Annual Yangdrup Puja at Shar Gaden

[WisdomBeing]

Take a look at these stunning tormas made for Shar Gaden's up coming annual Yangdrup puja, which will be performed by the senior alumni at the upper prayer hall.

These pictures (from Shar Gaden's facebook) were taken on the final day of preparation. Shar Gaden says, "The congested scene (background) shows how many things they need to deal with to make it on time. They have not left any stone unturned (as seen in foreground pics) to make it as grand as possible.This puja is conducted for flourish of Buddha Dharma in general and Je Tsongkhapa's doctrine in particular, dedicated to our long-time generous benefactors, and to permanently halt the suffering of famine in the world etc."

[whitelion]

They are beautiful. But behind these beautiful tormas what I see is the Lama skillful method. I came across this friend who is very impatient, and he hate to do handicraft. His guru "force" him to paint 10 colorful Buddha images to subdue his impatient mind, but he told me his guru is killing him by brushes and poster color.

True enough this 5 "master pieces" took him 6 months to finish and he almost kill himself during the process. After he finished the 5 paintings, he told me he is more alert and easy to concentrate during daily works, I wonder why He told me during the passed 6 months he learned how to due with his unstable mind, he concentrate and focus when he paint so the color will stay in their place. From all this small assignment from the guru, actually is giving us a chance to due with our mind.

All the monks need to learn up how to do torma in the monastery, because they can move forward to deeper teachings, a clear and focus is needed. So by doing such a beautiful torma actually is another way for meditation, another type of inner preparation for deeper teaching.

[Barzin]

I like your story White Lion.  It is very nice.  Yes, that is the beauty of Buddha dharma.  From making torma to make offerings, to prayers, each has such profound meaning behind.  It seemed small but actually there lies a wonderful meaning behind if one just spare some time to understand.  To Buddha dharma, we can never be selective, be stingy.  Offerings should be the greatest, biggest and generous.  Because we are striving for attainments and eventually enlightenment.  I mean, we wouldn't want our enlightenment to be discounted do we?  We need tremendous merits for our clarity to learn Buddha dharma, therefore there is a reason why offerings should be massive because we need to merits to gain more wisdom to learn the dharma.  This also explains why the bigger the statue is, the more merits it is.  Wonderful to see monastery has always uphold Buddha dharma with such reverence and pride.  Really inspiring and definitely they have demonstrated what a true practitioner should do.

 

[DharmaSpace]

Thanks whitelion beautiful story you shared. Everything can be practise if the mind has the correct motivation, even cleaning can be a focus of our attention, so many things that look mundane can be used to train our mind.

Thats the skill of the gurus, they can use things you like or don't like to train your mind. 

[pgdharma]

Thanks WisdomBeing for sharing  these pictures. The tormas are stunning.
Thanks whitelion for sharing  this beautiful story.

From making tormas to painting Buddha images, it is a form of meditation to calm and  train our mind. Our Guru will skilfully find different ways/methods to assign a task most beneficial for us to train our mind.

[Losang_Tenpa]

another picture of the Yangdrup puja offering altar.

[WisdomBeing]

thanks for sharing, LT! What an awesome altar!! Perhaps you can share more information about the puja...

cheers, mate!

[Losang_Tenpa]

If you look at the back row of tormas (the ones on the red platforms); from left to right are the tormas for Namse, Dzambala, Yamantaka (red torma), Mahakala, and Dorje Shugden.

[iloveds]

When is the actual puja? will you be recording video of it @Lobsang Tenpa.

That is so true regarding every small thing is a training by the Guru to develop our minds. Through a collection of small small things we build up the stability to never give up when the Guru gives instructions.

[Losang_Tenpa]

Today is day 3 and the last day of the puja...

I am sorry but I only have the ability to record very short clips (1-2  minutes) on my camera.

[iloveds]

That's good enough for me as I can't be there in person:)

[Mana]

In Kumbum Monastery, Tsongkhapa's birthplace monastery in Qinghai, China, making tormas with butter is one of the "Three Greats" of the monastery and it is world famous, the tormas are made into various intricate shapes and forms with great details, and they are excellent offerings to the Buddhas, see pics below:

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 



 

 



       

[Losang_Tenpa]

Video recorded by one of the secretaries of Shar Gaden.

The Yangdup Puja-2011 (NEW)	Small | Large

The staff here has plans of creating a monthly video journal as soon as the proper equiptment is aquired.

[WisdomBeing]

Those tormas are the most elaborate I have ever seen. Completely awesome!!!! I hope one day I can visit Kumbum. Would you or anyone know if these tormas are made for certain rituals at certain times of the year or is it regularly? I hope to visit Asia next year and would love to plan a trip there depending on the timing of these rituals.

Thanks!

[iloveds]

The staff here has plans of creating a monthly video journal as soon as the proper equiptment is aquired.

Look forward to many more... who is the young monk on the throne?