LEH, India, October 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
The 4th Annual Drukpa Council (ADC) was held at the 16th century Hemis Monastery in Leh, Ladakh (India) by the Drukpa Buddhists amidst a lot of fanfare. Buddhists from India and across the world assembled at this picturesque landscape to share and reconnect the various practices through teachings. The ADC saw the presence of His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa, spiritual head of Drukpa Buddhists, more than 50 Drukpa masters from India, Nepal, Bhutan, Europe, Americas and Asia and approximately a lac followers coming together to support the Drukpa Lineage. The complete event was presided over by organising chairperson His Eminence Thuksey Rinpoche. The ADC is the largest gathering of Drukpa masters from across the world, who come together to pray and transfer centuries of wisdom to people at large. It is also an opportunity for the Drukpas to push for positive change in the social fabric of the region, as well as in the world at large.
Bhutan's Home Minister, Lyonpo Minjur Dorji arrived on 27th October in Leh, officially representing the Bhutanese government's participation in the ADC. From Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Chief Executive Councillor of Ladakh, Rigzin Spalbar, District Commissioner Tsering Angchuk and Executive Councillor of Tourism, Gyurmed Dorje are among the local government representatives supporting the 4th ADC.
His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa, the spiritual head of the Drukpa Lineage said, "The ADC provides a platform for different global cultures to come together and inspire each other to work towards common good. It is time for humanity from different backgrounds to put aside all differences and find a common ground to work for the benefit of everyone."
"The enthusiasm shown by the organising team has been extremely touching. And the effects are already showing. In spite of a record gathering of over a lac followers, supporters and well-wishers, the entire event so far has gone through seamlessly and without any concerns", His Eminence Thuksey Rinpoche said. He further added, "This enthusiasm gave us he confidence that we were able to achieve a record tree planting drive and we brokethe Guinness World Records for 'Most Trees Planted Simultaneously'."
Key highlights of the ADC are:
- Grand Offering of 100,000 lamps for Universal Peace and Happiness
- 3 sacred relics will be displayed to the public from 30th October 2012. The first was a holy dagger made by a Drukpa yogi 300 years ago to ward off negative energies. The dagger, known as "Phurba", was said to have stopped an avalanche and several mishaps in the Himalayas. The second was a 8th century statue made by the Indian saint, Guru Padmasambhava who brought Tantric Buddhism to Tibet. The statue known as "Vajrasattva" is able to bestowed the blessing in relation to purification of negativities. The last is a bronze statue made in the 12th century by Tibet's most renowned yogi, Milarepa's own sister. Hair naturally grows on the crown of the statue and drops periodically only to let new hair grow again. This statue is believed to grant wish-fulfilling blessing.
About ADC
The Annual Drukpa Council (ADC) is a yearly event for the teachers and followers of the Drukpa Lineage to come together, exchange views and spiritual knowledge. The teachers give teachings and share their wisdom and experience during the ADC, which aims to provide a platform for building and nourishing of multi-lateral and inter-group relationships within the Drukpa Lineage as well as introducing the richness of its spiritual heritage to others. It provides an annual gathering for the followers of the Drukpa Lineage to meet once a year, thus nourishing a firm bond and strengthening the relationship among the individuals and groups within the Drukpa followers. ADC included not only traditional rituals and practices, but also open discussions and exchange of views regarding the practical use of spirituality to resolve today's difficulties. It also functioned as a forum to increase the ability to work more productively together in a harmonious way. One of the key driving forces of the ADC is to promote Live to Love which is the practical aspect of inculcating loving-kindness and compassion in the world today.
About Drukpa Lineage:
The Drukpa Lineage follows the Mahayana Buddhist tradition in philosophy, i.e. the philosophy of "getting enlightened for the benefit of others" and the methods are based on the Tantrayana teachings passed down from the great Indian saint Naropa, who was born in 1016 in a West Bengal royal family. It acquired the name Drukpa in the twelfth century when, assuming the human form, Avalokiteshvara - the Great Lord of Universal Compassion - manifested as the outstanding disciple of Mahasiddha Lingchen Repa. This sublime being was called Drogon Tsangpa Gyare, the meaning being: Drogon - the Protector of Beings; Tsang - born in the land of Tsang; Gya - from the noble clan of Chinese (Gya) origin; Re - a cotton-clad yogi. "Druk" in Tibetan means "Dragon" and it also refers to the sound of thunder. In 1206, more than 800 years ago, Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje saw nine dragons fly up into the sky from the ground of Namdruk, and he named his lineage "Drukpa" or "lineage of the Dragons" after this auspicious event. In this way, Tsangpa Gyare became the founder of the Drukpa lineage and was known as the First Gyalwang Drukpa. The present Gyalwang Drukpa is the twelfth incarnation of the founder of the Drukpa Lineage.
For more details, please visit his blog: http://www.drukpa.org
For more information on the ADC please visit: http://www.drukpacouncil.org
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