Category: Trinley Thaye Dorje
HIS HOLINESS, THE 17TH GYALWA KARMAPA, THAYE DORJE VISIT TO SINGAPORE FROM 29TH OCTOBER 1999 TO 6TH NOVEMBER 1999
His Holiness, the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, Ranjung Rigpe Dorje last visited Singapore in 1980 and left a pair of shoes at the Centre. It signifies his return to our Centre. Nineteen years later, circumstances became favorable and on 29th October 1999, His Holiness, the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, Thaye Dorje, 16 years old, visited Singapore. It was his first visit here and his first tour to an overseas country. Our abbot venerable Shangpa Rinpoche guided us in the preparation of His Holiness visit. During the welcoming ceremony, Shangpa Rinpoche and lamas made Long Life prayers and Mandala offering to His Holiness. When the ceremony ended, the rains started to pour. When it stopped raining, many of us were surprised to see a large double arch rainbow appeared in the cloudy sky above the Centre.
On 30th October 1999, at an open field next to Aljunied MRT station, three well-decorated white coloured tents with planked flooring were ready for the Avalokiteshvara initiation. The main tent had 2000 chairs for participants. Placed at the lamp- offering tent were many fruits, flowers and 3 thousand lamps with a large thanka of Avalokiteshvara for devotees to make prayers. The event started at 3.30pm with more than 400 devotees taking refuge. After the refuge-taking ceremony, His Holiness conducted the Avalokiteshvara initiation and blessed more than 2,000 participants.
A vegetarian dinner with cultural shows was hosted for His Holiness at Mandarin Hotel in Orchard road on 31st October 1999, Sunday. 800 guests, devotees and members of the Sangha attended. His Holiness gave a speech and also presented the Centre a thanka of Vajrapani, which was received by our Abbot Venerable Shangpa Rinpoche. The Chairman of the Centre, Mr Edwin Tan presented His Holiness a large round diamond shape crystal imprinted by laser with a Merlion. Shangpa Rinpoche also presented appreciation plaques to sponsors of the Avalokiteshvara initiation and representatives of the Buddhist organisations for contributing to the cultural shows for the night.
The second initiation, Karma Paskhi, was held on 4th November 1999 at the same venue next to the Aljunied MRT station. His Holiness blessed about 2 thousand participants.
His Holiness toured Phor Kark See Monastery, Shuang Lin Zhi Temple, Sentosa Island Resort and the Singapore Zoological Park. He also blessed many members and devotees who brought along their family members to the Centre to meet and take pictures with him.
His Holiness wishes we would be able to fulfill our vision of developing the monastic institute in the near future and donated $ 11,418 to our Centre's building fund.
We are very happy that His Holiness has inspired many devotees to follow the way of the Buddha to liberation. We hope this success would be even greater when His Holiness visit the rest of the world. His Holiness and entourage left for Taiwan on 6th November 1999.
