By Kalsang Rinchen
Do you own an iphone? Well, you must have had hundred reasons to buy it, be it the software that helps you find your way around Manhattan or take picture of gospel singers while you travel in a subway train from 74 Roosevelt Street to 14th Street Union Square or send an important email on your business trip from New York to LA. Well. Now you have one more reason to own an iphone. You can download Buddhist prayers that gave you hard time in school trying to remember the tongue twisting Sanskrit lines. I can’t guarantee you will become, in His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s words, “a twenty first century Buddhist” after downloading this. But I guess you will move a step closer to being one.
A young Tibetan in New York city, who has earned considerable fame in his small community as a filmmaker, web designer, poet, and author, has developed an application for iphone that will enable you to recite daily Buddhist prayers anywhere at any time.
Thupten N. Chakrishar has developed the application after months of rigorous hard work and patience to get his work approved by the manufacturer of iphone, Apple computers which has failed many dreams of wanna – be – iphone – app developers through carefully scrutinized examination for Apple’s Touch Platform Applications Approval.
Thupten’s creation “Daily Buddhist Prayers” is an iPhone/iTouch application that offers a number of Buddhist prayers in the traditionally practiced sequences with wylie transliterations along with English meanings. The application also comes with audio for correct pronunciation of the prayers recited by Ven. Sonam Wangdue, a monk from the Drepung Gomang Monastery.
In his own words, the reason for him to wander into this part of the puzzling alleys of technology, is “I wish Tibetans competed with the world in every field and this quest inspires me to take up challenges. iPhone is a revolution, I jumped in to represent Tibet.”
Now you might want to know how he feels, according to you, after this not – so – much – of – big deal – achievement. He says, “I hear a lot of professional developers face the dejection after Apple scraps their hard worked apps. I am a novice in this and I am proud I made it”.
Thupten hopes he benefits many iphone fanatics with his not – so – much – of – big deal – application. Do you agree? Well if you do, you are jealous. Cos I am.
The app can be downloaded from Apple store for itunes app by clicking here or from www.buddhistapps.com
