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Shakyamuni Buddha turning the wheel of Dharma for the first time, Land of Medicine Buddha, Wish Fulfilling Temple mural, Soquel, California, USA
Chokhor Duchen, one of the four annual holy days of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, takes place this year on July 24. 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 by teaching the four noble truths.
Nuns from Kopan Nunnery attending Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings, Kathmandu, Nepal, April 2019. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche for practices to do on merit multiplying days such as Chokhor Duchen can be found here. (Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice and recommended practices for merit multiplying days is also available in French.)
Chokhor Duchen is also the day on which FPMT celebrates International Sangha Day! You can read more about monks and nuns in FPMT.
Young monks, Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu, Nepal, April 2020. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Kopan monks performing Lama Chopa on Saka Dawa, Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu, Nepal, June 2020. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
On merit multiplying days, the FPMT Puja Fund typically sponsors a large number of pujas and practices performed by thousands of sangha on behalf of the entire FPMT. Unfortunately, many of the monasteries in South India are unable to host such pujas and practices due to the current pandemic. During this Chokhor Duchen, the FPMT Puja Fund will offer on behalf of the entire FPMT organization and all students, benefactors, and beings:
- The recitation of the Kangyur (108 volumes of translated words of the Buddha), offered by 400 nuns of Kopan Nunnery;
- Offerings to all of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus and to all of the International Mahayana Institute sangha communities; and
- Offerings of gold, robes, saffron, and umbrellas to the Jowo Buddha in Tibet, the Shakyamuni Buddha in the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, and Boudhanath and Swayambunath Stupas.
We rejoice in all of the meritorious activities happening around the world on this auspicious merit multiplying day!
Ven. Amy Miller receiving teachings, Institut Vajra Yogini, Marzens, France, May 2019. Photo by Tsanka Petkova.
Please keep in mind: According to the late Ven. Choden Rinpoche, one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus, observation of auspicious days should be according to the date in India, not the date in one’s home country. Therefore, when Lama Zopa Rinpoche is not in India, Rinpoche celebrates the great holy days of the Buddha and other auspicious dates according to the time in India.
Special thanks to the Liberation Prison Project for preparing a Tibetan calendar with information on holy days and other important dates for avoiding or engaging in various activities:
https://shop.fpmt.org/search.asp?keyword=calendar&search=
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