Month: January 2023

Chokhor Duchen, one of the four annual holy days of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, takes place this year on August 1. On these holy days, the power of any meritorious action is multiplied by 100 million, as taught in the vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic.

Known in English as “Turning the Wheel of Dharma,” Chokhor Duchen commemorates the anniversary of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s first teaching. It is said that for seven weeks after his enlightenment, the Buddha did not teach. Afterward, Indra and Brahma offered a dharmachakra and a conch shell, and requested Guru Shakyamuni Buddha to teach. Accepting, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha turned the wheel of Dharma for the first time at Sarnath in his teaching on the four noble truths.

Celebrate this special Buddha Day with Guru puja with Geshe Samten.

All welcome. Places are limited! Bring offerings of flowers and fruit.

Download Lama Choepa Practice Book Here

Download Praise to Shakyamuni Here

Download Confession to 35 Buddhas Here

Chotrul Duchen (Day of Miracles) marks the end of the 15 Days of Miracles.

Chotrul Duchen, meaning “Great Day of Miraculous Manifestations”, is one of the four great holy days observed by Tibetan Buddhists, always occurring on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the Tibetan calendar. During this time, it is believed that the effects of both positive and negative actions are multiplied ten million times.

Join us to celebrate this holy day by reciting the Shakyamuni Buddha Puja (with Tsog offering) 

Advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche for practices to do on merit multiplying days such as Chotrul Duchen can be found here.

All welcome. Offerings of flowers and fruit for puja appreciated

Losar is the Tibetan New Year! Tibetan New Year is the most important festival in Tibet. It is an occasion when Tibetan families reunite and prepare for a better coming year. Known as Losar, the festival starts from 1st to 3rd of the 1st Tibetan month. Specially made offerings are offered to family shrine deities; doors are painted with religious symbols; other painstaking jobs are done to prepare for the event.

Losar is the Tibetan New Year and the first two weeks, in particular, commemorate the time when the Buddha uncharacteristically displayed his power by doing a number of miracles to win over hundreds (if not thousands) of disciples from a teacher who was a non-believer of what the Buddha taught and challenged him to a dual of mystical powers. At the end of the two week period, the Buddha had clearly won the match and as a result all present converted to the practices taught by the Buddha.

The new year spawns a time of increase in virtuous activity amongst Buddhist practitioners. Any actions done during that period of time, for better or worse, are multiplied in their power by virtue of being in alignment or out of alignment with the great deeds the Buddha himself did during this same astrological period over 2,500 years ago. It is a very powerful time to practice and increase one’s commitment to both practice and study as the power of that magical event can be harnessed to assist in our personal evolution towards enlightenment.

On this day we also remember Lama Thubten Yeshe, the precious founder of the FPMT, who passed away in 1984 on the first day of the Tibetan New Year.

Specific advise from Lama Zopa Rinpoche for Losar can be found here

This year we will celebrate with a special Guru Puja with Tsog offering (offerings for sangha and food and fruit offerings for puja are welcome)