An Ancient Tradition Revived: The Gagye Ritual Held for the First Time in 100 Years

This is historic video footage. We captured monks emerging from a month-and-a-half retreat and taking part in the Gagye ceremony. As we have explained on several occasions, this practice — an important continuation of Yarne, which concludes the summer monastic retreat and symbolizes the lifting of the restrictions observed during the retreat.

What is taking place in this footage — part of an ancient tradition in which the intricacies of the practice are passed down from teacher to disciple. We can only say that everything is conducted according to the canons and the strict rules dating back to the time of the Great Buddha.

This event, significant for the entire Kalmyk people, was attended by a group of monks from the Central Khurul, led by Shajin Lama Geshe Tenzin Choidak, as well as teachers invited from Drepung Gomang Monastery in India. According to Geshe Lharampa Lobsang Jamyang, everything was conducted in accordance with tradition, and the fact that the supreme Lama of Kalmykia is reviving practices forgotten for a hundred years — a tremendous step toward preserving the spiritual heritage: “I personally thank Geshe Tenzin Choidak for his work, for preserving a pure Monastic Community that strictly observes moral discipline, and for enabling ancient ceremonies to resound once again on Kalmyk soil.”

In conclusion, we would like to emphasize once again that, according to tradition, the Buddha’s Teaching is considered to endure precisely wherever the Vinaya (the complete code of monastic discipline) is preserved and all three of these practices are conducted: Yarne, Gagye, and Sojong.