This year’s Guru Bumtsok Ceremony was given a new direction so as to connect Guru Rinpoche with more people, and to build deeper connections with him. Thus, it was rebranded as ‘A Date with Guru Rinpoche’.
Led by Singha Rinpoche, we forged an intimate and passionate connection with Guru Rinpoche. We made offerings, from flowers to fragrant essential oils, all part of the rituals akin to going on a date with someone!
As we listened to Singha Rinpoche’s teachings and recited prayers and mantras, the energy in the room was electrifying and deeply moving. We are immensely grateful for this opportunity to deepen our spiritual connection to Guru Rinpoche and gain the blessings of a Singha Rinpoche on our path to awakening.
Our Chinese New Year Celebrations kicked off in high spirits as we ushered in the year of the Wood Dragon! Everyone was filled with joy as we celebrated with performances by the lion dancers and Chinese opera troupe that presented an excerpt from the ‘Eight Immortals’ to send Rinpoche and devotees well wishes of prosperity and longevity.
There were also many prayers conducted, such as the Prayers Before the 24 Heavenly Kings on Lord Indra’s Birthday. Amidst the teachings by Singha Rinpoche to help us set our direction in terms of our Dharma practice for the new year, we also had a guest speaker, Feng Shui Master Sherwin Tng, to come share his insights on all the animal signs for the new year.
We are grateful to everyone for embracing Thekchen Choling as part of your festivities and family tradition. May we continue to spread positivity and imbue meaning to our Lunar New Year Celebrations!
Our Cundi Ceremony this year welcomed a new rupa from India! Led by Singha Rinpoche, we had a Maha-Cundi Invocation and Consecration Grand Ceremony for the new Cundi rupa. There was a huge turnout and great blessings for everyone who attended.
This year’s Grand Sanctification Ceremony of Cundi also lasted for 3 days and 2 nights, from 18-20 October 2024. Each time slot was 2.5 hours, and the recitations were continuous, lasting day and night over the 3 days. A Vietnamese recitation session was added on one of the days, which is a new highlight of the event as it has never been done before!
We rejoice in the Lhamo Cundi practice being held in not just English, but also in Mandarin and Vietnamese for certain sessions. This move allows for more friends from all over the world to join us in the accumulation of prayers for the purpose of our own awakening and dedication of prayers for the good of the world.
This year, to celebrate Guanyin Bodhisattva’s birthday and Enlightenment Day, Thekchen Choling held a new mini event on both days — Million Mani Night! Singha Rinpoche led the recitation of Om Mani Padme Hung and gave teachings to deepen our connection and understanding of the mantra.
There was a huge turnout for both days and we witnessed many heartfelt recitations of the mantra. On each of these two occasions, our recitation count went over 1 million collectively! We are blessed and thankful for this opportunity to create vast merits for ourselves and for others. We dedicate the merits of the recitation to sentient beings of the six realms, and to world peace and harmony.
Our devotees came together during the Qing Ming to dedicate prayers to our dearly departed loved ones and those who are karmically linked to us.
During the Qing Ming Festival, devotees had the opportunity to send love and prayers through dedication tablets placed in our temple bearing the names of the departed. Our resident Sanghas conducted extensive daily prayers and made bountiful food offerings, praying for their swift rebirth in Amitabha’s Pureland.
These meritorious activities allow us to preserve our cultural traditions and support the Sangha community, while benefiting our dearly departed loved ones with the essence of Dharma.
Our devotees came together during the Ullambana Festival to dedicate prayers to our dearly departed loved ones and those who are karmically linked to us.
We rejoice in all the merits accumulated in the preparation of offerings, the recitations and prayers, and the benefit of Nagas, Mother Nature, and all beings!
Sacred Mirror
The Sacred Mirror represents consciousness and the element of space. Clear, pure and bright, the mirror reflects all phenomena objectively without bias, thereby reminding us to practice objectivity and to rise above our judgmental minds. On a more subtle level, it reflects the Buddha’s core teaching of emptiness – that nothing exists on its own side without a dependent arising cause.
Pinnacle of the mirror
The pinnacle of the mirror, formed by the white crescent moon, flaming red sun and an orange flame of fire, represents the completion stage of Vajrayana practice.
Light Rays
The light rays radiating from the Sacred Mirror represent the flourishing of the Buddha’s teachings, fanning out to the furthest reaches of the universe.
Full Moon Disc
The moon disc represents Bodhicitta, the aspiration to become a Buddha to benefit all sentient beings.
Blue Lotus
Divinely fragrant, blue lotuses bloomed only in the Buddha’s time. By incorporating it into the temple’s logo, it is symbolic of the ever-present Buddha in Thekchen Choling. Moreover, a lotus flower represents purity, perfection, compassion and renunciation, similar to how the beautiful lotus remains untainted even though it had arisen out from the muddy waters.
Nine Precious Jewels
These nine precious jewels represent the Guru, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, yidam or mind-seal deity, Dharma protector, the sky, earth, and the human realm.
Two Dragons
The two dragons represent continuity and harmony and create the cause for the temple to enjoy the strong support of members and benefactors for Dharma to flourish.
Golden Khata
The flowing golden khata represents the auspicious increase of all Dharma activities.
The Seven Gems of the Chakravartin or a Wheel-Turning King
1. The precious horse represented by a unicorn’s horn
2. The precious elephant represented by its tusks
3. The precious queen represented by round golden earrings
4. The precious minister represented by square golden earrings
5. The precious general represented by a pair of crossed swords
6. The precious jewel represented by the triple-eyed gem
7. The precious Dharma wheel represented by a branch of coral
