By Gopilal Acharya, Passang Dorji and Sonam Pelvar

Empowered >> His Majesty receiving the Mendrey, Ku, Soong, Thuk, Yonten and Thrinley

Nov 2, 2008-Punakha: His Majesty received the sacred Dhar Na-Nga from the Holy Machhen (the 357-year-old embalmed body of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal), in the presence of the fourth Druk Gyalpo and His Holiness the Je Khenpo, yesterday morning at the Puna Dechen Phodrang Dzong in Punakha.  

The Dhar Na-Nga are the five sacred sashes of silk bearing five colors (representing the five elements) blessed by the Holy Machhen each time a royal successor to the Dragon Throne is invested as the king.

The Dorji Lopen of the Central Monastic Body said the significance of the Machhen is profound as the Zhabdrung was the founder of the Palden Drukpa.

He said all the kings since 1907 starting from Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck received the scared dhar from the Holy Machhen. He said, in the past, the Desis and the Je Khenpos received the dhar from the Machhen.

The historically significant tradition of the Machhen’s blessings, according to Machhen Zimpoen Dorji, dates back to the first Desi and Je Khenpo.

He said the first Desi, Tenzin Drugdra, and the first Je Khenpo, Pekar Jungney, received the sacred dhar from the Zhabdrung. This means all the subsequent Desis, Kings and Je Khenpos were conferred the dhar by the Machhen.

“Today, every successive Druk Gyalpo and Je Khenpo receives it from the Machhen,” said Machhen Zimpoen Dorji.

Nobody has access to the Machhen shrine other than the King, the Je Khenpo, the Machhen Zimpoen and the monk who serves the Holy Machhen.

Yesterday, the sacred scarf ceremony started with His Majesty the King entering the Machhen Lhakhang accompanied by the fourth Druk Gyalpo and His Holiness the Je Khenpo.

They paid obeisance to the Holy Machhen after which His Majesty stood before the Machhen with the fourth Druk Gyalpo and the Je Khenpo standing facing His Majesty the King.

His Holiness the Je Khenpo offered the thrue-soel (purification) to His Majesty after which His Majesty received the sacred Dhar Na-Nga from the Holy Machhen. The sacred ceremony in the Machhen Lhakhang concluded with Tashi Moenlam.

After receiving the sacred dhar, His Majesty was escorted to the Kuenra where soong-choe was performed. His Holiness the Je Khenpo then escorted His Majesty to the Throne reciting the enthronement sutra and mudra.

On the Throne His Majesty was flanked by the fourth Druk Gyalpo on the right and His Holiness the Je Khenpo on the left after which Zhugdrel Phunsum Tshogpi Trendrey, the celebration of harmonious fruition, was conducted and several offerings were made to His Majesty.

His Majesty was offered the symbols of Mendrey, Ku, Soong, Thuk, Yonten and Thrinley (mandala, body, speech, mind, qualities and deeds).

His Majesty was offered a set of Tshelha Namsum statues (the three Gods of longevity) for eternal life and Gyelwa-rig-nga, the five symbols of empowerment, represented by Dorji (indestructibility), Rinchen (wealth), Pedma (beauty and purity), Reldri (wisdom) and Khorlo (universality). 

Further, His Majesty was offered the Tashi Zegye (eight auspicious articles) - mirror, medicine, curd, incense, fruit, right-whorled conch shell, vermillion, and yellow mustard. His Majesty was offered the Gyel-sid Na-duen (seven precious symbols of the Universal Emperor) - the wheel of dharma, jewel of fulfillment, queen of devotion, minister of wisdom, elephant of fortitude, horse of swiftness, and the general of valor. 

The other offerings made to His Majesty included the Tashi-Tagye (eight auspicious signs) - the knot of eternity, the wheel of universality, lotus of truth, the banner of victory, umbrella of supremacy, treasure of prosperity, the right-whorled conch of fame, and the fish of wisdom.

His Holiness the Je Khenpo also presided over the Nyoe-drub-langwa ceremony (acquisition of worldly and spiritual virtues accumulated from the day’s Tshe-pa-mi Soong-Chhoe). 

His Majesty the King was offered Tshe-ril, Tshe-chang and Thrue-chu blessed with virtues and merits by Buddhas and Bodhisatavas.  

The Tashi Ngasoel ceremony at the Kuenra concluded with the recitation of Moenlam and Tashi prayers.