All this week we willl be running special Shabten (Long Life prayer) sessions at the London centre to coincide with the Long Life ceremonies for His Holiness the Gyawang Drukpa, which are taking place in Darjeeling (see calendar on the right for details).
Here is an excerpt from His Eminence Khamtrul Rinpoche’s instruction on the importance of Shabten practice (from www.drukpa-shabten.net) :
‘As some of you may already know or have heard, from a traditional Tibetan viewpoint, the next 4 years are considered ‘obstacle’ years for His Holiness from the astrological point of view. Though Buddha himself like His Holiness are beyond the dualistic concepts of obstacles it is extremely important for us lay devotees, as well as nuns and monks living in the samsara with dualistic concepts to perform spiritual activities dedicated for the longevity of His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa. These merits should also be dedicated for His Holiness Je Khenpo Jigme Choedra, His Eminence Bairo Rinpoche and Mayoumla and for all the great masters whose mere presence, if prolonged for even a second, can greatly benefit numerous seen and unseen beings’.
We hope that many of you will be able to attend but if this is not possible you can submit your accumulations to london@drukpa.org.uk – see www.drukpa-shabten.net for details on how to practice Shabten.
