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As the world grapples with growing conflict and division, Bhutan's capital city, Thimphu, is gearing up to welcome the world for the Global Peace Prayer Festival 2025, a grand celebration of unity, compassion, and spiritual harmony.
Set against the serene backdrop of the Himalayas, the festival seeks to unite people from across the globe in a collective prayer for peace and the healing of humanity. From Tuesday, the capital will be alive with activity as monks, volunteers, and organisers make final preparations to host thousands of devotees and spiritual leaders from around the globe for this much-anticipated event. The festival will unite eminent lamas and spiritual leaders from all schools and traditions of Buddhism, including Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, both from within Bhutan and across the world. Over the two weeks, participants will engage in a profound sequence of prayers, rituals, and empowerments, culminating in a historic ordination ceremony for Buddhist nuns from around the globe. The festival will open with the Jabzhi Dhoechog ritual at Kuenselphodrang from November 4 to 10, conducted by the Central Monastic Body. This rare and elaborate ceremony, seldom performed on such a grand scale, is dedicated to global peace and happiness. It combines peaceful offerings with wrathful protection rituals to heal, cleanse, and purify the body, speech, and mind of negative karma. During the same period, the Global Peace Prayer will take place at Changlimithang Ground, featuring seven days of non-sectarian Vajrayana Buddhist prayers that represent all schools and traditions of Buddhism. Prayers will be conducted in multiple languages, including English, Tibetan, and Dzongkha, ensuring inclusivity and understanding among participants. The programme will also include public blessings by eminent lamas on November 10, and a mass recitation of the Bazaguru mantra on November 11, offering a collective moment of devotion and unity for global peace. The festival will continue with the Kalachakra Initiation and Empowerment from November 12 to 14, presided over by His Holiness the Je Khenpo, with a focus on the sacred connection between the individual and the universe. The event will culminate with the Bhikkhuni (Gelongma) Ordination of over 250 Buddhist nuns from around the world, held from November 15 to 19 at the Bhutan Nuns Foundation in Tshalumaphey, Thimphu. This historic ordination marks the second such event for Mahayana Buddhist nuns in Bhutan and will be accompanied by exhibitions of Kalachakra art, artefacts, and scholarly seminars celebrating wisdom, compassion, and global harmony. As Bhutan prepares to open its heart to the world, the Global Peace Prayer Festival 2025 stands as a beacon of unity and hope amid global uncertainty. Blending ancient rituals with a modern call for compassion, the event symbolises Bhutan's enduring commitment to peace, spiritual harmony, and the well-being of all sentient beings. As the final prayers echo across the Himalayas, the festival is set to leave behind not just blessings but a powerful reminder that collective faith, compassion, and understanding remain humanity's greatest path to lasting peace. (ANI)
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