JIGMET DADUL
LEH: The five days long 25th ‘Ladakh Smonlam Chenmo’ (LSC), an annual religious congregation organised by All Ladakh Gonpa Association (LGA) concluded here at Chokhang Vihar on Thursday which was attended by over 1,500 monks and 400 nuns from various monasteries and nunneries of Ladakh.
The congregation was held to pray for peace, prosperity and welfare of living beings, and to liberate every living being from ‘Samsara’, the cycle of birth and death.
LGA President Geshes Konchok Namgyal informed that the practice of Mantra recitation dated back to Je Lama Tsongkhapa regime in 1349 known as Lhase Smonlam Chenmo lasting for fifteen days that used to be attended by nearly 80,000 monks and since then the practice continues in Tibet. He added that such practice started in Ladakh region in 1991 under the name ‘Ladakh Smonlam Chenmo’. “Monks of different sects used to recite prayers ‘Kangyur, Bhum and Dolma’ for the universal peace, prosperity, brotherhood and communal harmony”, he added.
The 25th annual mantra recitation was attended by highly reincarnated lamas including Skyabje Tokldan Rinpochey, Thuksey Rinpochey, Urgain Rinpochey, Khamtul Rinpochey and Apo Rinpochey besides other scholars.
Earlier, on the third day of congregation, several monks, nuns, Rinpocheys and all the heads of different government departments felicitated the renowned social worker Venerable Lama Lobzang Kau with a citation and medal for rendering selfless social service and humanitarian service in assisting the poor patients of Ladakh during the course of treatment in different hospitals in New Delhi for the past many years.
On the fourth day, a grand religious procession was taken out which was known as Chambay Dhandren by carrying the statue of Meitriya Budhha (Future Buddha) signifying the belief of future Buddha regime in the next Universe Buddhist.
On the concluding day, besides reciting and chanting of Mantra, the monks and nuns unanimously nominated Geshey Lobzang Samstan of Liker Monastery as the new President of LGA.
