Special Spiritual Event in Saga Dawa programs, month of meritorious
Saga Dawa, also known as Saka Dawa, is one of the holiest months in Tibetan Buddhism, typically falling in May or June. It commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death (Parinirvana) of Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha. The entire month is considered auspicious, but the fifteenth day, which corresponds to the full moon day, is especially significant. During Saga Dawa, Buddhists engage in various religious practices such as making offerings, reciting prayers and mantras, circumambulating sacred sites like temples and stupas, and performing acts of generosity and compassion. Many refrain from eating meat and engage in virtuous activities to accumulate merit, believing that positive actions during this month are multiplied in their effects. One of the most important practices during Saga Dawa is the observance of the Eightfold Path, which includes right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. Devotees also often release animals as a gesture of compassion and participate in charitable acts to benefit others. Pilgrimages to holy sites such as Lhasa, Bodh Gaya, and Mount Kailash are common during Saga Dawa, as believers seek to deepen their spiritual connection and gain merit. The culmination of the month is on the fifteenth day, when Buddhists engage in special prayers, rituals, and offerings to honor the Buddha's life and teachings. Overall, Saga Dawa is a time of heightened spiritual awareness and devotion for Tibetan Buddhists, emphasizing the importance of compassion, mindfulness, and ethical conduct in their lives.
April 13, 2024
1 Thursday May 9 10 am to 12 noon. Chenrezig guru yoga practice 7.30 to 8.30 pm 21 Tara sutra recitation and GreenTara practice
2 Friday May 10 10 am to 12 noon Medicine Buddha practice 6pm to 8pmPandita teaching on Kamalashila’s Stages of Meditation
3 Saturday May 11. 10 am to 12 noon Supreme Green Tara four mandala offering Puja 7.30 to &.30 pm 21 Tara sutra recitation and
Palden Lhamo Tea offering
4 Sunday May 12. 10 am to 12 noon Mother’s Day celebration 10 am animal liberation and 11 am Mother’s Day Celebration by
white Tara prayer and blessing and mother’s day cake offering 2pm to 4pmLamrim teaching
5 Monday May 13. 10 am to 12 noon Vajrasattva and 35 Buddhas practice with prostrations 7.30 to 8.30 pm 21 Taras sutra
recitation and meditation on Green Tara
6 Tuesday May 14. 9.30 am to 10;30am Zambhala puja and water offering 11 am to 1 pm Pandita teaching on rice seeding Sutra 7.30 to 8.30 pm 21 Taras sutra recitation and dharma projector Tea offering
7 Wednesday May 15. 10 am to 12 noon Lama Tsokhapa Guru Yoga or Gaden Lhagyama practice 7.30 to 8.30 pm 21 Taras sutra recitation and dharma projector Tea offering
Thursday May 16. 10 am to 12 noon Chenrezig guru yoga practice 7.30 to 8.30 pm Lamrim teaching
Friday May 17. 10 am to 12 noon Medicine Buddha practice 6pm to 8pm
Saturday May 18. 10 am to 12 noon Supreme Green Tara four mandala offering Puja 7.30 to &.30 pm 21 Tara sutra recitation and
Palden Lhamo Tea offering
Sunday May 19. 10 am to 12 noon Vajrasattva and 35 Buddhas practice with prostrations 2pm to 4 pm Lamrim teaching
Monday May 20 10 am to 12 noon Green Tara Practice with 21Tara sutra recitation 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm 21 Tara sutra prayer
Tuesday May 21 11am to 1 pm Pandita teaching on Rice Seeding Sutra about emptiness, 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm 21 Tara sutra prayers
Wednesday May 22. 10 am to 12 noon lama Tsokhapa Guru Yoga practice 7.30 to 8.30 pm 21 Tara sutra prayer and practices
Thursday May 23. 10 am to 12 noon Celebration of Buddha Birthday by Gavin water bath offering and extensive prayer 6.30 pm
candle light offering 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm Tsok Offering .
Drepung Loseling Institute of Texas at 10 am