Khandro-la transforms into the Sakyong Wangmo
Yesterday, Shambhala received a new Queen. As the Sakyong said later that evening at a celebration party for the investiture and empowerment, even though everyone had been calling his wife the Sakyong Wangmo, she wasn't until His Holiness Penor Rinpoche put the crown on her.
But, to begin at the beginning. We all gathered at around 9:30 am, in a ballroom on the eighth floor of the Delta Halifax Hotel off Scotia Square in Halifax, where luminaries like President Clinton stayed during the G7 conference in Halifax.
After the usual hubbub of wrangling and finding seats, household and monks stage right, family, acharyas and luminaries in front, administrators to the left, kasung behind, and all kinds of sangha members from around the world filling in the 250-seat space. I snagged a seat in the back of the luminary section so I could take pics. Kasung were on duty around the room and up to only a bit of mischief (as you can see by the Kasung Dapon's efforts to get the attention of Machen Hoagland).
After about a half hour, President Reoch, sporting his new President's pin (blue rays around the three jewels -- he said he now knows the minimum order for pins, 76 -- in case he loses one), came in to brief the crowd on what would be happening. He said that this ceremony was last done for the Queen of Bhutan and obviously very rare. Penor Rinpoche, who has stepped down as head of the Nyingma Lineage because of age, would be the preceptor. Reoch said that only his love for the Sakyong and Khandro Tseyang and the importance he put on this ceremony (to spread the nyingma and kagyu dharmas and benefit beings) motivated him to overcome the considerable obstacles it took for him to come to Halifax.
(The Sakyong said later at the party that His Holiness had not been well enough to sit on a throne for the past year. As you can see from the photos it was quite painful and difficult to get him from the wheelchair he arrived in up on to the high throne.)
President Reoch gave us the order of entry and said that Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly had proclaimed this day as Sakyong Wangmo Day. City Counselor Dawn Slone bravely read the rather long proclamation lauding the virtues of the Shambhala community at the end of the ceremony, stumbling only a few times on the names (she's the redhead in the photo reading into the mic).
First came His Holiness' monks who conducted a fairly long puja to set the mandala, chanting, drumming, cymboling, and using the ritual ghanta and dorje.
Then the procession came in to the sounds of Tibetan horns, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche arrived, followed by Khandro-la's sisters, brothers, and mother (who evidently had last minute diplomatic help from the Nova Scotia government), followed by the Mukpo family, and the Sakyong and endless retinues of servers and kasung.
After everyone was seated, Khandro Tseyang came in beautifully attired, as Reoch said, in one of her more ordinary chubas). She sat on a plain wooden chair off the platform for the first part of the ceremony. At a certain point, she moved to her throne and was conferred with a vest-like garment signifying Yeshe Tsogyal, a beautiful red mantle with the large royal pins of the Mukpo family to right and left on the mantle and then she was crowned with a lovely silver and gold crown reminescent of Vajradhara's crown (i.e., five "jewel" shapes representing the five buddha families no doubt.
During this process the Sakyong said later that he became more and more happy and more and more nervous.
She seemed quite demur and perhaps masking some nervousness, but quite blossoming when she smiled. It was hard not to be smitten by her grace and beauty -- not something I would say very often about anyone.
After that, she received various and sundry offerings, including what looked like at least five huge bags of rice, three huge cheese wheels (in red, yellow, and blue colours as I recall), a number of Tibetan rugs, and all kinds of rupas, small bags of love (from her sisters) filled with what only Her Majesty (as we can say now) will know. Then His Holiness received some offerings I believe for Body, Speech, and Mind. He left at that point as that was about the extent of his endurance for t he day.
I'm going to need to leave now to go to the Druk Wangmo Empowerment (supposed to start at 1 and it's 1:15.
But, basically I believe you will be able to see the whole thing for yourself soon on the web or at your centre (if you didn't see it live via webcast).
The entertainment in the evening was notable for a toast made by a toast-averse Sakyong to the Sakyong Wangmos (Lady Diana and now his wife) for their toughness and gentleness and the love they've both shown him. He said that Lady Diana was at first tough and then has become gentle through time, while Khandro-la was gentle in the beginning and is becoming more tough as time goes on.
There was a wonderful performance by Claudio, a world-renown cellist that was quite memorable and heart-felt.
But, to begin at the beginning. We all gathered at around 9:30 am, in a ballroom on the eighth floor of the Delta Halifax Hotel off Scotia Square in Halifax, where luminaries like President Clinton stayed during the G7 conference in Halifax.
After the usual hubbub of wrangling and finding seats, household and monks stage right, family, acharyas and luminaries in front, administrators to the left, kasung behind, and all kinds of sangha members from around the world filling in the 250-seat space. I snagged a seat in the back of the luminary section so I could take pics. Kasung were on duty around the room and up to only a bit of mischief (as you can see by the Kasung Dapon's efforts to get the attention of Machen Hoagland).
After about a half hour, President Reoch, sporting his new President's pin (blue rays around the three jewels -- he said he now knows the minimum order for pins, 76 -- in case he loses one), came in to brief the crowd on what would be happening. He said that this ceremony was last done for the Queen of Bhutan and obviously very rare. Penor Rinpoche, who has stepped down as head of the Nyingma Lineage because of age, would be the preceptor. Reoch said that only his love for the Sakyong and Khandro Tseyang and the importance he put on this ceremony (to spread the nyingma and kagyu dharmas and benefit beings) motivated him to overcome the considerable obstacles it took for him to come to Halifax.
(The Sakyong said later at the party that His Holiness had not been well enough to sit on a throne for the past year. As you can see from the photos it was quite painful and difficult to get him from the wheelchair he arrived in up on to the high throne.)
President Reoch gave us the order of entry and said that Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly had proclaimed this day as Sakyong Wangmo Day. City Counselor Dawn Slone bravely read the rather long proclamation lauding the virtues of the Shambhala community at the end of the ceremony, stumbling only a few times on the names (she's the redhead in the photo reading into the mic).
First came His Holiness' monks who conducted a fairly long puja to set the mandala, chanting, drumming, cymboling, and using the ritual ghanta and dorje.
Then the procession came in to the sounds of Tibetan horns, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche arrived, followed by Khandro-la's sisters, brothers, and mother (who evidently had last minute diplomatic help from the Nova Scotia government), followed by the Mukpo family, and the Sakyong and endless retinues of servers and kasung.
After everyone was seated, Khandro Tseyang came in beautifully attired, as Reoch said, in one of her more ordinary chubas). She sat on a plain wooden chair off the platform for the first part of the ceremony. At a certain point, she moved to her throne and was conferred with a vest-like garment signifying Yeshe Tsogyal, a beautiful red mantle with the large royal pins of the Mukpo family to right and left on the mantle and then she was crowned with a lovely silver and gold crown reminescent of Vajradhara's crown (i.e., five "jewel" shapes representing the five buddha families no doubt.
During this process the Sakyong said later that he became more and more happy and more and more nervous.
She seemed quite demur and perhaps masking some nervousness, but quite blossoming when she smiled. It was hard not to be smitten by her grace and beauty -- not something I would say very often about anyone.
After that, she received various and sundry offerings, including what looked like at least five huge bags of rice, three huge cheese wheels (in red, yellow, and blue colours as I recall), a number of Tibetan rugs, and all kinds of rupas, small bags of love (from her sisters) filled with what only Her Majesty (as we can say now) will know. Then His Holiness received some offerings I believe for Body, Speech, and Mind. He left at that point as that was about the extent of his endurance for t he day.
I'm going to need to leave now to go to the Druk Wangmo Empowerment (supposed to start at 1 and it's 1:15.
But, basically I believe you will be able to see the whole thing for yourself soon on the web or at your centre (if you didn't see it live via webcast).
The entertainment in the evening was notable for a toast made by a toast-averse Sakyong to the Sakyong Wangmos (Lady Diana and now his wife) for their toughness and gentleness and the love they've both shown him. He said that Lady Diana was at first tough and then has become gentle through time, while Khandro-la was gentle in the beginning and is becoming more tough as time goes on.
There was a wonderful performance by Claudio, a world-renown cellist that was quite memorable and heart-felt.
posted by Fearless Wildflower at 12:37 PM
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