Buddha Day – Lha Bab Duchen

Today is one of the four great celebration days of the Buddhist year, Lha Bab Duchen.

The festival of Lha Bab Duchen (‘Descent from the heaven realms’) commemorates the return of Shakyamuni Buddha from the heaven realm of Tushita where his mother had been reborn. In order to liberate her and to benefit other beings, The Buddha spent three months there teaching. The day he returned to the human realm was a cause of great celebration.

At the Sakya Centre in Bristol the day will be marked with the recitation of the The Praise of the Twelve Deeds of Sakyamuni Buddha and the beautiful Sixteen Sthaviras Puja. [The reading transmission is required to participate in the puja – this was given by Lama Jampa in London in October 2019].

On the four Buddha Days it is particularly auspicious to make offerings and prayers to Lord Buddha accompanied by the group of sixteen Arahats who vowed to remain in the world to protect and spread the Dharma. Praying to this noble assembly also helps stabilise the lives of all our Dharma teachers.