Shajin Lama of Kalmykia Telo Tulku Rinpoche visited the Yashkul district

In the village of Tavn-Gashun, the Head of the Buddhists of Kalmykia conducted a series of rituals at three restored stupas. The rituals were planned for the 7th; however, in connection with the Teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for Russians, the date of their conduct was postponed.

In his address to the residents of the village of Tavn-Gashun, Telo Tulku Rinpoche thanked them for the invitation, and the Shajin Lama also spoke a kind word in memory of Sanji Gelong, a native of the village of Tavn-Gashun — one of the senior and respected monks of Kalmykia, who for many years served as the abbot of the “Geden Sheddub Choi Korling” monastery. “Today I was supposed to leave for Moscow, but I thought about the fact that you have done a very great deal of work, restoring the stupas. You have made a great effort, you invited me from a pure heart, and so I could not ignore your request, and I canceled my trip to Moscow,” the Rinpoche stated.

Before the start of the prayer service, Telo Tulku Rinpoche explained to everyone gathered which rituals the monks would perform, along with their significance and meaning. The Rinpoche also called on those gathered to pray for the benefit of all sentient beings during the rituals. The first ritual, which the monks of the Central Khurul performed, was Chusol, a ritual of purification and ablution, during which all the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, dakas and dakinis are invoked to purify the locality, the restored stupas and all those present; the second ritual was Rabne — a ritual of consecration. The third ritual was Ḥazr täklḥn (Tib. Sangsol), during which various substances, including incense, are offered. “We worry that we will lose our culture and traditions. We have a duty to explain and pass on this knowledge to our children, and so I, as Shajin Lama, try to explain all these nuances as fully as I can. So that in the future, when you come to this place with your children or grandchildren, you can pass it on and explain all of this to them.”

Upon completion of the prayer service, the Shajin Lama of Kalmykia set off for the village of Yashkul, where, at the request of the head of the district, he gave recommendations on the installation of a statue of Kshitigarbha in the new park of the district center and its design in the Buddhist style.