receive our newsletters
join Friends of FPMT
Lama Zopa Rinpoche takes a pinch of chemar, a mixture of butter and roasted barley flour, in celebration of the new year, Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu, Nepal, February 2019. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
The Fifteen Days of Miracles—from the first day of the Tibetan new year (Losar, February 24) until the fifteenth (March 9)—commemorate the special time when Guru Shakyamuni Buddha showed miraculous powers in order to subdue six tirthika, or non-Buddhist teachers, who lacked faith in him, and to inspire more faith in his followers. It culminates on the full moon, the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, which is the actual day of Chotrul Duchen.
Losar is traditionally celebrated for three days, during which Tibetans spend time with friends and family, eat, play games, and relax. A number of rituals and customs have developed around it, such as the eating of a special soup called “guthug” on the 29th day of the last Tibetan month of the year, two days before Losar. In the monasteries, there is a Losar tradition to do the extensive Palden Lhamo puja before dawn.
The Fifteen Days of Miracles are also a time for pilgrimage and intensive Dharma practice. During this period, many Tibetan monasteries, including Kopan Monastery in Nepal, hold a Great Prayer Festival—Monlam Chenmo—for several days or even weeks during which the Sangha recite prayers from morning until evening.
This year, Losar falls on February 24. The Fifteen Days of Miracles continue through Chotrul Duchen on March 9.
All fifteen days are merit multiplying days, when the merit of virtuous actions performed on these days is multiplied by 100 million, as cited by Lama Zopa Rinpoche from the vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche presides over a Losar puja, Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu, Nepal, February 2019. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Advice Specifically for Losar
For FPMT, Losar is a special time as it commemorates the anniversary of FPMT founder Lama Yeshe’s parinirvana at dawn of Losar in 1984. Lama Zopa Rinpoche asks centers to offer students the opportunity to offer extensive Lama Chopa with tsog in honor of this anniversary. Lama Zopa Rinpoche says that one generates incredible merit by offering tsog on that occasion every year. This Losar marks thirty-six years since the passing of Lama.
Rinpoche also recommends that centers host annual events to introduce new students to Lama Yeshe. These events might include students who knew Lama Yeshe sharing their favorite stories, watching videos of Lama teaching, or reading stories about Lama.
Lama Yeshe, Lake Arrowhead, California, United States, 1975. Photo by Carol Royce-Wilder, courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.
Advice for the Fifteen Days of Miracles
Advice for merit multiplying days in general can be found here. (Advice for merit multiplying days can also be found in French.)
If the members of your community decide to recite the Sutra of Golden Light on these special days, we invite them to report their recitations on the Sutra of Golden Light reporting page.
Losar Tashi Delek! Happy Tibetan New Year!
Please keep in mind: According to the late Ven. Choden Rinpoche, one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachers, 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 merit multiplying days and other auspicious dates according to the time in India.
On merit multiplying days, the FPMT Puja Fund sponsors, on behalf of the entire FPMT, 6,000 monks at Sera Lachi; 3,400 monks at Ganden Lachi; 4,200 monks at Drepung Lachi; 650 monks at Gyurme Tantric College; and 600 monks at Gyuto Tantric College to perform various prayers and pujas. These prayers are dedicated to all FPMT centers, projects, and services; all students, volunteers, and those who offer service in FPMT; and to all beings in general. Offerings are also made to all of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus and to sangha in FPMT international sangha communities. On Losar and the Fifteen Miracle Days of Chotrul Duchen specifically, the FPMT Puja Fund additionally offers a full set of robes to all FPMT geshes and monastic resident teachers; offers lunch and money to 400 nuns and 370 monks at Kopan Nunnery and Monastery on Losar; and offers money to the Kopan nuns and monks during the Monlam Chenmo.
Special thanks to the Liberation Prison Project for preparing this year’s Tibetan calendar. A limited view of the calendar is always available on “Dharma Practice Dates” as a courtesy to FPMT students around the world.
Through comprehensive study programs, practice materials, and training seminars, FPMT Education nourishes the development of compassion, wisdom, kindness, and true happiness in individuals of all ages.