The First World Peace Prayer by His Eminence Gegye Yongyal Rinpoche
As remembered by his disciple, Khenpo Paljor Tamang

In December 2020, a profound spiritual event unfolded at the sacred grounds of the Boudhanath Stupa in Nepal. What began as a family’s act of devotion soon transformed into a compassionate offering for the entire world.

At the age of only 27, Gegye Yongyal Rinpoche had just completed the 49-day funeral prayers for his beloved grandmother in his home. According to the ancient traditions of the Tibetan Buddhism, the 49-day period after death is a sacred time during which prayers and rituals are dedicated to guide the consciousness of the departed toward liberation and a favorable rebirth.

Moved by deep compassion and the suffering he witnessed around the world, Rinpoche made an extraordinary decision. Rather than limiting the prayers to his own family member, he chose to extend the merit of the ceremony to all beings who had passed away, especially those whose families could not afford traditional funeral rites by doing a grand prayer with over 100 participants.

With this intention, Rinpoche organized the First World Peace Prayer in Boudhanath Kathmandu Nepal. Rinpoche performed together with respected Rinpoches and Khenpos of the Nyingma tradition and over 100 Ngyakpas. The sacred rituals took place near the great stupa Boudhanath, a site revered for centuries as a center of prayer, pilgrimage, and spiritual awakening.

One of the central practices offered during this period was the ancient and profound Chö prayer ritual, a powerful meditative practice dedicated to cutting through ego and offering compassion to all sentient beings. During the ceremony, more than one hundred devoted practitioners and devotees gathered, participating in prayers, chanting, and offerings dedicated to the liberation of the deceased and the healing of the world.

For many families, such elaborate traditional prayers are financially difficult to arrange. Recognizing this reality, Rinpoche offered the entire ceremony freely, ensuring that the blessings and spiritual merit could reach those who had no means to perform such rituals for their loved ones.

Witnessing the event, Khenpo Paljor Tamang, a disciple of Rinpoche, served as a translator during the gathering and recalls the atmosphere as deeply moving and spiritually powerful. Devotees felt that the prayers transcended individual grief and became a universal act of compassion for humanity.

In a time when the world was facing great uncertainty and loss, the ceremony at Boudhanath became more than a memorial—it became a prayer for peace, healing, and liberation for all beings.

Many who attended later reflected that the gathering felt like a blessing offered not only to the departed, but to the entire universe.

This historic event is remembered as the first World Peace Prayer led by Gegye Yongyal Rinpoche, a compassionate offering dedicated to the wellbeing of all sentient beings and the aspiration that suffering everywhere may be transformed into wisdom, compassion, and peace.