Memorial honoring Rama in Nepal


conducted on October 19, 1999
 
 
 


Read about Rama's Actual Ceremony

From a "Reporter
At the Butterlamp Site!"

Thanks to Rama's students for an in the moment report of events!

 

Buddhist Stupa lit up by Thousands of Butterlamps for a Memorial service

The above picture illustrates the type of service which will be held.  The service in
the picture was conducted for a great Tibetan Rinpoche who left the body in 1991.

       

ABOUT THE CEREMONY:

On Tuesday, October 19, 1999 starting at 6:00 p.m. Nepal time, a special candlelight memorial with 10,800 butterlamps will be held to honor RAMA at a holy site in Nepal.

This type of service is conducted in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition when a great Enlightened Being has left the body.

An advanced Tibetan Rinpoche will conducted this memorial for RAMA at a holy site sacred to Padmsambhava (Guru Rinpoche). 

This ceremony took place on October 19th, which is a special holy day for Padmasambhava. The special site used for this ceremony will be the future location of a new Buddhist monastery that will be open to Asians and Westerners.

Anyone interested in sponsoring a butterlamp for $20 or in donating $2160 for 108 butterlamps and receiving an actual butterlamp from the ceremony can send such money directly to...

Ripa Ladrang Foundation
Attention: Butterlamps
555 Bryant #597
Palo Alto, CA 94301

TIME:

Example time calculations for those who wish to take part in this memorial long-distance:

The butterlamps burned for hours starting at 6:00 p.m. Nepal time on Tuesday, October 19, 1999.

East Coast Participants: 8:15 a.m Eastern Time.

Central Participants: 7:15 a.m. Central Time.

Western Participants: 6:15 a.m. Mountain Time.

West Coast Participants: 5:15 a.m. Pacific Time.

According to time zone information from the Internet, Nepal time will be 12.75 hours ahead of Pacific USA daylight savings time and 9.75 hours ahead of East Coast USA daylight savings time on October 19th.  So this service will be conducted starting at 5:15 a.m. Pacific USA time and 8:15 a.m. East Coast USA time on Tuesday, October 19, 1999 in the USA.

I-CHING:

One student felt hexagram #20 best reflected the beauty of the time between the Zazen concert and this ceremony.

I-Ching hexagram #20

Contemplation
Wind over Earth.

The ablution has been made but not the offering.

The sacrificial ritual in China began with an ablution and a libation by which the Deity was invoked, after which the sacrifice was offered. The moment of time between these two ceremonies is the most sacred of all, the moment of deepest inner concentration. If piety is sincere and expressive of real faith, the contemplation of it has a transforming and aweinspiring effect on those who witness it.

The I Ching
Wilhelm/Baynes translation
Princeton University Press

HOME