Defining Secularism: Hindu man raising a Muslim Boy

Today, i.e Saturday the 7^th April, 2012, at around 19hrs, As I was flipping the channels to kill my leisure time as the weather outside is windy, dark and thundering, my remote paused me at the Sony Entertainment Channel where I was glued with this programme called crime patrol with shock and amazement. Initially, I was for sure that programme would contain full of criminal related incidents but truly happened one somewhere in our country. But as the programme progressed, it was of a crime that reached to the Police and Court though but in different reason then what we usually witness. The story however changed my perception and taught me in many ways about the secularism, and also gave me some hope of peaceful and communal riots free society in the Hindustan that we say our country.

The story was all about a men who earns his bread by selling tea in the street of Lucknow. The year was 2003 where he came across this young abandoned boy of three years hardly at the park near his hut. The boy was Muslim and it did not take much time for this Hindu men to know that boy is a Muslim after enquiring the name of boy and he is been abandoned. He then takes this ailing child to hospital and took care of everything that child needed to recover from his sickness. Next thing he did was to inform police and neighbours about the found child. Days gone to week and week converted to months but still there was no sign of boy’s biological parents. Going against the suggestions of his friends and neighbours, the men decided to adopt a child. The decision was not less than a challenge for this simple Hindu man with limited source of income surrounded by Hindu conservatives as neighbours. He was determined to do anything for the child he found helplessly in the park. So, he admitted the boy to local school and started giving him the best of education that the men himself missed in his childhood. However, even discarding the criticism and odds of his society, he took boy to Imam Sahib in the nearby Masjid. His objective was to give this little boy all the knowledge of Quran and do everything that boy’s Muslim biological parents would have done. Arrival of boy in his life had brought a light of joy in this men’s life filled with laughter and love. Moreover, the boy had started growing well both in academically and spiritually. However, in their five years of living together as a father and son in harmony and love, a fate had brought twist in their story, that they could have hardly imagined. It was television news reporter who happened to sip a tea at men’s stall and heard about the story “Hindu men raising a Muslim boy”. Upon the request of the story hunting reporter both the son and father (boy and men) agreed to give an interview. As one could expect, the story became breaking news and soon it attract lot of other reporters too. Now it is to be said fortunately or unfortunately, a Muslim couple in far off Delhi caught the story on television. The surprised couple rather happily started rejoicing the news that their lost child has been found and is very much alive in Lucknow. Without wasting much of time, the couple took a train ride very next day and reported straight to the police station in Lucknow. The shocked police acted on their report and summoned both the boy and the men (now his father). The police started their investigation upon the claim of biological parents and on the other hands the news put both the father and son in dismay. Made them painful to digest the fact that they have to live separately leaving behind all the loving bonds that they have created over the last five years of living together. The boy on the other hand refused to go with his biological parents which ultimately reached their case to the court, because the parents then had lodged an affidavit before the court upon which the father (men) received a show cause notice from the court asking to appear before the court along with the boy.

The case started, and lawyer representing both the sides started their arguments. Parent’s lawyer made an important and effective arguments pleading court to hand over custody to biologically legal parents. On the other hand, with the support of all the neighbours, including Muslim imam, docter who treated ailing boy at first, clerk at the school who gave admission in school and friends, his lawyer too submitted rather strong objection. Perhaps, for the first time in the judicial history the judge had to justify which was beyond any constitutional limitations. The DNA sample proved as boy’s biological parents and that boy’s father had lost his son while drinking in local liquor shop while drinking, forgetting thus the whereabouts of his son.  Their, major weakness was they had never lodged any complaint against their missing son nor they had published anywhere in newspapers. With crossword questions to the men, enquiring about his motives about keeping this young boy’s identity as Muslim and financial status the strong articulating Lawyer of biological parents, the case was almost to be win by the biological parents, however then came the last but life changing confession from the men’s friend who ironically happened to be Muslim too. The men shared the history that kept everybody in the court including the Judge in dismay.  The story thus reminded of the law of the nature or so called the law of Karma. The men, who earns his bread by selling tea at the roadside, living single in poverty, deciding to adopt a abandoned Muslim boy as his son without letting that little boy to change his religion was none other than the men who himself was found and adopted by the Muslim man keeping thus his faith unchangeably. And the man who confessed that story too was none other than his God-brother who was brought up together under the same roof and tenderness from the same Muslim parents. The man later says ‘I am a Hindu brought up by a kind Muslim man. When I found boy, it was like God telling me that it is time to return the love and care I got from His people. I was never forced to change my religion and, having got that education from my guardian, it was my duty to take care of the child and bring him up as per his own religion,”

Atlast but not the least, after days of melodrama in the court, Judge said ‘India is a secular country where the consideration of caste and creed should not be allowed to prevail. “...If there can be inter-caste marriages... there can also be an inter-caste ‘father and son’ relationship and that need not raise eyebrows,” the judge said.  And the custody of the Child was given to the man.

Laslty, the story thus reminds everybody including myself about the true philosophy of the religion is not just to practice one’s own religion and let others too to practice it but it is all about letting the one to follow the one that he is best suited in. It is all about religious tolerance, respect for other religious sentiments and religious harmony, spreading thus the message of brotherhood and defining us the spirit of secularism, in this huge nation of ours which fortunately is known as country of “SECULARISM”.

Phurba T. Tsechutharpa

Assistant Professor

Department of political science

Namchi Government College

Kamrang, South Sikkim

Ph-9475917770

Short story of Bhutia Language and Literature

Short Story of Bhutia Language and Literature

Bhutias, who are also called ‘Lhopos’ and are the descendants of the Tibetan immigrants who came to Sikkim in different waves from the 13^th century onwards from the Kham region of Tibet and established the Kingdom in the 17^th century. They call themselves lhopo (Lho-pa people from south) but are generally referred to as Bhutia, Sikkimese or even Denzongpa. During the first arrival which was lead by Khye-Bumsa (Father of Bhutia community) Khamkey or the language of Kham was spoken, (Since Khamkey or the language of Kham and Bhutia’s phonetic are quite similar). After the arrival of this great legend here in Bayul Demazong or Sikkim starting from the 13th century, Khamkay gradually transformed to Bhutia language or Denzongkey. In that sense we cannot deny the fact that Bhutia language is derived from Tibetan language as Bhutia Language or Denzongkey is very close to the old Tibetan language (Chodkey) and Zongkhak (Bhutanese official language). However from the 13th to the middle of 20^th century Bhutias never had grammar and vocabulary or literature of their own besides just in spoken form as they spoke Bhutia but when it came to writing they used Tibetan form of writing as either official or unofficial. Our erstwhile Chogyals and their respective government used the same format of Tibetan language in writing which is today preserved nicely in Namgyal Institute of Tibetology (NIT). Further, the Learning of Tibetan language in the schools in Sikkim was compulsory then, which is why our Bhutia language teacher is even today called by the name of Tibetan Sir. It was in 1977 (after the merger of erstwhile kingdom to the union of India in 1975) Sikkim Legislative Assembly passed a legislation declaring thus Bhutia, Lepcha and Limbu language as state official language even though Bhutias were learning Tibetan literature in the school. It was obviously very difficult and often confusing as Bhutias were using their own Dezongkay or Bhutia language in speech but learning Tibetan literature at schools. It was very difficult to teach and develop their own literature even though Central Board of Secondary Education had introduced over decade ago. However, with the help of Scholar like Mr. Lobzang Rinzing Phenchungpa, Mr. Norden Tshering Bhutia and Mr. Pema Rinzing Bhutia and later on by many others, they succeed in developing their own literature, keeping the similar Tibetan Thomey Sambota Script (Thomey Sambota was a great scholar of Tibet who invented Tibetan Script, and which is today used in Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim, Ladakh, Tawang, etc) they first developed the grammar and translated all the material (both teaching and non-teaching) accordingly to the newly developed grammar of Bhutia Language. It was since 1984 onwards the syllabus of Schools and Colleges in Sikkim included with the study of Bhutia literature. Bhutias thus shared Tibetan script, which is basically due to the similarity of phonetics between Bhutias and Tibetans. Today, in the last forty years and over, Bhutias have their own grammar, dictionary, translated version of religious texts, poems, history, folk tales, songs, newspaper and magazines. Moreover, there are more than 300 to 500 books available from the thirty and more writer at presents on various topics under the supervision of Bhutia Kayrab Yargay Tshogpo (Bhutia Literary Development Association or BKYT).

This article was prepared with the help of my esteemed colleague Mr. Nyedup Denzongpo. He has book and lyrics for the various Sikkimese modern Songs and recently launched a much liked album Nying-Tam to his credit.

Political Transition of Demashong (Sikkim) Part I

                       

Sikkim became an integral part of the union of India in the year 1975. Before becoming the 22^nd state of the union of India, Sikkim was a Kingdom. The Kingdom was established by the three holy monks in the year 1641.[1] Phuntsok Namgyal was the first Chogyal[2] from the Namgyal Dynasty and twelve other Chogyals from the same dynasty ruled over the Kingdom for over 330 years. Chogyal was the supreme authority assisted by a team of twelve Dzongpens[3]at the initial period. It was a centralised system of administration based on Tibetan Buddhist tradition. In 1861, Sikkim acquired the status of protectorate under the British.[4] It was decided by a treaty signed between the British India and the Chogyal that the Chogyal will continue to remain supreme in all aspects of administration except external affairs. This treaty was a part of British expansionist policy which provided the British a wider control over the sub-continent. In the words of Leo E. Rose,[5] to the British it became a political and military necessity, as Sikkim was strategically located. Not only Sikkim was the major channel of communication between India and Tibet, it was also the connecting link between the predominantly Hindu culture of the central Himalaya and the Buddhist and animist communities in the eastern Himalaya.

With the British withdrawal from the subcontinent, a standstill agreement was signed between Indian Prime Minister Pt Jawaharlal Nehru and the Chogyal of Sikkim in 1947 which was followed by the signing of another treaty in 1950.The treaty of 1950 accorded a special status to Sikkim.[6] From 1950 to the beginning of 1975, Sikkim remained a kingdom under the provision of the same treaty. In 1975, Sikkim was merged to the union of India as its constituent State. The merger of Sikkim to India led to a political transition in Sikkim which paved the way for a new democratic set up. By giving up the three hundred years old traditional system of administration, Sikkim became a full-fledged State[7] of union of India. Article (371f) of constitution of India provided for democratic form of government with an elected legislative assembly on the basis of adult franchise.[8]

Political transition in Sikkim was a culmination of a long drawn process of movement in favour of democratisation of Sikkim which started during the later half of the 1946. The movement began with the demands of abolition of slavery, protection from forced labour, abolition of landlordism and formation of democratic form of government.[9] The movement for democratisation of Sikkim and particularly its merger with India is largely believed to have been orchestrated by India, but upholding of events in Sikkim that led to Sikkim’s merger to India indicates that it was a popular uprising against the rule of Chogyal in which various ethnic communities, their organisations and political parties took active part.

Sikkim is a home to three main different ethnic groups namely, the Lepchas, the Bhutias, and the Nepalese. The Lepchas[10] and the Bhutias[11], the followers of the Buddhist religion are considered to be the earlier settlers of Sikkim. The invasion of Sikkim by Nepal during 1774-1775 and further British Policy of immigration led to a substantial settlement of Nepalese in Sikkim.[12] Nepalese settlement in Sikkim was also encouraged by the British in the sparsely populated southern and western tracts of Sikkim. British launched an immigration policy which radically altered the ethnic composition of the kingdom and generated a ripple effect extending far into the future. This strategy was driven by the British to balance the pro-Tibetan Bhutias or Sikkimese of Tibetan descent, with pro-British Nepalese. Despite protests from Chogyal Thutob Namgyal (the Ninth Chogyal) and some of the powerful Bhutia-Lepcha kazis (or landlords), this extensive migration persisted virtually unchecked until the last part of the nineteenth century. By 1890, ‘Nepalese Sikkimese’ outnumbered the earliest Sikkimese subjects, i.e. the Lepchas and the Bhutias.[13] With the Nepalese increasing in number, the Lepchas and Bhutias stood together because of the blood brotherhood treaty and the religious solidarity they found in Buddhism.[14] Among these three major ethnic communities of Sikkim, the Nepalese were seen as more in favour of integration to India. Minority Bhutias and Lepchas, particularly the elites of these communities were more on the sides of Chogyals, and were determined to preserve Sikkim as a Buddhist kingdom with its own traditions and institution.

The discontentment among the masses and the conflicting stands on the issue of Sikkim’s merger to India created an impasse. A referendum took place on April 14, 1975 different sections of people forcefully voted in favour of Sikkim becoming part of India. Following the verdict of people in the referendum, the India amended the constitution to admit Sikkim as its 22nd state, with Kazi Lhendup Dorjee as the first chief minister and B. B. Lal as first governor.

Part II Shall be followed soon.

Thujeche Thokus

References:

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[1] The Seventeenth century was a turning point in the political history of Sikkim because in the first half of the same century, three holy monks of the Nyingmapa the major and the oldest sect of Tibetan Buddhism from Tibet came to Sikkim with a view of converting the country to their faith. They then found the young men at Gangtok, Phuntsok Namgyal, the son of Guru Tenzing who was a great grandson of Khye Bumsa the Bhutia Legend. The lamas then selected and coroneted the young man as the first Chogyal or Gyalpo or the King of Sikkim with Buddhism as the state religion. This event took place in 1641 at a place called Yuksam in West Sikkim. Succession of Chogyal was based on hereditary principle. See. Lal Bahadur Basnet, Short Political History of Sikkim, New Delhi, S. Chand and Company Ltd., 1974, p.13.

[2] Chogyal is a religious King, the protector of religion is equivalent to the Sanskrit word dharmaraja. It is a Tibetan title conferred to the king which indicates ruler’s supremacy over administrative and religious matters.

[3] Dzongpons means district administrator later popularly known as Kazis. Under the feudalistic system of administration, the Kazis exercised civil and criminal jurisdiction over the areas in which they were responsible for the collection of revenue. See. R. Rahul, The System of Administration in the Himalaya, Asian Survey, Vol. 9, No. 9 September 1969, pp. 694-702.

[4] P.R. Rao, Sikkim: The Story of Integration with India, Cosmo Publications, New Delhi, 1978. p. 5.

[5] Leo E. Rose, “India and Sikkim: Redefining the Relationship”, Pacific Affairs, Vol. 42, No. 1, Spring 1969,

   pp. 32-46.

[6]Under the treaty of 1950 article 2, Sikkim continued to enjoy the same protectorate status. It was decided by the treaty Sikkim will remain a kingdom but the defence and military affairs of Sikkim will be looked after by India and Sikkim will not be allowed to have contact with any foreign country or maintain its own army except few palace guards. See. N. Ram, Sikkim Story: Protection to Absorption: Social Scientist, Vol. 3, No. 2, September 1974, pp. 57-71.

[7] Protected under the article 371f of the constitution, Sikkim today is an organized political community or area forming part of a federal republic of India. On April 26 1975 both the houses of Indian parliament passed the constitutional thirty eight amendment making Sikkim (371f) a full-fledged constituent unit of India. See. P.R. Rao, Sikkim: The Story of Integration with India, Cosmo Publications, New Delhi, 1978, pp.73-74.

[8] Sikkim has legislative assembly consisting of 32 members and it has one representative each house of Indian parliament.

[9] Narendra Goyal, Prelude to India-a study of India’s relations with Himalayan States, Sterling Publications, New Delhi, 1964, pp. 140-141.

[10] The Lepchas also known as the Rongs or the Rongpas are considered to be the early settlers and are believed to have entered from the east, along the foothills, from the direction of Assam and Burma. The original religion of Lepchas of Sikkim was a form of nature worshiping variously considered to as Bon or Shamanism’. See. V.H. Coelho, Sikkim and Bhutan, Vikas Publications, Delhi, 1970, p.2.

[11] Bhutias who are also called ‘Lhopos’ and are the descendants of the Tibetan immigrants who came to Sikkim in different waves from the 13^th century onwards and established the Kingdom in the 17^th century. They call Bhutias who are also called ‘Lhopos’ and are the descendants of the Tibetan immigrants who came to Sikkim in different waves from the 13^th century onwards and established the Kingdom in the 17^th century. They call themselves lhopo (Lho-pa people from south) but are generally referred to as Bhutia, Sikkimese or even Denzongpa.themselves lhopo (Lho-pa people from south) but are generally referred to as Bhutia, Sikkimese or even Denzongpa. See. Anna Balikci Denjongpa, “Kangchendzonga: Secular and Buddhist Perceptions of the Mountain Deity of Sikkim among Lhopos”, Bulletin of Tibetology, Gangtok, Vol.38, No.2, 2002, p.5.

[12] B. S Das, The Sikkim Saga, Delhi, Vikas Publishing House, 1983, p.6.

[13] Leo E. Rose, “India and Sikkim: Redefining the Relationship”, Pacific Affairs, Vol. 42, No. 1, Spring 1969, pp. 32-46.

[14]It was the early migrant group of Bhutias that, by providing the Lepchas with a new religion and a ruler, made a deep imprint on their social organization. Thus, alongside the conversion of the Lepchas to the Lamaist Buddhism of Tibet and the ritual bond of ‘blood-brotherhood’ with the Bhutias, the polyandrous character of both groups paved the way for social intercourse among them, particularly at the higher level. See Urmila Phadnis, “Ethnic Dimensions of Sikkimese Politics: The 1979 Elections”, Asian Survey, Vol.20, No.12, December 1980, pp.1236-1252. 

Why Sikkim is Bayul Demashong to Buddhist in Sikkim???

                        

Bayul Demashong  སྦས་ཡུལ་  འབྲས་མོ་གཤོངས།

༅༅།། སྦས་ཡུལ་  འབྲས་མོ་ལྗོངས་  ཞུ་དགོས་པ༸ཨི་  དོན་བདག་ནེ་ ༸དི་ཡང་ (Mon Tawang) མོན་བོད་༼༸བྲུག་  དང་  བོད༽  གཉིས་ཀྱི་  བར་ལོ་  ཡོད་ཤད་༸དི་  བྱ༹ས་སྟི་  བར་ཡུལ་སེ་  ཞུ་དོ་  ཨིན། reason why our Sikkim is called bay yul dema shong is because of its location between mon-tawang and Bhutan-Tibet which was also called a bar-yul ( place of connecting)

སྦས་པ༸ཨི་  གཡུལ་  ཨིན་ཤད་༸དི་  བྱ༹ས་སྟི་   སྦས་གཡུལ་སེ་  ཞུ་དོ་ཨིན།

གན་  དགོས་ཚད་ཀྱི་  ལོ་ཐོག་  ༸བྲས་བུ་  ཐམས་ཅད་  སྐྱེས་ཤད་༸དི་  བྱ༹ས་སྟི་  ༸བྲས་མོ། It is concealed into the mountain terrain and hills called hidden land

ཡངས་གཤོངས་  ཆེ་དྲགས་  ཡང་ལས་ནེ་  གན་བླུག་ཚད་  ཐམས་ཅད་  གཤོངས་ཚུགས་ཤད་༸དི་  བྱ༹ས་སྟི་  གཤོངས་སེ་  ཞུ་བོ་ཨིན and because of her capacity to contain any kinds of crops for cultivation was named Demashong.

reason why our Sikkim is called bay yul dema shong is because of its location between mon-tawang and Bhutan-Tibet which was also called a bar-yul ( place of connecting). It is concealed into the mountain terrain and hills called hidden land and because of her capacity to contain any kinds of crops for cultivation were named Demashong.

སྦས (Bay)- Hidden. གཡུལ་  (Yul)- Place. འབྲས་མ (Dema)- Crops. གཤོངས་(Shong)- Accommodate/contain.

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