What is a Tenshug?

Tenshug is the Tibetan term for a ceremonial long-life prayer ritual that is an expression of devotion and appreciation towards the spiritual leader. The ceremony involves devotees who offer prayers to pacify the obstacles to a long life and the fulfillment of all the wishes of the teacher.

In initiating or sponsoring a Tenshug, the devotees also make commitments to practise the teachings of the spiritual leader. Although the Dalai Lama has been a recipient of many Tenshug ceremonies, this will be the first Tenshug offering offered entirely by Tibetan youth (between age 18-45).

The Tenshug ceremony is characterised by an elaborate display of devotion, expressed through prayers and offering of symbolic or auspicious objects such as mandalas, offerings of body, speech, mind, and the eight symbols of auspiciousness.