Batyr Elistaev, A Daily Prayer to Deity Protectors

Lama Batyr explains that solka is a practice of the defenders of Dharma aimed at defending the teachings of Buddha so that evil does not influence the hearts of the pious. During this ritual, which is performed at sunset, the deities are offered prayers and food called torma made from dough. The defenders of the Orgakin Temple, of which Batyr is the abbot, are Vajrapani (Ochirvani), Mahakala, Okn Tengr (Palden Lhamo) and others. Batyr says that Vajrapani, who is a bodhisattva of secret powers and who was one of Buddha’s disciples, is considered to be the defender of all Mongol groups. Avalokite?vara, another disciple of Buddha who is a bodhisattva of compassion himself, is seen as the defender of Tibet. The Buddha’s third disciple, Manjushri who is a bodhisattva of wisdom, is the defender of China.In 2005 the Orgakin Temple received a statue of Vajrapani from Nepal.At the end, Batyr reads a prayer to Mahakala. Usually, he explains, this prayer is read every morning in order to remove obstacles in life.Sponsored by Arcadia Fund, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin