Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe, Lake Arrowhead, 1975. Photo by Carol Royce-Wilder. Courtesy of the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

The Fifteen Days of Miracles commemorate the special time when Guru Shakyamuni Buddha showed miraculous powers in order to subdue six tirthikas, or non-Buddhist teachers, who lacked faith in him, and to inspire more faith in his followers. It begins on Losar (February 28, 2025) and culminates on Chotrul Duchen (March 14, 2025), the full moon on the lunar calendar.  

All fifteen days are merit multiplying days, when the merit of virtuous actions performed on each of these days is multiplied by 100 million, according to the vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic.

Below we share a wealth of resources to help ensure this meritorious time is as powerful as possible for you, your community, and the world. There are so many opportunities available, and we do hope you will take advantage of all that you are able to! 

Practice Advice | Swift Return Prayers for Lama Zopa Rinpoche | Anniversary of Lama Yeshe’s Passing | Offerings on Losar

Practice Advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Khenrinpoche Geshe Chonyi, and Kopan sangha offering incense puja on the hill at Kopan Monastery on the third day of Losar, March 5, 2022. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

 Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered extensive advice for how to make the most of these great holy multiplying days. Of particular note:

• Take the eight Mahayana precepts: Students can receive the lineage of these precepts from a specially produced video of Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering them in May 2020.
• Recite the Sutra Remembering the Three Jewels

Rinpoche also suggested any of the following, as one is able:

• Perform the Guru Shakyamuni Buddha puja. A beautiful and deeply inspirational puja. The puja text is formatted with hyperlinks for smooth navigation, so that individuals can easily do the core practice and any additional ones as their time allows. (This puja was performed with Khandro Kunga Bhuma on Vesak Day 2022 at Losang Dragpa Centre in Malaysia, with its resident teacher, Geshe Jampa Tsondu, as chant master. You can watch this online, starting at 6:10 in the video.)
• Recite sutras, such as Vajra Cutter Sutra, Sutra of Golden Light, and Sanghata Sutra
• Undertake Nyung Nas
• Perform self-initiation, for those who fulfilled the necessary prerequisites
• Perform Lama Chopa, and at either the beginning of the practice or during the lamrim section, you can meditate on emptiness
• Recite other prayers, such as Chanting the Names of Manjushri, and King of Prayers
• Recite the names of the Thirty-Five Buddhas, with prostrations
• Recite Vajrasattva mantras
• Recite OṂ MAṆI PADME HŪṂ with bodhichitta
• Meditate on emptiness and dependent arising
• Meditate on bodhichitta
• Practice tonglen
• Practice rejoicing in the good deeds of others
• Liberating animals

Of course, any other meritorious activities often advised by Lama Zopa Rinpoche are also good to do on these days. If you choose to recite the Sutra of Golden Light on these or other days, please remember to report your recitations in the Sutra of Golden Light reporting page. 

Swift Return Prayers for Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Prayer session for the swift return of Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Bodhgaya, India, December 31, 2023. Photo by Ven. Tenzin Michael.

For any prayers and practices done on these multiplying days, please do take the opportunity to dedicate all of the merit generated for the swift return of our most precious Lama Zopa Rinpoche. In this way, you join forces with students around the world in order to generate as many powerful prayers as possible for Rinpoche’s unmistaken incarnation to swiftly return to us. 

• Prayers for the Swift Return of Lama Zopa Rinpoche 

There are many events and activities being organized around the world for powerful prayers dedicated to Rinpoche’s swift return during this merit-multiplying period. Here we share a short list of some of the planned programs, for inspiration, rejoicing, and when possible—for joining in! 

• During the Fifteen Days of Miracles, many Tibetan monasteries hold a Great Prayer Festival, which originates from Lama Tsongkhapa.  Kopan Monastery continues to host the Great Prayer Festival on behalf of the FPMT annually since 1998.
• According to the wish of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Nalanda Monastery in France will be hosting its second annual Gelug Monlam from March 11-15. A Monlam Chenmo Prayer Book is available for centers or students who wish to host their own Prayer Festival or recite some of those prayers during this period are much encouraged.
• Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India, is once again organizing a 15-day Losar Prayer Festival dedicated for Rinpoche’s swift return at the Bodhgaya stupa. Everyone is invited to join the livestream prayers on the Root Institute’s YouTube channel, February 28-March 14, 2025, copies of the prayers and links to livestream will be made available closer to the time. 
• Tushita Meditation Centre, Dharamsala, has organized for sixteen Dharma teachers to lead and inspire over the 15 Days of Miracles, all dedicated to the swift return of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. All are very welcome to join online. 
• Please do also check with your local center to find out about Losar and 15 Days of Miracles activities planned. 

Plans continue for commemorating the second anniversary of Rinpoche showing the aspect of passing away on April 13, 2023 including prayers at Kopan Monastery on April 13, and the second annual Lawudo Anniversary Pilgrimage starting on April 26-May 10. 

Anniversary of Lama Yeshe’s Passing Away

Lama Yeshe, Yucca Valley, California, US, 1977. Photo courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

Losar is a special time for the FPMT organization as it commemorates the anniversary of FPMT founder Lama Yeshe’s parinirvana at dawn of Losar in 1984. Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised to offer extensive Lama Chöpa with tsog on this special day.

 Rinpoche’s advice for a short Tibetan text, translated and with commentary by Rinpoche, Advice for the Anniversary of the Guru’s Passing Away, explains the importance of making offerings on the anniversary of the passing away of one’s guru.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche requested that centers host annual events on Losar day 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. Of course, students are also encouraged to share stories of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, particularly now that Rinpoche has shown the aspect of passing away, this is a wonderful opportunity to keep these stories of our founders alive.

Additionally, according to the wishes of Rinpoche, on the anniversary of Lama Yeshe’s passing each year (Losar), gold will be offered to the Lama Yeshe statue at Kopan Monastery. This has now been occurring since 2022 and will be ongoing, in order to honor Rinpoche’s request. FPMT affiliates which have statues of Lama Yeshe are also encouraged to offer gold in this way every year, or as you are able.

Offerings on Losar

Monks offering puja at Kopan Monastery.

During the fifteen days of Losar, the FPMT Puja Fund will be sponsoring numerous pujas, including the recitation of the entire Kangyur, Guhyasamaja Root Tantra, 1000 set of offerings to Namgyalma, Medicine Buddha, Druk Chuma, and recitation of the  and Names of Manjushri (Jampal Tshen Jo) for the swift return of our precious Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, as well as many additional pujas and prayers. The Puja Fund will also be making monetary offerings to all the Sangha, to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus; and offering saffron, a new coat of paint, umbrella, and new robes to holy objects in India and Nepal. Please consider sharing information about this vast offering and extensive prayers that have been specifically set up by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for the benefit of the whole organization and all beings.

Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), is a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.