Commemorating Master Tsong-kha-pa on His Six Hundred Years Anniversary
This year marks the 600th year since Master Tsong-kha-pa’s passing into paranirvana. BW Monastery’s Geylang Branch held a commemoration event to recall Master Tsong-kha-pa’s vast kindness, and immense merits and qualities on Thursday, 21st November 2019, from 7.15pm-9.00pm at Citiraya Building.
Master Tsong-kha-pa bestowed on us great kindness by consolidating Buddha’s complete teachings into Lam Rim Chen Mo (Lamrim), a commentary that clearly laid out the stages and graduated path for all practitioners to progress towards Buddhahood, which has been helping all Buddhists to understand and practice the Buddha’s teaching better.
Nearly 400 students attended the celebration under the guidance of Venerable Benwen and Venerable Daoci, four lecturers - Mr Tan Tong Eng, Mdm Xu Lirong, Mr Wen Chuanbai and Mdm Liu Yuqin, and with a bilingual emcee and also lecturer, Mr Lim Tiong Boon.
The event started with light offering and Master Jih-Chang's discourse to set our motivation right on light offering to dispel darkness of ignorance, ignite the “lamp” in our heart, uphold and propagate Buddha’s teaching to stay for a long time, illuminate the universe and helping all of others.
The event was also filled with the singing of the Insightful Praise - Je Rinpoche, which was composed by our Teacher. The singing warmed our heart and elevated our mind to resonate with pure gratefulness and heartfelt praises for Master Tsong-kha-pa. As his wisdom, merits, and ethical discipline ignite our fervent aspiration to follow him life after life to spread the Buddha’s teaching, under his guidance be it in the heaven or human realm.
The four lecturers, who have been learning Lamrim for more than 20 years, formed a special forum led by senior lecturer Tan Tong Eng, shared with us their perspectives on the special merits and kindness of Master Tsong-kha-pa respectively. They touched on the Master's superiority in speech and attainment of the Five Topics of Knowledge, his unwavered determination to revitalise the Vinaya (the moral code of discipline) of the Sangha community, which is the basis for Buddha’s teaching to exist. His ability to give numerous discourses pertaining to 15 to 21 commentaries in a single event was also astounding. The lecturers’ faith permeated the entire hall which moved the entire audience.
In the next segment of the event, the video, "Autobiography of The Lineage Masters", illustrated how Master Tsong-kha-pa‘s ability to practice pure ethical discipline since young. He received the five precepts at the tender age of three and at seven years old, he observed Sramanera (novice) precepts. When he was twenty-four years old, he received the ordination of a full monk (Bhikshu). Upon hearing the great merits of Master Tsong-kha-pa, everyone was moved by his pure conduct and achievements, and aspired to be like him to cultivate perfect compassion, wisdom and strength on this bodhi path via his teachings.
In the last segment, the solemn offering of light and making of aspiration collectively on this auspicious day were extremely special and seemingly powerful. Led by both Venerables and the lecturers, everyone made their strong pledge and resolution - “To follow Master Tsong-kha-pa to learn and propagate his perfect teaching life after life, never to retreat or be disheartened, until attaining Buddhahood!"
The event concluded with an overall grand dedication and everyone proceeded to drink the butter tea prepared by our volunteers. It was like a toast with our honourable Master Tsong-kha-pa as the time and space then seemed intertwined. Everyone was blessed by our lineage Teachers and the Three Jewels on this rare occasion, and they were inspired to study the teaching well, with their spirits souring higher and higher as everyone took their leave for home.