St Paul Darjeling and Harrow educated crown prince Wangchuk Tenzing Namgyal (born. April 1, 1953) the second son of  Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal and his first wife Gyalmu Sangay Diki, was coronated as the thirteenth miwang gyalpu or Chogyal of Sikkim in the august presence of Indian leaders, Sikkim government officials, former Chief Minster Mr. B. B. Gurrung, other Sikkimese leaders and Sikkimese people (Bhutia, Lepcha and Nepali) offering cha or dok with white Khada in their hands showing their gestures of acceptance and acknowledgement at the tsuklakhang (Royal Palace) on 19 February 1982 amidst the tune of  Denzong Sili Yangchag (National Anthem of Erstwhile Kingdom). He was crowned as Sikkim's 13th Chogyal after his elder brother crown prince Tenzing Namgyal was killed in a road accident. However, now this position does not confer any official authority and his responsibility includes only religious matters, but this does not give us the authority to discard him as a thirteenth Chogyal, because Chogyal may have lost the Kingdom established by his great forefather over 300 years ago but he has not lost his rights of clemency towards his inheritance. So when 13^th coronated Chogyal is very much alive and actively contributing spiritually for entire Sikkimese then how can we claim Palden Thendup Namgyal as our Last Chogyal?? Therefore, this wrong information that we are sharing especially among our youngsters must be rectified and in future such a baseless question should not be repeated in any examination that could confuse our aspiring interviewer.