Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], November 27 (ANI): In keeping with tradition, the Nyingma sect has identified a four-and-a-half-year-old boy from Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal Pradesh as the reincarnation of Tibetan Lama late Taklung Setrung Rinpoche. The little boy belongs to Rangrik village of the Tabo region of Spiti valley in Lahaul-Spiti of Himachal Pradesh.
Parents and relatives of the little boy are feeling happy to give birth to a boy who has been reincarnated as the high Buddhist lama of Tibetan Buddhism. The boy would be formally inducted into religious life on November 28.
The boy will start his religious education in Dorjidak Monastery at Panthaghati in Shimla. Tibetan Buddhist monks and others in Dorjidak and other Buddhist disciples of the Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh welcomed the Boy monk in Shimla. “We were not aware and were not prepared for anything like this. Nearly a year ago people from Dorjidak monastery came to us. They went to the Dalai Lama and later to the Sakya Trichen Rinpoche, and later they selected him as reincarnation after their discussion and rituals for reincarnation,” said the mother of the boy monk Keslang Dolma.
As a mother, to think about the separation of my son was painful but at the same time, it was a happy moment for me as a high monk had taken birth in our home. I have two children. He is the youngest and the eldest one is a daughter. I am happy that he will teach people and will work for the welfare of all. I am feeling privileged and fortunate that I have given birth to this boy,” said the mother of the boy monk.
“This is a very pleasant and happy moment for me because I am the father of the reincarnated Lama. I never imagined anything like this. Now in near future he will be a head lama and will give preaching to others. We will also become his disciples. He was in the school earlier but after he was reincarnated and recognized by the Sakya Trichen Rinpoche we had to stop his schooling,” said father of the reincarnated Lama Sonam Chhopel.
“Before he was recognized and identified as reincarnated he used to say that he wanted to go to Shimla to meet and see his beautiful dog there. We were not aware of what he was talking about. During the last three months, he has completely changed and he does not like to sit and live with us. While traveling to Shimla he was happy sitting with the monk in his separate car,” said the father of the reincarnated Lama Sonam Chhopel.
“I am happy that he will teach thousands of Buddhists in the days to come in the region. My son later also identified the things, especially the bed, the pillow, and the cup which was used by the High Monk in his previous life,” the father added. “We are feeling happy and fortunate that the boy has been recognized as the reincarnation of the High Buddhist Monk. Rangrik and Tabo region are popularly known as the Buddhist region of the district of Lahaul-Spiti. Now after this it will be good that the Buddhist culture, religion, and teachings will be carried forward,” said a Buddhist disciple from Spiti valley.
“The reincarnation process is a long process of more than a year. After the death of High Buddhist monks, the high Lamas find out where the reincarnation will be done. The monks go on retreat and perform rituals and take a list of the children born during that particular period and later they give specific locations and some identifications,” said another Buddhist disciple from Spiti valley. “We also heard from his grandmother as he used to ask her that he wants to go to Shimla to meet his two dogs.
This is how we were able to bring him here and we are happy that he has been chosen from the Himalayan region of Spiti,” he added. Taklung Tsetul Rinpoche died on December 24, 2015. Since then, the Tibetans and other Buddhists in the Himalayan region were waiting for the reincarnation of the high lama. Nyingma School is one of the important sects out of the four main schools Sakya, Kagyu, and Gelug of Tibetan Buddhism. Taklung Tsetul Rinpoche was recognized as the head of the Nyingma School by the Dalai Lama in 2013 two years before his death.
The high Buddhist monk Namkhai Nyingpo Rinpoche from the Lhodrak Kharchu monastery of Bhutan has also arrived in Shimla to offer special prayers to welcome the boy monk here in Shimla on Monday. The entire Buddhists in the Himalayan region are looking forward to the blessings and continue with the teachings to resume by the Taklung Tsetul Rinpoche.
The boy monk, Nawang Tashi Rapten was born on April 16, 2018 in Rangrik village of the Spiti region of the Lahaul-Spiti district of the state. He started his nursery education earlier this year in Serkong Public School in Tabo in Lahaul-Spiti. He had to stop his schooling as he was reincarnated as the high Buddhist monk. After stopping his school education he will start his monastic education in Dorjidak Monastery at Panthaghati in Shimla. (ANI)
