11 Saturday Jun 2011
Posted in Buddhist holy days
Saga Dawa is the Tibetan Buddhist equivalent to Vesak, which is the birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana of Buddha all combined. This year, Saga Dawa falls on June 15, 2011.
It’s based on the Tibetan lunar calendar, falling on the full moon of the fourth month. During this large festival event, people refrain from killing and give alms to monastics. Continue reading »
18 Friday Mar 2011
Posted in Buddhist holy days, Tibetan Buddhism
Buddhist Holy Day: Day of Miracles
Within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, one of the annual Buddhist Holy Days, according to the lunar calendar, is the Day of Miracles.
At the time of the Buddha, 6 great Hindu teachers, representing the 6 great schools of Hinduism, at the time, challenged Shakyamuni Buddha to a competition of miracles. The Buddha purposely avoided these things because people are easily interested in mundane powers instead of practicing Dharma.
As the story goes, through his clairovoyance, he understood they wouldn’t be subdued unless he performed the miracles, so he outdid them for 15 days and the 6 scholars converted to Buddhism. Otherwise, the Buddha avoided displays of powers. Continue reading »
