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1983:
held from 5th -19th November for two weeks at Bodhgaya. Kyabje
Kalu Rinpoche and Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche presided over this
Monlam which was attended by some two hundred ordained monks.
The Third Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche also came for one day.
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1984:
a two week-long Monlam, held in November, was attended by a good
number of monks and pilgrims.
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1985:
a two week-long Monlam was held in November like the preceding
year.
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1986:
monks and pilgrims gathered for Monlam at the end of the year,
led by Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche.
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1987:
held for three weeks from 30th December. Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche
and Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche presided over this Monlam, which was
attended by lamas and monks. They made offerings. The Twelfth
Situ Rinpoche also made an appearance.
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1988:
Monlam was held at the end of the year, presided over by Kyabje
Kalu Rinpoche and Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche.
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1989:
since Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche had passed away, Monlam was held at
his seat in Sonamda.
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1990:
Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche was travelling abroad and could not come
for the Monlam, but gave instructions to Lama Choedrak who
organised the Monlam at Bodhgaya. It was attended by a good
number of lamas, monks and pilgrims.
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1991:
Monlam was organised in the same way as the previous year.
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1992:
held from 18th November for ten days. Kyabje Kalu Yangsi
Rinpoche and Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche presided over this Monlam.
Over two hundred ordained monks attended and made elaborate
offerings.
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1993:
held from 14th December for ten days. It was attended by Kyabje
Kalu Yangsi Rinpoche, Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche and over two hundred
ordained monks.
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1994:
Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche was abroad at the time but gave
instructions that the Monlam be held as usual and it was
attended by a good number of lamas, monks and pilgrims.
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1995:
held from 1st December for seven days. Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche
presided over this Monlam. It was attended by over one hundred
monks, nuns and pilgrims.
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1996:
held from 15th November for ten days. Presided over by Kyabje
Bokar Rinpoche, the Monlam was attended by some seven hundred
lamas, tulkus, monks, nuns and pilgrims. The year’s Monlam
activities consisted of recitation of a hundred thousand
Samantabhadra prayers and Praises to Tara, and the reading of
the Kagyur. Finally, an elaborate Pakshi-La-Drup tshog offering
marked the end of Monlam.
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1997:
held from 28th November for ten days. Presided over by Kyabje
Kalu Yangsi Rinpoche and Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche, over three
thousand monks and nuns of the Kamtshang Kagyu lineage from
India, Nepal and Bhutan gathered for this Monlam. Like the
previous year, elaborate prayers were organised for the
well-being of all beings and particularly for the long life and
flourishing activity of the Seventeenth Gyalwang Karmapa. Monlam
was formally re-named as the Kamtshang Kagyu Sangha Monlam.
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1998:
held from 26th December for ten days. Under the blessing
umbrella of Kyabje Kalu Yangsi Rinpoche and Kyabje Bokar
Rinpoche, over two thousand monks and nuns assembled for the
Monlam.
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1999:
held from 12th December for eight days. Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche
presided over five thousand monks and nuns, assembled for the
Monlam. His Holiness the Dalai Lama presided over one whole
afternoon session on the eighth day. He gave the transmission of
a special, non-sectarian Monlam text for the flourishing of the
Buddhist teachings, which he himself had composed, Rime Tengyal
Monlam. He also gave an address on what is to be abandoned and
what is to be cultivated.
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2000:
presided over by Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche, over one thousand
and five hundred monks and nuns attended the Monlam.
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2001:
held from 13th December for eight days. This elaborate Monlam
was the first to be presided over by Pal Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen
Trinley Dorje, along with the Third Kyabje Jamgon Kongtrul
Rinpoche and the Twelfth Kyabje Gyaltshab Rinpoche. Over three
thousand sangha members, monks and nuns, assembled for this
Monlam. Pal Gyalwang Karmapa began teaching the Jewel Ornament
of Precious Liberation and also bestowed a long-life empowerment
and precious advice.
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2002:
held from 31st December for eight days. Pal Gyalwang Karmapa
presided over this Monlam and there were over five thousand
attendees, both monks and nuns. Pal Gyalwang Karmapa gave advice
for the benefit of both sangha and lay community.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama blessed the Monlam by presiding over
the tshog offering on the last day.
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2003:
held from 30th December for eight days. Over two thousand monks
and nuns attended. Pal Gyalwang Karmapa continued his teaching
on the Jewel Ornament of Precious Liberation. He and Kyabje
Bokar Rinpoche together re-named Kamtshang Kagyu Sangha Monlam
as Kagyu Monlam.
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2004:
held from 19th December for eight days. Because Kyabje Bokar
Rinpoche had passed away, Pal Gyalwang Karmapa took charge of
Monlam in the interest of the teaching in general and
particularly for the continuity of the Monlam. He prepared a
code of conduct and dress for monks and nuns in accordance with
the Vinaya tradition. Over three thousand monks and nuns
attended the Monlam and recited the Monlam Ritual Prayers
composed by the Seventh Karmapa. The alms gathering procession
was held for the first time.
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2005:
because of the nature of the Tibetan calendar, 2005 and 2006
Monlams were held in the same year. The 2005 Monlam was held
from 7th January 2006 for eight days.It was presided over by Pal
Gyalwang Karmapa and attended by over three thousand monks and
nuns. He revived the tradition of setting up an elaborate altar
with huge butter sculptures of Marpa, Milarepa, and Dagpo. He
specially commissioned statues of these three fathers of the
Kagyu lineage from Nepal, and distributed them to all Kagyu
monasteries and centres worldwide. In addition, he concluded his
teachings on the Jewel Ornament of Precious Liberation.
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2006:
held from 27th December for eight days. Pal Gyalwang Karmapa set
up a network of teams to make the preparations for Monlam and
appointed heads and deputies to supervise them. He presided,
along with many senior lamas and tulkus. Over five thousand
monks and nuns attended the Monlam. Pal Gyalwang Karmapa began
teaching on The Life of Milarepa.