The month-long Kathrid Empowerment and Kyilchog Dorji Threngwa at Kuenselphodrang in Thimphu concluded yesterday. His Holiness the Je Khenpo presided over a Tshokhor ceremony today to mark the successful completion of the religious programme.
For the past month, more than 30,000 devotees gathered each day to receive the sacred teachings from His Holiness the Je Khenpo, transforming the site into a centre of faith and devotion.
Throughout the teachings, His Holiness emphasised the importance of practising Dharma, understanding karma, and reflecting on the impermanent nature of life.
For the devotees, the month-long empowerment was a spiritually fulfilling experience, with many expressing gratitude for the opportunity to receive teachings and commit to religious practices.
“The same empowerment will also be bestowed in Punakha. However, life is impermanent, so I feel both happy and emotional to have had the opportunity to participate here. Although the empowerment concludes today, I hope to receive the same empowerment again in Punakha,” said Nidup Pema, a devotee from Wangdue Phodrang.
“Today marks one month since I received the empowerment. I feel truly blessed to have received the teachings and blessings from His Holiness the Je Khenpo. His Holiness instructed us to recite 100,000 mantras and perform 100,000 prostrations. I am committed to fulfilling these practices,” said Pema Wangchuk, a devotee from Monggar.
“We devotees who have been receiving the empowerment here are deeply grateful and happy. With great devotion, we pray for the long life of His Holiness the Je Khenpo. For many of us from rural parts of the country, this has also been a valuable opportunity to receive the teachings and empowerment, and to form Dorji Puen,” said Dorji Gyeltshen, a devotee from Thimphu.
The sacred programme will continue in other parts of the country, with teachings scheduled in Paro and both the Kathrid Empowerment and Kyilchog Dorji Threngwa to be conferred in Punakha.
“We have been informed that in Paro, only the teachings will be given, without the Kyilchog Dorji Threngwa empowerment. We are also not yet certain which empowerment will be bestowed there. However, in Punakha, both the Kathrid Empowerment and the Kyilchog Dorji Threngwa will be conferred in the same way as they were here at Kuenselphodrang,” said Thoepa Jamtsho, the vice president of Tango Buddhist University.
In an earlier interview with BBS, the Vice President said successive Je Khenpo have been conferring the empowerment for centuries and encouraged Bhutanese to continue receiving these teachings to preserve the sacred tradition.
Namgay Wangdi
Edited by Phub Gyem
