Lhabab Duchen is November 3 this year. Lama Sonam Rinpoche told us last year, "This is one of the five holy days commemorating special times in the life of Buddha Shakyamuni. We honor Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, his beginning to teach, and his parinirvana, plus a fifth holy day when he went to the Heaven of 33 to teach and liberate his mother and other beings in the god realm, Lhabab Duchen. On this day, effects of positive and negative deeds are magnified 10 million times. One way of creating merit at this time is to make light offerings. According to tradition, when Buddha left the earth for the Heaven of 33, kings and disciples alike prayed for his return by offering lights. The outer lights symbolize the inner light of our own practice. Our meditation cultivates our natural light. Light can manifest for many beings to dispel ignorance, bringing incredible merit to ourselves and to all sentient beings. By offering lights, we are praying that the inner light of all beings is joined with infinite light.”
On this day we will also be offering tsok. Lama Tharchin Rinpoche said that, "[Tsok] is a gathering for the accumulation of merit and wisdom. According to Vajrayana, tsok is the most profound method of accumulating merit and wisdom." Click here to see more of Rinpoche's words on offering tsok and butterlamps.
We will be doing Buddha Puja and offering butterlamps and a special tsok in our shrine room at Pema Ösel Ling and at Drupdra, our Three-Year Retreat. You are most welcome to join us for Buddha Puja at 7 PM. Even if you can not join us on Lhabab Duchen, you may offer butterlamps and sponsor tsok. When you make an offering during this period we invite you to make a dedication in your own name or the name of a loved one. Names will be read both in our shrine room and in Drupdra. Any proceeds from your generosity on this day, beyond the cost of tsok and butterlamps, will go to support the shrine in Drupdra.
May all beings benefit from our meritorious activity!