38th Nyingma Monlam Chenmo International

The 38^th Nyingma Monlam Chenmo (Great Prayer Festival for World Peace), organized by the Nyingma Monlam Chenmo International Foundation, will take place in Bodhgaya, India, from  January 8^th  to  17^th  January , 2027.

• Location: Bodhgaya (around the Mahabodhi Temple)
• Venue: All sides (South, West, North & above lawn at South) of the Mahabodhi Temple complex
• Dates:  8^th January to 17^th  January 2027

Key Aspects of Nyingma Monlam Chenmo:

1. Purpose & Significance
   • A grand prayer assembly where thousands of monks, nuns, and lay practitioners gather to recite prayers and mantras for world peace, harmony, and the well-being of all beings.
   • It embodies the Mahayana Buddhist ideal of bodhicitta (the awakening mind of compassion) and dedicates merit for the end of suffering.
2. Historical Background
   • The modern Nyingma Monlam Chenmo was revived in the 1980s under the guidance of Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Penor Rinpoche, and other Nyingma masters to preserve and promote the tradition.
   • It is inspired by the Great Prayer Festival (Monlam Chenmo) established by Je Tsongkhapa in the 15th century but is uniquely Nyingma in its practices.
3. Location & Timing
   • The main event is held annually in Bodhgaya, India (the site of the Buddha’s enlightenment), usually in December or January, coinciding with the Tibetan lunar calendar.
   • Large ceremonies also take place in Nepal (Pharping, Asura Cave) and other Nyingma centers worldwide.
4. Practices & Rituals
   • Recitation of Sutras & Mantras:
     • The King of Prayers (Samantabhadra’s Aspiration, Monlam Chenmo)
     • The Aspiration of Good Deeds (Bhadracharyapranidhana)
     • Mantras of Avalokiteshvara (Om Mani Padme Hum), Guru Rinpoche (Vajra Guru Mantra), and other deities.
   • Tsok Offerings (feast rituals) and Butter Lamp Ceremonies for dispelling darkness.
   • Long-Life Prayers for great masters and the preservation of the Dharma.
5. Global Participation & Impact
   • The event attracts Tibetan Buddhists from all traditions, as well as international practitioners.
   • Livestreams and local gatherings allow global participation, reinforcing the vision of universal peace.

Prayer for World Peace (Excerpt)

A common aspiration from the Nyingma Monlam:

“May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.
May they be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May they never be separated from the supreme joy that is beyond sorrow.
May they abide in great equanimity, free from attachment and aversion.”

The Nyingma Monlam Chenmo is a powerful collective effort to generate merit, compassion, and positive energy for the world. Would you like details on how to participate or specific prayers used in the ceremony?

༄༅། །སྙིང་རྗེ་ཆེན་པོས་འཛམ་གླིང་ཞི་བདེར་ཤོག།
“Through great compassion, may the world be at peace.”