The Gyalwang Drukpa

I was really moved to receive so many emails redirected from my office, with many of my friends and students sending in their photos showing that they have joined us through the live webcast of our prayers and activities in Drukpa Plouray. I just put some of them here to share with you. Masters and students need to be encouraging each other, it cannot be a one-way traffic, it has to be a two-way traffic. I am so very encouraged by the responses that I am secretly hoping that from now onwards all the teachings and activities can be webcasted live. Let's see what will happen in London and Paris. So we have to thank all these wonderful friends who made it possible for us to share the prayers and New Year's Eve celebrations together. I was told that more than 1,500 people joined in the prayers and listened to my gossip through the live webcast. Thank you, Alain and your team!

One thing I was very happy about during this trip to Plouray was that there is tremendous interest in Live to Love activities and therefore in order to make sure that these activities will be beneficial and not be abused, there is now a very crucial need to draft constitutions legally and also to set up proper administration centres in the East and West to make sure the activities are properly guided. I think we should try to arrange for professional lawyers and accountants to come together and join the different representatives in a meeting set on 5th April. The European Live to Love team will be led by Drubpon Ngawang and the Drukpa Asia will be represented by their individual organising heads which I have appointed this time. Both sides will write to my office to provide the list of key representatives attending this extra day of discussion and conference. I want to say very clearly that all the humanitarian activities that are planned by my organisations and followers are under the umbrella of Live to Love.

I was just joking to myself that I am starting to sound quite professional talking about my plans for 2009, don't you agree? Unfortunately one of the things that I think we won't be able to do is the pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, that has to be pushed to 2010, due to many different reasons. Of course, the main event for me is the First ADC in April 2009. I am actually quite excited about it because it is a milestone for all of us in the Dragon Lineage and many of my colleagues from all parts of the world have confirmed their attendance, those who are not able to make it must have their reasons. Sadly, most of them who can't attend have visa and passport problems, otherwise they would love to join us. I am sure whoever genuinely care about the Drukpa Lineage definitely will show up one way or the other. Anyway, you will see from the photos and the reports by our different organisations in their webs what's happening and who will be there.

Since more than 300 nuns and about 250 monks from my monastic organisations in the Himalayas will be joining us in the First ADC, I thought that after the First ADC, it would be better to do some activities together that make some sense. So this idea of a walking pilgrimage from Kullu to Hemis through Garsha, Zanskar and Lama Yuru for about 2 months in May and June this year came in my mind. We will be doing practices at many of the holy places during the walking pilgrimage. These holy places have been blessed personally innumerable times by Chakrasamvara, Avalokiteshvara, Naropa, Marpa and many enlightened masters and the blessings is very much alive and active.

For those of you who can spare that much time and who are physically fit, you can join us. It is important that you join the full pilgrimage to get the complete effect. I don't think those of you who can't make it for the full pilgrimage should consider joining us. I will be asking the Young Drukpa Associations (YDA) in the Himalayas meaning YDA Ladakh, Garsha and Kinnaur to be in charge of this walking pilgrimage. They have to include in the registration cost all the expenses of all the 300 over nuns and 250 monks as well, so that all of the pilgrims who are able to join will also be able to accumulate some merit, at the same time while they are able to purify through the difficulties of doing the walking pilgrimage. There is a saying that by supporting those who undertake the genuine spiritual journey leading to enlightenment, you are also able to share their fruits of spiritual attainments, whether they let you share or not, it doesn't matter, you will get it somehow without reducing their own merits. What I am trying to say is that if you cannot be physically joining with the walking pilgrimage due to whatever reasons, you can always support through helping with the food expenses and other expenses of the monks and nuns.