Tomorrow morning, at 5 am local time, Tenzin's body will be given to the flames.
Immediately after her passing His Holiness performed the Powa ritual to help her spirit leave her body in the best possible way.
In the following 3 days the nuns have continuously chanted the bardo prayers. On the 3rd day followed a puja and prayers for the liberation of the 6 realms.
Tomorrow, on the 5th day will be the cremation and then, starting on the 7th day, there will be 7 pujas always in 7 day intervalls, also carried out by the nuns.
Under Tenzin's body, buried in earth under the wood will be the cremation mandala, depicting the many yungdrungs in the 5 elemental colors carrying the syllables for the 5 wisdoms and corresponding deities.
She will be given many mantras, written in gold and silver, many torma and other ritual objects.
Pictures from the preparations.
However Tenzin had arranged with Ponlop Rinpoche, that the extent of her funeral rites should remain moderate and the money saved will go towards the publishing of needed books for the students of the monastery.
Another extraordinary fact is that this is perhaps the first time that nuns have been instructed and supported to perform funeral rites. In the old times nuns were not taught to read even though they may have been ordained and in modern times, neither in India nor in Nepal have nuns been thus instructed, perhaps only in Kinnor.
Immediately after her passing His Holiness performed the Powa ritual to help her spirit leave her body in the best possible way.
In the following 3 days the nuns have continuously chanted the bardo prayers. On the 3rd day followed a puja and prayers for the liberation of the 6 realms.
Pictures from Tenzin's room
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Tomorrow, on the 5th day will be the cremation and then, starting on the 7th day, there will be 7 pujas always in 7 day intervalls, also carried out by the nuns.
Under Tenzin's body, buried in earth under the wood will be the cremation mandala, depicting the many yungdrungs in the 5 elemental colors carrying the syllables for the 5 wisdoms and corresponding deities.
She will be given many mantras, written in gold and silver, many torma and other ritual objects.
Pictures from the preparations.
However Tenzin had arranged with Ponlop Rinpoche, that the extent of her funeral rites should remain moderate and the money saved will go towards the publishing of needed books for the students of the monastery.
Another extraordinary fact is that this is perhaps the first time that nuns have been instructed and supported to perform funeral rites. In the old times nuns were not taught to read even though they may have been ordained and in modern times, neither in India nor in Nepal have nuns been thus instructed, perhaps only in Kinnor.
