I returned from Gelephu after organising the Sacho Bumter ceremony for my lama, Khandro Dorje Phagmo, who is the highest female Rimpoche in Tibetan Buddhism. It was for the proposed site of the southern branch for Ngajur Pemachopheling Monastery – based in Zhemgang.

As a part of the ceremony, Riwo Sangchoe rituals and Tshogkor were also conducted to appease the local deities and offer gratitude to the divine – for the success of the project as well as for the Big Vision of our King.

On the request of the public of Serzhong a Thangtong Tshe-wang (long life blessing of Thangtong Gyalpo) was conferred to the people. This, by the way, made me extremely happy and emotional to see the authentic happiness of the simple folks – mainly people from my own ethnic group who were resettled in this area.

The idea to have a monastic centre there was conceived some years back by Khandrola to keep the old and sick nuns during winter. The idea gained traction after Gelephu was decreed as the mindfulness city based on Vajrayana ideals and philosophy. Hence, to align with the Royal Vision, the Dharma centre will not only be a nunnery, or a monastery, but more significantly, it will also accommodate a center for traditional wisdom and mindfulness, which I will be directing.

Much will, of course, now depend on the support and encouragement it receives from the Mindfulness City project and from the local communities, as this is not a commercial venture for personal benefits, but for the collective peace and prosperity of the country, and for the benefit for all sentient beings.

While this initiative overwhelms me, for now, I feel deeply deeply honoured and humbled to be a small part of both the visions.

For the ceremony we were joined by my small group of friends from Abroad, who travelled from all over the world. I also received full support from my good friends from Athang Rukha, who came in droves to see that the ceremony in the jungles of Gelephu is pulled through. It was not easy for everyone with the heat and insects and with nothing available in the vicinity.

(I was also surprised to see many people from Lhotsham community coming to receive the blessing. They explained to me that Varahi is an important Hindu deity too. In Buddhism Dorje Phagmo is Vajra Varahi)