By Tenzin Dharpo
BODH GAYA, JAN. 16: The enormity of the Kalachakra teaching this year is not lost on any one, be it the organizers who despite a hiccup last year kicked off this year’s edition in earnest, or on the other side; those attending the event who thronged in thousands despite challenges of their own and the people prevented to partake in the event for the 12 day foremost Buddhist teaching held at Bodh Gaya, Bihar in central India.
The Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who presides over the teachings said on the first day that decades ago on the night right after the first Kalachakra teachings in exile, at Dharamshala, he had a dream that indicated that more Kalachakra might take place in exile. Subsequently, speaking on Jan. 2, on the 34th edition of teachings, the 81 year old Dalai Lama said smiling that the congregation was an auspicious one.
The organizers and preparation
The exile Tibetan government’s Kashag (Cabinet) helmed by Tibetan PM Lobsang Sangay said it was the “best organized Kalachakra till date”. While they are some who do not agree with the assessment, they are many who do. By sheer number and statistic, the figures looks to be efficient as the organizers with the help from Bihar government made available various facilities on the front of both emergency or otherwise.
The security, which forms the rudimentary element in a successful event, was highly fortified when it came to the Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama. A multi-tier security detail beginning from the personal bodyguards of the Dalai Lama, then the Indian security forces and commandos donning automatic weapons followed by local police and Dept. of Security (Desung) and lastly personnel from voluntary organizations manning entry points and overseeing crowd control at the teaching ground.
The areas not limited to the main teaching ground had police personnel and barricades, sentries and patrolling teams round the clock. Ambulances, fire-fighting vehicles, riot control vehicles have ben put on stand by for the entirety of the 12-day teaching schedule.
As far as housing and accommodation is concerned, 855 tents with accommodation capacity of 8 individuals each, 40 dormitory tents with accommodation capacity of 30 individuals each, 170 premium quality Swiss cottage tents with accommodation capacity of 4 individuals each and 285 plywood rooms were made available at a relatively lengthy distance from the teaching grounds, with many saying the distance is a toll when commuted on a daily basis.
Complimenting the arrangements are over 300 toilets, 160 urinals, 260 bathrooms and more than one hundred water taps in addition to a 5000 liter tank for water storage. 2735 electric bulbs, 3645 sockets and charging points through four electric transformers backed up by 4 generators in case of power outage, were also facilitated.
However, there are many who foraged for themselves in the peripheral areas near the teaching grounds and beyond, heckling with opportune house owners who only seem to see the Kalachakra schedule as a way for a quick buck and often taking advantage of desperate pilgrims.
A medical camp initiated by the exile government’s Department of Health catered close to 1500 people on a daily basis, according to the officials in charge. Besides free consultation and free medicine, there is free ambulance service in case of serious cases and patient need to be transported to hospitals. The majority of the patients suffered from common cold, food poisoning and headaches and no serious cases were reported.
On a gracious note, the exile government arranged for the Kalachakra trip for over 400 senior citizens from various Tibetan settlements.
The service of refreshment limited to serving tea and wheat bread and others is both a spectacle as well as an operational feat. 7 huge metal utensils each holding 3000 liters, stir out sweet and salty butter tea three times a day. The provisions primarily milk, sugar and butter are contributed by devotees through out the day.
Over 2,50,000 Tibetan wheat bread is baked daily on 26 wood-fuelled metal plates in the temporary kitchen. The man in-charge of the bread affair Sangyal Gyal is a veteran in his own right with experience in making bread for three Kalachakras since 2012. This time around, he has employed 152 people who daily knead 520 bags of wheat each weighing 50 kgs made it into Tibetan flat bread.
The crucial, may be also the most important part of the system are monks on steroids (pun intended) who distribute the refreshments in a manner not seen anywhere around the world. Moving in groups and at the risk of pushing and even injuring bystanders, the monks signal through a shrilled voice of their impending barge. Nonetheless, when a crowd of many thousands needs to be fed in a short amount of time, the methods not only seem effective but necessary.
In the financial aspect, sponsorship and donations was the major chunk of the total sum of 304,327,378 rupees (Thirty crores, 43 lacs, 27 thousand three hundred and seventy eight) was spent to provide cash offerings to monastics as well as donations and contributions to charities in the Gaya locality.
Devotees and Teachings
This year’s Kalachakra, the fifth time in Bodh Gaya saw an unprecedented number of devotees with estimated total figure of attendees to be over 2,00,000 including 8000 foreigners and 2000 Chinese from Hong Kong and Mainland China, sources in the organizing committee said. Galena who is from Kalmyk Buddhist region in Russia told Phayul that that being a Buddhist, each of three Kalachakras she has attended since 2006 has brought her closer to spiritual and religious awareness.
While fellow Kalmyk Myina, 70, who has attended 5 Kalachakras since 1997 said, “I find it truly inspiring that Tibetans from Tibet who risk persecution and political action attend the teachings. They are risking everything so that they can see the Dalai Lama and receive the blessings. That is really a revelation considering foreigners like myself who travel with ease and attend the teachings. But I am happy and blessed to have come here in Gaya.”
Also devotees from the Himalayan region consisting of people from Nepal, Ladakh, Khunu, Bhutan and others surpassed well over the 40,000 that registered officially and were allotted separate spot in the teaching grounds. Close to 200 Tibetan, Indian and foreign journalists and media professionals covered the event, the media contact of CTA said.
The teachings were also simulcast live via dedicated websites and on the site, through 16 large LEDs and 18 televisions in the main teaching ground.
The teachings; Shantideva’s A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life (Chodjug) & Kamalashila’s The Middling States of Meditation (Gomrim Barpa) as well as the Kalachakra initiation was translated into 19 different languages live at the site – Chinese, Russian, English, Spanish, Bhutanese, different dialects of Tibetan language, and Hindi among others.
The official Portuguese translator of the teaching, Maria Beatrice who has lived in Dharamshala for 24 years told Phayul that it is her third time translating the Kalachakra. She said, “Buddhism is relatively new in Brazil. And since Brazil is the largest country in South America, it is imperative that the Portuguese speaking people see Buddhism in the proper light as far with its evolution in Brazil in mind.”
Chinese objection and obstacles
With a major exile event in schedule presided by Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama, it was just the matter of time before China voices objection of the proceedings. The Chinese government called the Kalachakra “illegal”, calling it a forum for undertaking divisive activities by the octogenarian Tibetan leader.
In some parts of Tibet, as early as November 2016, authorities collected passports of on the pretext of affixing “new seals”, where as in other parts passports were confiscated to prevent Tibetans from attending the teachings. Many who had valid visas were called back from Nepal under the guise of threat ranging from denial of pensions to punitive action to families back home. A few thousand Tibetans had returned back to Tibet before the Kalchakra began.
In response, the exile government’s PM Lobsang Sangay said the Chinese government intervention is “a fact” and that it reflects absence of religious freedom in Tibet.
Independent research paper by Munk School of Global Affairs mentioned that China has blocked Kalachakra related keywords from WeChat, enabling keyword filtering for users with accounts registered with Mainland China phone numbers, indicating that China’s attempt to impede the Kalachakra is done on multiple fronts.
The Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama said despite the set back, he will pray for all those who could not attend the event.
For domestic and overseas Tibetans, lesser problems ensued. The demonetization drive by Indian government impeded number of pilgrims both in India and overseas attending the event. Outlawing 90% of currency in circulation meant people found it hard to withdraw cash, which remains the viable way of transaction in India. Many pilgrims eventually cancelled their plans to attend the teachings. Also delay and cancellation of transport for pilgrims were a constant with many trains, which is the primary mode of transport, saw delays (some to the tune of 20+ hours and some cancellation as well).
Extracurricular activities
With an event the magnitude of Kalachakra where over two hundred thousand people in attendance, enterprising ventures initiated by private as well as organizations is a common sight over the years. This year’s edition saw few different musical concerts featuring various Tibetans and foreign artists. The evenings made for an apt time for show organizers to attract devotees in a different kind of congregation.
Besides the common, a fashion show as well as a football tournament took place this year. While the fashion show was a one off event, the football tournament stretched into over a weeklong affair with Dhondup-ling Football Club taking home the trophy. Some say such initiatives conducted on the sidelines of a religious teaching is not only immoral but also distracting and that devotes can do without entertainment during a 12- day schedule. However, Tibetan PM lauded the organizers for the tournament.
Fund raising stalls and information centers of over 20 nongovernmental organizations were set up; the most visible among them were the Tibetan Youth Congress. The NGO had a total of 250 personnel distributed to be engaged in various services such as information center, emergency services, reception services, lost and found services among others. Their funeral services have performed the last rites of 5 Tibetans who died this time around including a nun who met with a road accident. Equipped with 10 wheelchairs and 10 walkie talkies, the yellow brigade of volunteers were seen assisting people through out the proceedings. TYC President Tenzing Jigme said, “We are an organization which is expected by the people to provide a certain degree of assistance and social service so during this, we are only engaging in social services and nothing related to the organization’s political stand.”
Conclusion
The Dalai Lama on the final day of the Kalachakra in the presence of state Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Tibetan PM Sangay said that he would live on beyond the age of 100 years indicating more Kalachakras in the future. The day before, in his typical simplistic overture, the octogenarian Tibetan leader told devotees, “One must take back something from the proceedings here; that is to say one must go back a more kind-hearted person or at least someone who does not do harm if he cannot do good.”
This morning the Tibetan leader headed to Patna from where he will fly home back in Dharamshala, nursing a cold he developed during the latter part of the teaching.
The 34th edition of the Kalachakra teachings was an important marque moment in re-establishing the Tibetan identity in this day and age when many around the world see the community as being synonymous with Buddhism whether that valuation is accurate or not.
For the Tibetans themselves, it was recovering from the set back of last year’s cancellation of the same event.
