How to make Offerings At the Great Prayer FestivalMarch 3 - 7 2023 |
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Established by the great Lama Tsong Khapa in Tibet, the Great Prayer Festival (Monlam Chenmo) brought together in prayer tens of thousands of monks and nuns of different lineages from all over Tibet. It also gave lay Tibetans an opportunity to make offerings to the holy beings and the sangha.
The first 14 days of the Tibetan new year celebrate the days Buddha performed miracles, with the 15th being the Day of Miracles. Monlam Chenmo ends the following day with a procession in which a statue of Maitreya Buddha is escorted by the sangha and the lay community together around the stupa, while special prayers are made to Maitreya Buddha, requesting him to come quickly to lead all sentient beings to the state of enlightenment.
More than 1800 monastics gather for teachings and prayers every year. During Monlam Chenmo, food, tea and cash is offered to the sangha every day. The Most Venerable Jangtse Choeje Gosok Rinpoche, the Ex-abbot of Gyume Tantric College, teaches every day during that time.
Over the past 15 years, Kopan Monastery has been hosting the annual Great Prayer Festival (Monlam Chenmo). Due to building activities at Kopan, this year the venue for the event will be Gosok Phuntsok Choeling Monastery in Svoyambu with Kopan Monastery as the coordinator for the Monlam Chenmo.
You can make the following offerings to the Sangha Assembly:
Food offering per monk/nun per day = US $ 1
Cash offering per monk/nun per day = US $ 1
Or Offer as much as you like
You can also offer
Tea 50 US$
Breakfast (Tea and Bread) 80 US$
Lunch (rice, dhal, vegetables, fruit) 623 US$
Dinner (soup, bread) 260 US$
We also invite you to sponsor the following prayers and pujas (U$ 150 each):
White Umbrella Deity
Tara Praises
Monlam Namgyal (8 Auspicious Prayers)
Heart Sutra
Palden Lhamo Torma offering
Extensive Bath Offering
Extensive Prayers and Sutra Recitation
During the five days of Monlam, thousands of lights will be offered.
Set of 200 lights = 10 US$
The dedication of sponsors will be read aloud during each sessions on all five days of the event.