Hundreds of Thousands of Tibetan, Chinese and Mongolian devotees are gathering to receive the Kalachakra teaching of the seventh Gungthang, Lobsang Jamyang Gelek Tenpai Khenchen.
According to Tibet Times reliable source, His Eminence the Gungthang Rinpoche four days Kalachakra commence from September 14 to 17 at Dhongja ground of old Gar, lower Dzoege located at the north side of Labrang Tashi Kyil in Amdo, Tibet. Today on Kalachakra initiation day, around one million devotees have gathered from three Tibet traditional provinces, Southern Mongolia and China.
An anonymous Tibetan told Tibet Times that, “Some obstacles have occurred for conducting this Kalachakra. Local authorities have publicly announced that people from areas other than Dzoege are not welcomed, but devotees from three provinces of Tibet and disciples from China and Southern Mongolia still continue to arrive. Around 900,000 people have already gathered on the Kalachakra ground. Owing to huge traffic jam, many devotees are coming by walk to the Kalachakra ground from places like Kaja, Tsue, and Dhukar. This religious event would be one of a kind that has never been happened before.”
Another source told Tibet Times, “The space allotments were divided among the devotees from different parts. Owing to fully packed main teaching area, many big TV screens and sound boxes have installed in different open spaces and even sidewalks and garbage dumps were setup for public convenience.
On September 10, the village authorities of Lower Dzoege, Tsue city announced that this Kalachakra is intended for the people of old and new Gar of Dzoege only. No arrangements have been made for devotees from other places and instructed not to come and if already arrived one should go back, in order to ensure a harmonious, stable, safe, and orderly religious event without road traffic and management disorder.
The successive Gungthang lineage had left significant legacies in religious and political services for Tibet and the sixth Gungthang Trichen Jigme Tenpai Wangchuk even conducted 10th Kalachakra in Labrang Sangkok ground in June 1994. During that time, nearly 500,000 devotees gathered and accomplished a remarkable religious deed. The seventh Gungthang Rinpoche received the Kalachakra precept of lineage from his tutor, Jigme Palden Gyatso. He was recognized as the reincarnation of the 6th Gungthang Rinpoche in 2004 by Kunchen Jamyang Shedpa and was enthroned in 2006. Rinpoche have taken Pharchen Damcha in Labrang Tashi kyil monastery in 2021. It is decided that Rinpoche will be the abbot of Labrang Tashi Kyil from November 2023 onwards.
The seventh Gungthang Rinpoche Lobsang Jamyang Gelek Tenpai Khenchen was born in Takdzong village, eastern part of Tashi ChoePhel Ling, old Gar, Tsue Dzoege on May (Tibetan lunar month) 17, 2002. His father name is Sonam Tsering and mother Wandi Tso. He has one sibling sister and at present Rinpoche is 22 years old.
