Guru Rinpoche Day

Spot Guru Rinpoche! Taken in Shigatse, Tibet

Today is the 10th day of the 2nd month of  the Tibetan calendar. On the 10th day of every month, Guru Rinpoche Day is observed, where devotees would pray and chant the prayers/mantra of Guru Rinpoche. Guru Rinpoche is an important figure in Tibet as he is the founder of Tibetan Buddhism! And well there's an interesting event that happened to me, that made me observe this day ever since. 

I learned that the 10th of the Tibetan month is observed as Guru Rinpoche day after reading Sogyal Rinpoche's book "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying back in 2014. I didn't really observe this day. But... It simply happened, that the 3rd Guru Rinpoche day of the Fire Monkey year in 2016 fell on the day that I was leaving for Tibet! And since then, I took it as an auspicious sign to observe this day. 

I can still remember sitting inside the departure gate in Jakarta airport, aimlessly scrolling through my phone while waiting to board my flight to Bangkok. I followed Sogyal Rinpoche's page on Facebook and it was then I found out that it was Guru Rinpoche Day! The 16th of April 2016. So I was making my way to the birthplace of Tibetan Buddhism, which was founded by Guru Rinpoche himself, on the day that the Tibetans observe as his day! It couldn't get more auspicious as this could it? :D

So yeah from then on, I decided to practise and observe Guru Rinpoche day. Although there were times where I forgot, because the Tibetan calendar is different from the Chinese Lunar Calendar that I am familiar with. But I did mark the days on my calendar haha. And it was my resolution last year to practise this every month. Thankfully I've been keeping on track ever since.

It is said that the mantra of Guru Rinpoche helps to clear the obstacle in our lives. And I always chant the mantra for all sentient beings on earth, hoping that their obstacles will be cleared too. Personally I like the sound of the mantra, it's easy and wonderful to chant to haha. I also read his 7 line prayers. Although I've been reading it everyday now during the daily mantra chanting that I do.

Okay that's all for this really random post! Just want to share with you this interesting occurrence of mine haha. Feel free to practise Guru Rinpoche Day too, just check out the dates and learn the mantra and prayers. May all sentient beings be happy and at peace, may we all jump through the hurdles that are ahead of us. Especially now, when the world has plunged into quite a chaotic sea! 

Take care and stay safe everyone.

Om Ah Hung Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hung.