Buddhist Holy Days  

 

 

 
Losar
Tibetan New Year
 

The first day of the first lunar month of the Tibetan calendar is Losar.  "Lo"  means "Year" and "Sar" means "New".  The Tibetan families celebrate this holiday by gathering at the local Monastery to make offerings and special prayers for the new year.    The practice of purification for the new year, includes the recitation of prayers and rituals that dissolve the negativities of the old year, inviting positive energy into the New Year! 

Palden Lhamo is the Protector of Tibet and the Gelug Order of Monks. The Palden Lhamo Puja is offered on the last days of the old Tibetan year to purify obstacles for the new year.

 

 
 
Choturl Duchen
Day of Miracles
 

The Day of Miracles or Choturl Duchen celebrates the subduing of the leaders of the six main philosophical schools who had challenged Buddha to a contest of miraculous powers.

The first day of the fifteen days of miracles began on the new moon, now known as Losar. Each day for fifteen days, Buddha gave teachings and performed miracles in order subdued the followers of the six schools. The fifteenth day is known as the Day of Miracles, each day all actions are magnified millions of times.

Buddha had refused the requests of the leaders of the six schools many times. But due to their resentment and jealousy, they persisted with their challenges following him to his teachings with their 90,000 followers and making demands to the King to stage a contest. 

Buddha finally accepted their challenge as he determined that many people following them would be subdued through his display of his miraculous powers, and determined that the contest would take place in Shravasti. The 90,000 followers of the six schools, adopted the Buddhist doctrine, some becoming monks and Arhats.

 

 
Saka Dawa Duchen
The Full Moon Day
 

Saka Dawa Duchen commemorates the anniversary of the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana, all of which took place on the 15th day of the fourth lunar month of the Tibetan calendar. Saka Dawa is traditionally celebrated for one full month; any virtuous acts performed during this month are multiplied 100,000 times.

The Lord Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal, achieved enlightenment in Bodhgaya, India, and passed to nirvana in Kushinagar, India.  The temples have been built in these holy sites, to preserve and commemorate the memory of his holy life.

 

 
Chokhor Duchen
First Turning of the Wheel

 

Chokhor Duchen commemorates the Buddha’s first sermon and the teaching of the Four Noble Truths given at the site of the stupa   The Buddha's first sermon is called the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, meaning  "setting the wheel of dharma in motion.

 

THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
The Truth Of Suffering
The Truth Of Origin of Suffering
The Truth Of Cessation of Suffering
The Truth of Path to Cessation of Suffering

 
  The Dhamehk Stupa in Sarnath India, was erected by the Great King Ashoka.  Emperor Ashoka (273-232 B.C.) was a staunch follower of Buddhism and visited Sarnath and laid the foundation of the Buddhist Sangha here. The Ashoka Pillar bears testimony to his visit. 

 
Lha-Bab Duchen
Buddha's Descent From the Thirty Three Heavens

Lha-Bab Duchen marks the anniversary of the Buddha’s descent from the heavenly realm to the earth. It is on this day that Buddha Shakyamuni descended to The Heaven of Thirty-Three (Trayastrimsa) in order to give teachings to benefit the gods in the desire realms, and to repay the kindness of his mother by liberating her from Samsara. Maya, the Buddha's mother, was reborn after her death in the realm of the thirty-three gods.

In order to repay her kindness the Buddha spent the three summer months of that year teaching her in that realm. Having ripened his mother and others, he returned to the human realm on the twenty-second day of the ninth month. The gods created a stairway made of beryl, gold, and silver which the Buddha descended, attended by Brahma and Indra. He arrived in the town of Kashi [the modern-day Benares], in the midst of many sravakas and other people.

Commemorating this occasion, this style of stupa, decorated with steps, was first erected at Kashi. This is considered to be one of the great eight deeds of the Buddha.

     It is part of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition to engage in virtuous activities and prayer on Lha-Bab Duchen day. On Lhabab Duchen, the effects of positive or negative actions are multiplied ten million times. It is taught throughout the Buddha's teachings and their commentaries that the effects of virtue and wrongdoing are billions of times more powerful on the four great occasions connected with the Buddha's life.

 

Gaden Ngamcho
Lama Je TsongKhapa Anniversary

Gaden Ngamcho celebrates the accomplishments of the saint and scholar Lama Je Tsongkapha and the numerous texts written in his lifetime.  He is founder of the Gelugpa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, built on the foundations of the Kadampa tradition, the legacy of Atisha.

Lama Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) was born in Amdo, in northeast Tibet. Interested in the miraculous events that occurred at Tsongkhapa’s birth, the master Choje Dondrup Rinchen took charge of his education when he was seven, giving him many teachings and tantric empowerments.  Tsongkhapa left Amdo at sixteen to further his studies, studying under fifty teachers and gaining a wide knowledge of both sutra and tantra, being especially impressed with Dignaga and Dharmakirti’s system of reasoning. There followed an intense period of study and meditation, during which he experienced visions of Manjushri.

Some of Lama Tsongkhapa's most important works include:The Great Exposition of the Stages of the Path (Lamrim Chenmo), The Great Exposition of Tantras, The Essence of Eloquence on the Interpretive and Definitive Teachings, The Praise of Relativity, The Clear Exposition of the Five Stages of Guhyasamaja and The Golden Rosary

These works are prime sources for the studies of the Gelug tradtion and have been praised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as being the true essence of Buddhapalita’s work. 


Based on Tsongkhapa’s teachings, the two distinguishing characteristics of the Gelug tradition are the union of sutra and tantra and the emphasis on vinaya.   Four other accomplishments were the renovation of the Maitreya statue at Dzingji monastery and the great prayer festival, his extensive work on the vinaya (code of monastic discipline) ; the establishment of the annual Great Prayer Festival—Monlam; and the founding of Ganden monastery.   Having studied at Sakya, Kadam and Drikung Kargyu monasteries, he was one of the foremost authorities on Tibetan Buddhism.

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2024 Auspicious Days

Losar
Chotrul Düchen
Saka Dawa Düchen
HHDL 88th BD
Chokhor Düchen
Lha Bab Düchen
Gaden Ngamcho
Sat, Feb 10, 2024
Sat, Feb 24, 2024
Thur, May 23, 2024
Sat, July 06, 2024
Wed, July 10, 2024
Fri, Nov 22, 2024
Wed, Dec 25, 2024
 

Buddha's Birth Site in Lumbini

 

 

The Site of Buddha's Enlightenment
in Bodhgaya, India

 

Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
Sarnarth, India

 

 

Anathapindika Stupa
Nalanda Monastery
in Sravasti, India

 

Lord Buddha's Mother Maya

 

Lama Tsong Khapa at LEW

 

Lam Rim Chenmo

 

Lama Tsong Kapha