On the auspicious occasion of 2566th Buddha Jayanti I heartly welcome our chief guest Rt.honorable Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Dharma Gurus, honorable ministers, Your Excellencys respected ladies and gentlemen. As the 8th Chiniya Lama and Supreme Head of the Great Stupa of Boudha and Boudha-Melamchi Ghyang Guthi, I cordially welcome all of you who have accepted my invitation and gathered here today on the auspicious occasion of the 2566th Buddha Jayanti.
Keeping in heart and mind Lord Buddha’s immortal message of peace and non-violence, I extend my heartiest greetings and best wishes for the peace, progress and prosperity of all humanity. In line with the principles propounded by Lord Buddha I want to convey the message of peace to all citizens along with a call to develop a common vision for a peaceful world by spreading peace and non-violence among the people of this world on the auspicious occasion of 2566th birth of Lord Buddha who is known as the Light of the World and the Fountain of Peace well be lighting the eternal flame of peace which will be taken all over the world.
I would like to present some information regarding the proud history of the Great Stupa of Boudhanath and Boudha-Melamchi Ghyang Guthi. The Great Stupa of Boudhanath was built in the 5th century by Jadzima and her four sons. There was a drought in the country during that time. The devotees collected the morning dew to mix with mortar for the construction of the Stupa. After its completion, all 84 lakh Buddhas, Bodhisattvas Gods, Goddesses and Dakinis entered into the Great Stupa which symbolises the root of Buddhism and Bazrayan representing the minds of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. It is also called the wish-fulfilling jewel of all aspirations. Once in every 12 years, during the Jhya Lho (Bird Year), ambrosia seeps out of the Great Stupa. Bazrayana, the highest teaching, symbolizes the mind of all Buddhas. After the great Stupa of Boudhanath, Guru Padmasambhava consecrated the first Bazrayana monastery in Tibet, Samye Ling.
My ancestors were given the responsibility of looking after the religious and social affairs of the Great Stupa of Boudhanath Swayambhnath,, Helambu Melamchi region and Lumbini the birth place of Lord Buddha with the title of Chiniya Lama . Since then, my ancestors have continuously held the post of Chiniya Lama .In this continuous line of descendants, as the 8th Chiniya Lama, I have undertaken the responsibility and i feel blessed to celebrate the 2566th Buddha Jayanti in this sacred spot, which is a world heritage site, and a revered centre of pilgrimage of all Buddhists. I have been associated with this place in my past lives and have a deep connection to this place. That is why I am committed to the protection of this sacred site and re-establishment of the root and authentic teachings for the benefit of all mankind.
After the unlimited grace showered by Lord Buddha upon all sentient beings, Guru Padmasambhava appeared in this world as an incarnation of Lord Buddha in order to destroy sins. Guru Padmasambhava spread the light of kindness, compassion, peace and goodwill in this world by destroying demonic forces. On an auspicious full moon day when the Dharma Gurus and Lamas were praying while placing the pinnacle on top of the Boudhanath Stupa, I was born due to the immense grace of Guru Padmasambhava.
I have invested 30 years of my life in the observation and preservation of Buddha Dharma abroad. Now I have returned to my motherland as per my karma to fulfill my responsibilities.
Just like the unconditional love of a mother cannot be reached by studying parenting from a book or in an university a mother’s love is pure and selfless and comes naturally from the bottom of her heart.Like a mother’s milk which is pure it cannot be compared with other milk. Dharma too should be pure if it has to be effective not diluted.Now a days monks teach people just from books they teach the sublime Buddhist teachings totally different from what came from the Buddha’s heart. We must depend on our ultimate compassion and unlimited wisdom to understand the pure Dharma. Dharma is vast like the sky it cannot be taught by everyone. Dharma is more effective if it is taught by a lineage holder. Otherwise, it will not be meaningful and effective. Today the time has come for the ripening of real dharma. Dharma is pure and gained by the compassionate and pure heart of the seeker. Boudhanath Stupa is also regarded as a universal university and everyone gets blessings from the Stupa like a mother blessing her children. The three jewels are the most precious possessions in the world.
The principle of every religion is based on ultimate wisdom and compassion but due to the five poisons, we perceive differences in terms of caste, creed and color. It is very essential to keep pure dharma in our hearts. Otherwise, there is no hope for peace and happiness. In every sector, be it business, politics, etc, there should be peace. Without peace, there is no possibility for progress. There are many monasteries and temples, but we seem to have forgotten the main principles of purity and compassion which are the fundamentals of dharma practice. Dharma is very simple for all sentient beings but complications arise due to selfish interests. Even a potent medicine cannot be effective unless it is pure and unadulterated. Only by sincerely following the sublime teachings of the root Guru and authentic master and wholeheartedly devoting one’s life to service, can a student attain true happiness. If you think and act for others, it is true dharma or real religion. Dharma has to be grounded in reality. It is my commitment to increase the prestige of Buddhists all over the world as well as make Boudhanath area clean, green, well organized and prosperous.
Due to the increase of pride and arrogance in today’s world environment, many great wars have occurred and various chemical and atomic weapons have been manufactured which pose a grave threat to the continuity of the human race. There is a possibility that this earth might be destroyed as a consequence of the pride and ill-will that presently exists between humans and nations. The use of chemical and atomic weapons manufactured as a result of the pride and anger of humans might destroy the universe at any moment. To minimize the human traits of envy, jealousy and hatred and establish a sense of brotherhood between the human beings of this world is the need of the hour and if steps were taken for implementation of the above mentioned goals, the celebration of Buddha Jayanti would become even more meaningful and relevant.
Based on Lord Buddha’s immortal message of peace and non-violence, Buddhist wisdom is the sole means of benefiting all the beings in the entire universe. Today, the nation is suffering due to the effects of political differences and polarization. In order to make the country prosperous and accelerate the momentum of development, every citizen and government official should fulfill his or her responsibilities sincerely. Only by maintaining peace and goodwill, can order and stability be established in the country. We should renounce personal vices and ill-will, and simultaneously fulfill our duties by adopting goodwill and positive thinking, then not only will the relevance of today’s Buddha Jayanti celebration be proved, but will further become a source of inspiration, not only for this country and its people but the entire world. This is my pledge.The main objective of today’s grand function is to spread the light of kindness, compassion, peace and goodwill, which form the main foundation of Buddhist wisdom, throughout the world.
Today, people have become more inclined towards material pleasures, due to which the society has become very corrupt, as a result of the extreme greed and impure mentality. To control this wicked behavior and impure mentality, one must modify society by the means of good and positive behavior, moral conduct and a peaceful mind.Then we will be able to create a beautiful society by adopting the principles of Buddha’s wisdom. In this context, it is my firm belief that today’s Buddha Jayanti will be able to contribute towards the establishment of a corruption-free nation by leading the national servants and civil society on a new path in line with the principles propounded by Lord Buddha. I want to convey the message of peace to all citizens along with a call to develop a common vision for a peaceful world by spreading peace and non-violence among the people of this world.
Unity is needed to promote the welfare of our Tamang society to bring peace in this country and the world and for the welfare of all sentient beings.
In conclusion, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all those present at this peace ceremony – the honorable Vice president, all distinguished delegates, as well as all invitees, security personnel and all the people participating on this occasion. Today, we are all gathered here – of various castes, colors, cultures, countries and races in this very holy place with the sole purpose of world peace and welfare of all sentient beings. Let us all chant in one voice with our pure body, speech and mind, the mantra of Guru Padmasambhava –
OM AH HUNG BAZRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG