On July 24, the first Kalachakra ritual, lasting a period of four days, for Panchen Erdeni Choekyi Gyalbu, vice president of the China Buddhism Association, went smoothly at Dechen Kelsang Phodrang, Shigatse, Tibet Autonomous Region.

Photo taken on July 21st(first day of the ritual) shows the Panchen Lama reads scriptures.

The Kalachakra ritual came at the request of the monks from Tashilhunpo Monastery, the main monastery of the Panchen Lama, and was organized by Tashilhunpo Monastery and the Buddhist Association of Shigatse, with the Panchen Lama presiding over the meeting.

Photo taken on July 21 (first day of the ritual) shows believers scatter hada towards the platform where the Panchen Lama reads scriptures.

Following strict religious traditions, the ritual lasted from the 21st through the 24th. During this time, the Panchen Lama restored statues each morning, and from two o’clock in the afternoon began reading scriptures for the ritual for monks and believers. The Panchen Lama initiated the Kalachakra for more than 426,000 monks and believers during this time.

The Kalachakra ritual is the highest level of rituals in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and only high monks and lamas with profound attainments in Buddhist philosophy can hold the ritual. Data shows that the Panchen Lama has received more than 1,000 tantric rituals including the Kalachakra ritual to date, and his tantric Buddhist philosophy knowledge becomes increasingly sophisticated.

The Tashilhunpo Monastery has been preparing for one month to welcome this ritual. The ritual area was held on the spacious grassy lawn to the south of the Panchen Lama’s new Dechen Kelsang Phodrang palace, which covers an area of 112,000 square meters.

From the 21st to the 24th, the ritual area welcomed per day more than 100,000 Buddhist devotees and more than 100 high monks and lamas and 5,000 monks and nuns from major monasteries in Tibet, Sichuan, Gansu, Qinghai, and Yunnan, who received the Panchen Lama’s Kalachakra ritual over the course of these four days.

Photo taken on July 21 (first day of the ritual), the Panchen Lama waves to the followers who have joined the ritual.

During the four-day ritual, the Panchen Lama read scriptures, chanted mantras, performed rituals, and held each ritual with confidence and calm, so that the monks, nuns, and laypeople could fully appreciate his increasingly sophisticated Buddhist knowledge, as well as receiving the affirmation and veneration from Tibetan high monks and lamas.

Tudeng Traba, a 26-year-old living Buddha from Gyaltsoling Monastery in Belbar County, Chamdo, feels very fortunate to have received the Kalachakra ritual from the Panchen Lama. “Master’s Buddhist principles are strong, his knowledge is deep, and he is peaceful and virtuous. He is the model of study for our young generation of lamas.” Monk Dawa Tsering, president of the Tibet Lhoka Buddhist Association who received the Kalachakra ritual for the first time in 30 years of being a monk, said that the Kalachakra was very special. When the young Panchen Lama was presiding over the ritual, chanting sutras and mantras, using dharma instruments, explaining scriptures, he was confident, proficient, precise, and was very commendable.

Photo taken on July 21 (first day of the ritual) shows the ritual area.

In 1995, after drawing lots from the golden urn and approval by the State Council, the 5-year-old 11th Panchen Lama Erdeni Choekyi Gyalbu was enthroned at Tashilhunpo Monastery. In 2015, the Tashilhunpo Monastery held a grand ceremony to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Panchen Lama’s enthronement.