By Phuntsok Yangchen
DHARAMSHALA, November 29: Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama today presided over the 600th anniversary of Jey Tsongkhapa’s ‘The Commentary on Four Annotations (Guhyasamaja),’ at Gyuto Tantric Monastery at Sidhbari, Dharamshala.
Addressing at the occasion, His Holiness the Dalai Lama expressed his pleasure over the Gyutoe monastery taking the responsibilities to hold the important event.
Noting the need to introduce secular ethics in school curriculum around the world the Tibetan leader called on the Tibetans to study the Tibetan Buddhism as a branch of science and not as a religion.
“We are 6 million Tibetans and most of us are religious. We should study the religion to understand it not just as an offering of waterbowls on altar,” His Holiness said. The Tibetan leader commended the Tibetans for preserving the Nalanda tradition on which the Tibetan Buddhism is based saying that if Buddha was alive he would give certificates to the Tibetans.
His Holiness added that he does not claim Buddhism being better than any other religion but that it is the individual who decides which religion is better based on how it helps him. However, he noted that Buddhism is the “most in-depth and broadest religion” as far as study of mind is concerned.
The function also launched the reprint of The Great Commentary on (Guhyasamaja) Tantra in pecha format and the manuscripts-compared edition of The Lamp Illuminating the Five Stages in book format.
Also present at the function were His Eminence Gaden Tripa, Chief Justice Commissioner, Speaker of the Tibetan parliament, Tibetan ministers and Parliamentarians, and the general public including monks and nuns.
Pema Chinnjor, Minister of Religion and Culture of Tibetan government in exile noted that Tibetan Buddhism had helped several people around the world to educate about Tibet.
Debate on the commentary began in the presence of HIs Holiness the Dalai Lama who interrupted a session saying, “I want to interfere here, can I?” The Tibetan leader raised the issue of great Tibetan Buddhist masters going into meditative state even after death. He asked what the Geshes participating in the debate thought about how the mind in a certain state gives warmth to the body that had died weeks ago.
A three- day event will also hold discussions on the Commentary participated by monks of Gyutoe, Gturmey and Rhey Gyupa monasteries.
