4-Year-Old Shimla Boy Identified As Rinpoche's Reincarnation, Set To Be Next Buddhist Master

Grand celebrations are being held in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla as a 4-year-old boy has been identified as the reincarnation of Taklung Tsetul Rinpoche, the head of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. Nawang Tashi Rapten donned the mantle of monk in a ceremony at a monastery in Shimla on Monday.

4-year-old formally a monk now

Namkhai Nyingpo Rinpoche from Lhodrak Kharchu Monastery of Bhutan performed the rituals and the head of the 4-year-old Rapten was tonsured as part of the ceremony that formally pronounced him a monk.

Identified as reincarnation of Taklung Tsetul Rinpoche?

Rapten, born on April 16, 2018 in Rangrik village of Tabo region in the tribal Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, formally became a guru.?He will start his monastic education in Dorjidak Monastery at Panthaghati on the outskirts of Shimla.

The search for the reincarnation of Taklung Tsetul Rinpoche started after his demise on December 24, 2015 and earlier this year, Nawang Tashi Rapten was identified as his reincarnation.

"It is a matter of pride for all of us and we feel happy and fortunate that our son would be a preacher," said the grandfather of the boy. "Today is his hair-cutting & clothes change ceremony. His teaching will start once he will take blessings from all the Lamas," he added.

Its significance?

"This is very important for us, this was a long wait for us for the last seven years. We heartily welcome him here in his seat. Namkhai Nyingpo Rinpoche performed the rituals here for the haircut and dress wearing for the monk which is generally done to make a normal person a monk. We are looking forward to his education. He is important to us as Buddhist monks and his followers and in general, it is a very precious and auspicious occasion for us. First, he will go to meet the High monks and get basic and his studies and education will continue after this," said a Tibetan Buddhist Monk.

Celebrations in Shimla

Tibetan Buddhist monks and others in Dorjidak and other Buddhist disciples of the Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh organised a grand welcome ceremony to welcome the Boy monk in Shimla.?Now the little boy has joined the Sangha as a monk and will start his religious education in Dorjidak Monastery at Panthaghati in Shimla.

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