We felt very fortunate to have the special Akshobhya prayers from August 20th to the 22nd; it was the first time the retreat was held at our monastery. The Buddha Akshobhya is one of the Five Wisdom Buddhas, and the practice has powerful purifying effects. In preparation for the prayers, monks and lay volunteers assisted Dhundrup in completing an astonishingly beautiful Akshobhya mandala, which is on display at the front of the shrine room. Originally shipped from Nepal in thousands of separate parts, the artists put in hundreds of hours painting, assembling, and decorating the mandala. The Akshobhya retreat then started early in the morning on August 20th. Around 40 lay participants, some of whom came from all over the world, joined Lama Pema, Khenpo Sonam, and 8 other monks for all three days of the retreat. They took sojong vows each morning and participated in several sessions of prayers every day. On the last day, the Jangchok puja was done, especially beneficial for the deceased and living beings for whom we’ve made dedications. Lama Pema said that to do such a powerful practice in a special place (the monastery), with our beloved lama Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche in residence here, was an extremely blessed event. He thanked all those who patiently sat through three days of prayers, and all the volunteers and sponsors who helped make the retreat so rewarding.
