17 

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With the Dalai Lama

  
The hair-cutting ceremony

Early in the morning of September 19, 1997, His Eminence Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche the Fourth travelled to McLeod Ganj, in Dharamsala, to pay homage to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He was accompanied by Tenzin Dorjee, Tsewang Norbu (H.E. Tai Situ Rinpoche’s general secretary) monks, and members of the sangha of the Jamgon Kongtrul Labrang. A welcoming reception by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Kagyu representative in Dharamsala, Mr. Lodroe Tarchin, met His Eminence and his entourage at lower Dharamsala as they were on their way up to McLeod Ganj.

His Eminence arrived at 10:30 a.m. As is traditional, His Holiness the Dalai Lama performed the hair-cutting ceremony and bestowed upon His Eminence the name Tenzin Osel Choying Gyatso. His Holiness also granted a written confirmation of his agreement with the recognition of the Third Jamgon Kongtrul’s reincarnation by His Holiness the Seventeenth Karmapa.

  
With H.H. Dalai Lama and accompanied by (from left)
Tsewang Norbu (general secretary to H.E. Tai Situ Rinpoche);
Lama Tsewang Phuntsok, Gyaltsen Zangpo, Tenzin Dorjee
and Khenpo Sherab Gyaltsen

The meeting with His Holiness was very warm. His Holiness shared his personal experiences as a young child with His Eminence’s sangha, and gave advice about his education and future upbringing. On parting, the Dalai Lama granted His Eminence an oral transmission of the mantra of Manjushri, and further advised His Eminence’s sangha to take good care of his health.

In a traditional gesture of gratitude and thanks to His Holiness, the Jamgon Kongtrul Labrang made offerings of tea and butter rice to his sangha at the Namgyal Dratsang, his personal temple. The Dalai Lama’s monks performed the pujas of the Sixteen Arhats and the Six-Armed Mahakala, and invited His Eminence to grace the occasion. The senior monk, on behalf of their sangha, then presented His Eminence with the offerings of the mandala and that of the body, speech and mind.

Following that, His Eminence met with the representatives from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and received their offerings of the body, speech and mind on behalf of the Tibetan people. The Ministry also hosted a lunch in honour of the Fourth Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche at the Cho Nor Guest House.

His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama’s Letter of recognition of the Fourth Jamgon Rinpoche 

The name bestowed on the Fourth Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche by H.H. the Dalai Lama