Today (June 9) was the first day of paying respects to the physical remains of the Very Venerable Kyabje Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. At 5 am, Venerable Lodro Nyima Rinpoche, Venerable Zuri Rinpoche, Choje Lama Wangchuk, Khenpo Tashi, Drupon Khenpo Labu, Drupon Lama Sherab Tendar, and two attendants of Rinpoche performed the cleansing ritual of Rinpoche’s remains. At 8 am, Venerable Gyalton Rinpoche and General Secretary of Palpung Sherab Ling Tsewang Drapa, who had come to Namo Buddha immediately upon arriving from India, conducted pujas and made offerings to Rinpoche’s remains on behalf of Vajradhara H.E. Chamgon Kenting Tai Situ Rinpoche along with the senior monks of Thrangu monastery. They also played H.E. Tai Situ Rinpoche’s message for Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche to the monastic audience.
At 9:30 am, more than four hundred monastics of Thrangu monastery solemnly lined up with khatas to offer their respects. Starting from 10 am, representatives from various organizations also arrived to pay their respects and offer condolences. This included representatives from various Kagyu monasteries in Nepal, Nepal Kagyu Sangh, Karmapa Samaj Sewa; Venerable Gyalpo Rinpoche; Venerable Tulku Palden Jigme; Choje Lama Phuntsok; four representatives from the Nepal Buddhist Federation, including the president, vice president and secretary; former local government representative Karma Gyalpo. Many monasteries from all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism also sent condolence letters. From 3:30 pm, students from the local women’s Buddhist study group, Asian students, and locals arrived at Namo Buddha to pay their respects.
After sharing the details regarding the first day of the public viewing, Khenpo Chonyi, the Chairman of Namo Buddha Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery, explained that after the morning viewing session concluded, abbots and representatives from Thrangu Monastery’s centers around the world will be reciting “Calling the Guru from Afar” before Rinpoche’s physical remains continuously until the end of the 49 days. Viewing of Rinpoche’s physical remains is open to the public beginning from today, daily from 9-11 am and 1:30-3:30 pm.
