Buddha Day – Chotrul Duchen

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

The first fifteen Days of the Tibetan new year celebrate the fifteen days on which Lord Buddha displayed miracles at Shravasti, in order to defeat the six non-Buddhist teachers and inspire devotion in his disciples.

On this day 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.

At the Sakya Buddhist Centre in Bristol we will recite the The Praise of the Twelve Deeds of Sakyamuni Buddha and the beautiful Sixteen Sthaviras Puja. All are welcome to participate.

The first month of the new year of the Tibetan calendar is called “Chotrul Dawa,” the month when Lord Buddha performed miracles. Once when Lord Buddha was residing at Shravasti, he performed a different miracle on consecutive days for fifteen days, culminating at the full moon. He demonstrated this in order to defeat arrogant non-believers, to reveal some of the qualities of enlightenment, and in order to increase the merit and the devotion of disciples. It is considered that all deeds positive or negative are multiplied a hundred thousand times in this month, so it is also called “Bumgyur Dawa.” (‘bum’ means 100,000, ‘Dawa’ means month).

Therefore the first month, and particularly the first 15 days, are considered great opportunities to intensify Dharma practice, to accumulate merit, and to be particularly mindful of all actions of body, speech and mind.

Please join us in the shrine room or on Zoom (using the usual link for pujas – please email us if you need this: bristol@dechen.org).