26.05.2012, Singapore

White Umbrella (Dhukkar) Initiation in Singapore and participation in The Forum at The Buddha Tooth Relic And Museum

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum in Singapore, Empowerment, Visit

On the 26th of May, His Holiness Karmapa gave the initiation of the White Umbrella (Dhukkar) in Singapore at a massive outdoor gathering near the heart of the city. A torrential downpour began to drench the enormous white tent that housed the large gathering of devotees and monastic Sangha during the empowerment, relieving the participants from the usual heat and humidity of this tropical region and making the theme of the “White Umbrella” Initiation quite a literal experience.
After the Initiation, His Holiness was invited to the illustrious Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum in “China Town”, a Tang Dynasty styled temple that houses a relic of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni found in 1980 from a collapsed stupa in Myanmar. The Gyalwa Karmapa was warmly received by the Abbot of the Temple, Venerable Shi Fa Zhao, and personally escorted throughout the premises to attend the recitation of the Heart Sutra in the elegantly decorated main prayer hall before visiting the Buddha’s relic and paying their respects with prayers and the customary obeisance.

Following the tour of the Temple and Museum, The Gyalwa Karmapa was invited to the Temple’s convention hall for a forum on “Living A Meaningful life In The Contemporary Age”. The host of the event was Dr. Foo check Teck. His Holiness Karmapa engaged the audience with riveting replies to an array of topics and diverse subject matter introduced by the inquisitively captivated audience of young and old who had come from around the Globe to participate in the event.

Lau Ee Tho, the Executive Editor of the renowned Buddhist magazine “For You”, gave an interview with the Gyalwa Karmapa immediately following the forum.

In the evening, The Karmapa was welcomed to Singapore in a different manner, by being the chief guest of a large gala dinner hosted in His honor. The evening featured a variety of entertainment representative of the entire South East Asian region.