More than 1 thousand devotees participate on first day of Sakya Monlam

Gaya: More than 1000 devotees, mainly from Tibet and the north-eastern states of India, participated in the 10-day Sakya Monlam — the great prayer gathering of the Buddhist Sangha, which started at Bodh Gaya from Thursday. The devotees offered special prayers for universal peace and harmony under the Bodhi tree on the Mahabodhi Mahavihara campus.Spiritual leader of Sakya school Tibetan Buddhism, 41st Kyabgon Gongma Trichen Rinpoche led the prayers on first day of the puja that would conclude on January 3. On behalf of Bodh Gaya temple management committee, chief monk Bhikkhu Chalinda; Sakya Monlam Foundation vice-president Athin Ji; administrative coordinator Tenzin Pema; monks Bhante Deenanand and Bhante Manojand and others welcomed the spiritual leader and presented him ‘Khada’ (piece of pious cloth in Buddhism).According to the press note issued from the office of BTMC, Sakya Monlam holds profound spiritual significance. The term “Monlam” means aspiration or prayer, and the ceremony is dedicated to generating vast aspirations for peace, compassion, and the spiritual welfare of all sentient beings. Through the collective recitation of sacred texts and prayers by monks, nuns, and lay practitioners, it is believed that the power of these aspirations is greatly magnified.