A special Drikung Kagyu Chakrasamvara Conference was convened by His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche at Phyang Monastery, Ladakh, from May 25th to June 7th, 2009. The main goal of the conference was to promote the standardization of rites and rituals connected with the practice of Chakrasamvara. This was regarded as an urgent task, because of the declining number of experienced monks.

In the course of the conference all the teachings, rites and rituals on the elaborate practice of the Five Coemergent Deities of Chakrasamvara (bchom ldan 'das dpal 'khor lo sdom pa lhan skyes lha lnga'i sgrub 'khor bshugs so) were reviewed and examined in detail. Representatives of the three main Drikung Kagyu monasteries in Ladakh, Phyang, Lamayuru, and Sharchukhul, had the chance to discuss the various differences in the way they do the practice and ritual in order to unify the practice and illuminate any uncertainties. Over 300 Drikung Kagyu monks and nuns mainly from Ladakh, but also from Dehra Dun and other places came to attend the conference. Even a small group of foreign disciples were present. Particularly there were a couple of older monks who had studied in Tibet at Drikung Thil and Drikung Yangrigar who were able to share their knowledge of how the practice was done there.

Every morning at 6:00am the disciples would gather in the lower monastery at Phyang to perform the elaborate sadhana with His Holiness, and in the afternoon at 2:30pm His Holiness would give one hour of teachings followed by a discussion on that particular topic among the various monasteries, clarifying and sharing their knowledge and experience.

During the first few days a sand mandala was created and each aspect of the ritual was performed and discussed. Pacifying and increasing Fire Pujas were carried out and a full elaborate empowerment was given on the final days of the conference at which time the local devotees from Ladakh came by the hundreds to receive the blessings of His Holiness.

After the conference a manual containing the various points that were examined and discussed as well as the clarifications and corrections that were made will be published and distributed to all the Drikung Kagyu monasteries in India and Tibet. This was a truly remarkable, historic and important event for the Drikung Lineage.