KALACHAKRA INITIATION IN POLAND
Grabinik, not far from the capital, Warsaw, is the main seat of the Benchen Karma Kamsang Association in Poland. This is one of the most active centers of both H.E. Nyenpa Rinpoche and Ven. Tenga Rinpoche in Poland, and through this center many other centers throughout Poland have been established. Ven. Tenga Rinpoche had been requested to give the Kalachakra empowerment on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the association, and three weeks before Rinpoche’s arrival, the center brought two of our mandala experts to Poland to construct sand mandala exhibitions in a few cities. These exhibitions offered a very special opportunity for people to learn about Tibetan Vajrayana. Talks were given by the resident lama of the center in Grabinik and president of the Karma Kamsang Association, Lama Rinchen. National and local media centers played an important role in spreading the news about the mandala, the Kalachakra, and Buddhism in general.
Rinpoche and his entourage arrived in Warsaw and were received by the committee members and many of the disciples. During the next two days there were intensive preparations of the shrine by the lamas and monks and then the sand mandala construction for the Kalachakra was begun. Meanwhile, the organizers arranged comfortable facilities for the participants. The tent where the empowerment took place was spacious, and the organizers had the foresight to put up a big screen so that those who sat in the back could observe Rinpoche as he performed the empowerment and puja. Rinpoche offered mandalas to the thrones of H.H. Dalai Lama,
H.H. Karmapa and H.E. Sangye Nyempa Rinpoche before sitting on his own throne. Just before the empowerment, Rinpoche offered auspicious gifts to the center of a Kalachakra tangka and golden Kalachakra statue.
Making the tormas
Ground blessing puja for the mandala
Preparations for mandala construction
Drawing the mandala
Monks working on the sand mandala
Monks with the mandala
Placing the mandala
Inspecting the set-up for the shrine
Kalachakra mandala shrine
Making a formal request for the empowerment
Rinpoche presenting a Kalachakra thangka to the center
Kalachakra statue
Rinpoche and monks before the empowerment
Rinpoche wearing bone ornaments
Rinpoche performing the empowerment
Prayer flags flying in front of the shrine hall
Participants inside the shrine hall
Distributing the blessing chords and kusha grass
Throwing toothpicks into the mandala
An aerial view
Children working on their mandalas
Inside the shrine hall
Participants with blindfolds
Participants receiving the empowerment
Rinpoche looking at the children's mandalas
Making the feast offering
Closing down the mandala
Dissolution of the mandala
The Procession to the river
The Kalachakra had a great impact on all generations. The young people were especially inspired by the process of making sand mandalas. With help from their parents they gathered all the necessary materials and then they created their own mandalas.
The day after the empowerment, an official ceremony was conducted for the 10th anniversary. Local authorities, including the mayor of that area, attended. The mayor gave a speech, thanking the center for the invitation and welcoming all the participants. He said that the communication between the local authorities and the center has been wonderful and cooperative and he hoped that this would continue in this particular manner. In the presence of Rinpoche and the local officers as well as the Kalachakra participants, the dance of the special protector of Benchen Monastery, Singha Mukha, was performed, and it was greatly appreciated by all the guests. At the end, the resident lama as well as Tenga Rinpoche thanked the local authorities for their participation.
Procession with banners
Carrying the dissolved mandala
Arranging the naga shrine
Naga puja at the riverside
Pouring the dissolved mandala into the river
Making the thanksgiving offering
The Singha Mukha dance
eThe mandala exhibition
Lamas in front of the center
Flying balloons at the end of the anniversary celebration
The sand mandala was then dissolved and brought in a long, elaborate procession to the nearby river where it was thrown in. Rinpoche and all the lamas and participants then made prayers for world peace and the merit was dedicated for the benefit of all sentient beings.
During Rinpoche’s stay in Grabinic, there had been a number of discussions about the establishment of a traditional 3-year retreat center for both men and women. Rinpoche was very decisive about this issue and told Lama Rinchen and the committee members that they should go ahead and plan for it. Rinpoche had ordered meditation cushions and presented them to the center as an auspicious gift and said that this retreat center would be for all the disciples from any part of the world, and Rinpoche also promised to send other lamas to assist Lama Rinchen in that respect. Rinpoche’s decision inspired many of the disciples and one of them found a very special way of raising funds for it. This also encouraged many others to offer financial assistance. Rinpoche and all the disciples are hoping very much to realize that project in the very near future.
Benchen Drubde Osal Ling Poland