28TH KAGYU MONLAM ENTRANCE GATE

Report by Jo Gibson

Following the highly elaborate gates constructed for the celebration of the special 25th Anniversary Kagyu Monlam in 2007, the move each year since has been to simpler and simpler constructions.

This year sees the simplest structure yet.

Designed by a Taiwanese engineer monk, the Ven. Choekyi Gyamtso, he explained that the design is based on Bhutanese temple style: it features four towers constructed without nails or bolts from varnished bamboo , topped by golden yellow pagoda-style roofs. The bamboo is either jointed and glued or bound together with twine. The twenty four wind-chimes , hanging from the gate, filling the air with their tintinnabulations, also represent the Bhutanese style of hanging bells in the four corners of the eaves of a temple roof. The Perspex strikers are embossed with the Karmapa 900 logo.

Above the gate is a simple greeting written in Tibetan which says: Welcome to Kagyu Monlam.

The focus of the gate is the dharani mantra, painted nine times on each of ten white boards:

OM PEMO UNI KHA BEMA LE HUNG PHAT

This mantra was also used on last year’s entrance gate. It comes from Sutra and has great powers of purification so that all who pass through the gates during the Monlam festival will receive spiritual benefit.

The boards are arranged in pairs, and the initial letter of the mantra in each pair is painted with the colour of one of the five Buddha families. Below these, bouquets of white, yellow and cream artificial flowers, wrapped in gold cloth are mounted on each tower.

In the words of the Gyalwang Karmapa:
The main purpose for which this gate has been made is not simply to have a splendid, beautiful welcoming gate but for the inner meaning, the blessings. We have affixed important dharani mantras to the gate so that it serves two functions as people pass back and forth underneath. Its blessings purify particular obscurations, and also assist in the two accumulations [of wisdom and merit].