May 27, 2013

WRITING ON 'THE BUDDHA BOY', RAM BOMJON, PALDEN DORJE FROM HALFWAY AROUND THE GLOBE

[The world known spiritual leader Dalai Lama having learnt from a Senior Sangha Member is said once to have called Guru Dharma Sangha as the Guru of his Gurus. For political reason, Dalai Lama cannot travel to Nepal. Yet his nearest spiritual seniors like His Eminence Tsona Rimpoche, His Eminence Lobsang Tulku Rimpoche and Geshe Nyima Rimpoche visited Nepal to pay darshan of Guruji during 2011.]

By Kishore Sherchand PhD *

Before coming to USA, I had heard little about a meditating boy by the name Ram Bahadur Bomjon from Ratanpuri village of Bara district, Nepal. I did not have opportunity to visit while tens of thousands were rushing to watch him. At the age of 15 on May 16 2005 he disappeared from home and later was found meditating under a Bodhi tree in Ratanpuri dense forest. The news in fact surfaced as “The Boy With Divine Powers” all over the world when Discovery Channel videoed  a non-stop over 96 hour take  and found no evidence of this mediating boy eating food or drinking water. After ten months of continuous meditation, the boy suddenly disappeared. The complete video speech of his whereabouts of 18:25 minutes on the completion of his 6-year meditation given on May 20, 2011 and its texts are available on line. (http://www.etapasvi.com/en/news/91/maitreya-message-given-on-the-completion-of-tapas-on-may-20-2011). I was immensely impressed with his speech which drew me much closer. Later I decided to visit while he was in Halkhoria Jungle in 2012. It different experience of cold chili nights and warmer days in Halkhoria where I spent complete seven days (March 21-27, 2012) during the World Peace Maitreya Puja.

On the first day I was able to catch the first hand glimpse of Guruji’s arrival to Puja Venue at about noon time. He looked bright and appealing but calm and seated in a lotus position with a 25-30 feet large Thanka of Maitrya Nath Guru (His main Guru) behind on the left and other Gurus behind his seat. It sounded to me, this is something I never came across in the past and thousands lining up to receive blessing from Guruji. He gave about a 10 minute Dharma Discourse (Dharma Deshana). While hearing the discourse, it gave me an incredible feeling how a boy with barely 4th grade education in a village school could speak extempore and non-stop without any repetition otherwise a person is assumed to be well educated, well versed, and having gained maturity with enough experience. During his complete 5 hours stay, he was not moving his major body parts  at all from his position except his head and hands while to offer blessing.

The Sour Side:

Later, during the day while I was trying to help the Sangha to translate Guruji’s Dharma Deshana into English, I noticed some sort of disturbing noise. Later I discovered that some photographers and other media people were not allowed to take his pictures. Despite this, some of them were taking pictures. It learnt that the media people were not invited and none were allowed to take pictures except for those few in-house photographers because those media people were not publishing true picture of  Guruji. One of the senior Sangha members said, the media always tried to send wrong messages in the past.

From the whole incidents that occurred in Halkhoria, it gave me some kind of suspicion that there could be somebody  within the local Sangha who might be functioning not in line with the true nature of Dharma. The request for the Halkhoria jungle be declared a Dharmic forest, issuance of Guruji’s passport in the name of Dharma Sangha was made to the Government. The Government was not responding to those requests. The other issue was holding a Czecho-Slovakia woman by the name Marichi in captivity.

The passport issue in Guruji’s new name became a sour episode as the mediamania continued to lash out alleging him - how can Ram Bomjon’s name be Dharma Sangha ? It is a procedural issue that could have been resolved through a proper channel. I believe one can change his/her name through a proper Government procedure. Yet, there should be no or little reason why the media should question time and again on the status of his name. Guruji obtained this name during his meditation from his own Guru and was revealed in the past speech he gave. The government should have taken positively because we have witnessed some people having name some other name and, if that is possible, why Dharma Sangha not? Dalai Lama’s real name, for instance, is Tenzin Gyatso but he is known worldwide by the name Dalai Lama. He travels by the name Dalai Lama. If the Government has concerned  about the validity of his new name, they could further find out why this name became so important to him.

Through the Google Group, I often did put my opinion on the Sangha people’s incompetence to follow the government regulation for whatsoever reason. Despite the Central Committee warning, some of the local Sangha members went staging street protest to demand of Guruji’s citizenship certificate in his new name. That was a turning point for Guruji to decide leaving Halkhoria to Sindhuli and then to Patharkot and for the Government to dismantle some of buildings in the jungle. The weakness remained when the Sangha did not have a kind of legal advisory to deal with the Government. That perhaps did not happen. Those people acted on their own despite Guruji had not approved.

Guruji’s Divine Power

Guruji’s main strength remains in showing the world at large, not only his uninterrupted meditational strength without food and water which he did, but also his continued spiritual discourse. Surprisingly, he has been able by writing his Dharma teachings Pranidhan in Ratanpuri, The prayers of seven deities of Dharma Sangha in Halkhoria, the coming one in Patharkot and many others. His meditation and writings of his teachings had been disturbed several times. He has been cornered to a situation under which it would be difficult to continue to be constantly engaged in any further write ups. Khenpos who remained near to him had to give up under those difficult circumstances.

He did show his spiritual miracle like overcoming the poisonous snake bite during meditation, setting himself into a fire still unburnt, curing a woman to give birth while she was being rejected by modern medical science, curing a girl to regain her speech, curing a baby girl from death with heart defect to bring to a normal life and many more. These are few I could learn. His discourse of first Ashtasheel (Eight Precepts) and later Agharsheel (Eleven Precepts) are incredibly powerful for peace, nonviolence, justice and human dignity.

The Eleven Maitreya Precepts (given on 28 January 2012)

Precept 1. Never discriminate on the basis of name, appearance, complexion, class, belief, community, power, position, or qualification; even discard differentiating between the concepts of material and spiritual.

Precept 2. Having become acquainted with the Eternal Dharma, the Path, and the Guru, respect all religions and beliefs.

Precept 3. Forsake lying, allegations, counter-allegations, belittling and spreading falsehood through baseless gossip.

Precept 4. Forsaking philosophies or ways that make boundaries of divisiveness and difference of opinion, take up The True Path.

Precept 5. Following The True and Perfect Guru Path throughout life, renouncing evil actions, always remain intent in union with The Guru Essence.

Precept 6. Not having reached Enlightenment oneself, do not seek to prove what it is with clever words; and, while still in confusion, do not make others confused.

Precept 7. Renouncing such demonic conduct as killing sentient beings and violence, consume unwholesome food.

Precept 8. Do not hold narrow-minded opinions about people and countries on the basis of national identity.

Precept 9. Engaging oneself in the pursuit of The True and Perfect Guru Path perform actions that benefit the Earth.

Precept 10. When one realizes the Truth, The GuruPath takes form, so achieve Enlightenment for all Sentient Beings.

Precept 11. Staying in the highest and deepest state of Pure Awareness be free from all bondage by having understood within the self many precepts.

It is worth noting, Guruji has a spiritual power to write in Maitreya language: The Maitreya language does not exist in this world. He is the only Guru who can read and write it. Attempt was also made to teach someone but due to its complexity it could not be accomplished. However, it could be a good idea to explore by someone (scholar, University academician) who is interested in and do some research on it. Possibility may arise to sponsor the scholar to accomplish and publish.

Guruji’s Message of Maitreya Buddha

Two thousand six hundred years back Shakya Muni Buddha had prophesized the next coming Buddha would be Maitreya Buddha who according to all threads of Buddhism resides now in Tusita Heaven awaiting a descend to this Earth. Guruji in his speech recalls that Matreya Buddha has been in this world up to four times but he left leaving only his voice for this world. Then, in the Sakya Clan, Siddhartha Gautama Buddha was born as the result of the previous meditation. Two thousand years ago from now, he was killed while meditating. Soon after rebirth from his mother’s womb, Ram Bomjan would go into meditation again. This is not the thing that could be verified instantly and proven also, however, Guruji’s spiritual discourse suggest that he is meant to give message of the arrival of Matreya Buddha although the Buddhist followers and experts may refute this saying that coming of Matreya Buddha is not yet ready.

Guruji Prevails, A Gift to Nepal

Despite all this and departure from Halkhoria, Guruji still emphasizes his determination to go back to Halkhoria because that was the site where he gained his spiritual strength, enlightenment at the highest order of Bodhisattva. The Government aperture has not done much to his favor and his security but to ignore him to the extent possible. May be the government is just at “wait and see” until some kind of overwhelming pressure develops, national as well as foreign. The media by and large seem to be trying to distort his presence as a Sambodhi Dharma Guru, Maitreya Guru or any other Guru Rimpoche fearing his discourse, spiritual strength, meditation practices have become so far and wide that it could be a growing threat to others - those who do not want true secularism in Nepal or those who continue to practice animal sacrifices mercilessly in the name of GOD (Gadhimai festival, Dassain festival) or those who enjoy illegal wood logging in Halkhoria forest, because, he fearlessly spoke to all these.

Emeritus Prof. Dr. Joan Stanley–Baker from Tainan National University, Taiwan has dared to come forward to refute in response to what she sees being chased by some who don’t want to see Guruji’s widespread influence (Kathmandu Post, April 13, 2013):

“Guru’s devotees extend far and wide, with many having become acquainted with his teachings on his website. Often, his followers have the dramatic stories to tell. Beside his broader base of supporters, Guru has his regular core devotees—made up of Nepalis as well as foreigners—who say they have been singled out to form his vanguard or Sangha, an entity charged with spreading Dharma.” 

The world known spiritual leader Dalai Lama having learnt from a Senior Sangha Member is said once to have called Guru Dharma Sangha as the Guru of his Gurus. For political reason, Dalai Lama cannot travel to Nepal. Yet his nearest spiritual seniors like His Eminence Tsona Rimpoche, His Eminence Lobsang Tulku Rimpoche and Geshe Nyima Rimpoche visited Nepal to pay darshan of Guruji during 2011.

One of the most adherents of Guruji, A Korean - Canadian Dr. Moon Kim writes this way in a local paper about Guruji,

“There are seven Buddhas. First Buddha is Bipasipull, Second Sigipull, Third Bishapull, Fourth Krushanpull, Fifth Krohamonupull, Sixth Gashapull, Seventh Shakyamuni Buddha and the coming one is Maitreya Buddha. Guru Ram Bahadur Bomjon is Maitreya Buddha. Many scientists, many spiritual and religious leaders are amazed at Guruji’s ability of meditating years without drinking or eating. Out of curiosity they make visit to Nepal to meet Guru Dharma Sangha.”

Rev. Junsei Terasawa influenced by Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi is a Japanese Nichiren Buddhist monk. His sole purpose in life is to save the world from a great conflagration, and so he has journeyed many places and led many peace marches around the globe starting from Vietnam war to the present Iraq war. He travels every year to visit Guruji in Nepal. He is popularly known by the name Peace Monk. In October 19, 2010 he led representing Dharma Sangha along with others from Nepal, India and China to Asanta, Kazakhstan and presented a documentary on Guru Dharma Sangha. He expresses on Palden Dorje like this:

Namumyohorengekyo! 


My heart is not ready to express publicly on Palden Dorje. I pledged to return to his forests with some of my closest Dharma students from India, China, Russia, Central Asia soon. 


I am fully committed and ready to giving my life for realizing his vision for World Peace.  As he is silent and only gives his life example, I also want to act without much word. Some profound preparations are taking place for now and we should be ready for any moment of deepest world transformation ever in history. 


- Jimsei Terasawa
Recently, one of the devotees by the name Ramani Karin Luescher from Purna Ashram of Switzerland writes this way:

“In Nepal we witnessed the indescribable blessings of Maha Sambodhi Dharma Sangha Guru to celebrate the 5 days of Puja in the village of Patharkot near Lalbandi. About 30 hours we sat close together in the presence of Guru Dharma Sangha and received 1 – 3 blessings per day. During these days about 270,000 Nepalis requested his blessing. The people were standing in line for kilometers in the blistering heat with babies on their arms. During the blessings Dharma Sangha Guru remained seated in the same position for hours without drinking or eating a bit. He treats every person in exactly the same manner …”

Despite many hurdles he faced and scorching heat during Puja time or without adequate arrangement for drinking water, food and shelter, the number of visitors for getting blessing has always been overwhelming, domestic or foreign. It is said to have noted that over six million (60 lakhs) devotees have so far requested his blessing.

I would see Mahasambodhi Guru Dharma Sangha, alias  Ram Bomjon, Palden Dorje, could be contemplated as a gift to Nepal, the mankind desperately needs in the face of growing threats of war, violence, discrimination and many more, to project Nepal as the Land of Buddhas that may have far and wide influence across the globe.

* The author is an agricultural scientist trained at University of Cansas, United States and a social activist in Sacramento, California. He extensively writes on Buddhism and its importance to the world.


Related link:  ‘THE BUDDHA BOY’ IS NEPAL’S GREATEST GIFT TO HUMANITY IN 2500 YEARS