NATIONAL SOWA-RIGPA DAY CELEBRATION
All the events and phenomenon of this world are dependent on time, space and the current happenings. Though the historical events are explicitly not perceivable through our naked eyes at the moment but it is obvious and it is the source of all the beneficial and happy times and events directly experienced by us today. The event and the phenomena cannot be revisited but remembering the time during which the events were undertaken to benefit human race and the special person who undertook those events, is a moral responsibility of the human community and the nations of the world. For eg: we still celebrate the birthday of Buddha Shakyamuni and Jesus Christ and commemorate their special deeds to this day. We also commemorate World Health Day, Teacher’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day etc. and celebrate the joyous day of freedom of one’s nation from the clutches of another nation as Independence Day.
Likewise, Tibetan people also have the culture of commemorating space, time and happenings of historical events of its tradition and built memorials to vividly remember those historical figures. For example; To commemorate Buddha Shakyamuni’s miracle activities at Sravasti, great Lhasa Miracle Prayer festival is celebrated, stone pillar of Potala Palace was built in order to commemorate Tibetan Emperor Trisong Duetsen’s minister, Takdra Lukang’s deed of defeating Tang Empire and initializing tax payment in the country. Such memorials are built even to these days.
In the 20th century powerful Chinese military regime invaded entire Tibet and at this critical and ruthless juncture of demolition of Tibetan religion, culture and ethnicity, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama along with his entourage fled to exile in India. And with the kind support of Indian Government and its people, His Holiness established separate Tibetan settlements and various religious and cultural centers like central schools for Tibetans, monasteries and monastic schools. Among these great events, His Holiness called upon the scholars of Tibetan Medicine and Astrology who had followed him to exile, to Dharamsala on September 11, 1961 to revive the extraordinary tradition of Tibetan Medicine and Astrology for the benefit of all which is well documented officially. Therefore, in order to mark that historic date, it was decided unanimously during the 30th Board Meeting (Resolution no.3) of Central Council of Tibetan Medicine to celebrate September 11 as National Sowa-Rigpa Day. It will be celebrated by all the concerned individuals and institutes while remembering His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s kindness and by following the path laid by Tibetan ancestors and by conscientiously studying, practicing and executing the teachings of Sowa-Rigpa for the preservation and promotion of Sowa-Rigpa.
Date: 7th September, 2018
Central Council of Tibetan Medicine
