Buddhist holidays are events full of kindness and joy. Every year, Buddhists around the world celebrate many holidays and organize festivals, most of which are associated with important events in the life of the Buddha or various bodhisattvas. Holiday dates are set according to the lunar calendar and may not coincide in various countries and traditions. As a rule, on the day of the festival, lay people go to the local Buddhist temple to offer food and other items to the monks in the early morning, as well as listen to moral instructions. Daytime may be spent helping the poor, walking around a temple or stupa to honor the Three Jewels, reciting mantras and meditation. The most important Buddhist holidays are briefly described below.
In different parts of the world this holiday falls on different dates. In Theravada countries (Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Laos) New Year celebrated on the full moon day of April and celebrated for three days. In the Mahayana tradition, the New Year usually begins on the first full moon of January, and the majority of Tibetan Buddhists celebrate it in March. In South Asian countries, it is customary to throw water on each other on this day.
Some Buddhist holidays have special significance and are held on a large scale, for example, Vesak - Buddha Day. On the full moon of May, Buddhists around the world celebrate the birthday, enlightenment and passing away of Buddha (except during leap years, when the holiday falls in early June). The word "Vesak" is used according to the name of the month in the Indian calendar.
Magha Puja is celebrated on the full moon of the third lunar month and may fall in February or March. This sacred day serves as a reminder of an important event in the life of the Buddha, which occurred during the early period of his activity as a teacher. After the first retreat during the rainy season, the Buddha went to the city of Rajagaha. Here, without prior agreement, 1,250 arhats (enlightened students) returned after their wanderings to pay respects to the teacher. They gathered at the Veruvana monastery along with two of the Buddha's senior disciples - the venerable Sariputra and Moggalana.
Mahayana followers celebrate this holiday from the beginning of the eighth lunar month to its fifteenth lunar day. It is believed that the gates of Hell open on the first day of this month and spirits can travel to the human world for two weeks. Offerings of food made during this period can alleviate the suffering of ghosts. On the fifteenth day, Ulambanu, people visit cemeteries to make offerings to their deceased ancestors. Some Theravadins from Cambodia, Laos and Thailand also celebrate this annual event. Japanese Buddhists have a similar holiday called Obon, which begins on July 13, lasts 3 days and is dedicated to the birth of departed family ancestors in new bodies.
This holiday is dedicated to the bodhisattva ideal embodied by Avalokiteshvara, who personifies perfect compassion in the Mahayana tradition of Tibet and China. The holiday falls on the full moon of March.
On this day, it is customary to celebrate the enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha. Typically, Buddhists celebrate this important holiday on the eighth of December by reciting mantras, sutras, meditating and listening to teachings.
There are other Buddhist holidays that have different scales and their own unique specifics. They can take place either annually or have a more frequent frequency.
The culture and philosophy of the East have long occupied the minds of Europeans with their special attitude towards life, living beings and the world as a whole, but Buddhism was especially alluring: this religion became the third most popular, after Christianity and Islam. Buddhist holidays and rituals have always been distinguished by their colorfulness, pomp and special, specific rituals, rooted in ancient times. They are based on the teachings of the great saint Buddha Gotama (Gautama).
The founder of this religious teaching was Buddha Shakyamuni (Siddhartha Gautama), a real person who achieved Enlightenment on the 49th day of meditation. It is worth noting that Buddha is not a name, but rather a designation for a specific state of consciousness: literally it means “enlightened, awakened.”
It was Siddhartha who became the founder of one of the most powerful and influential religions on earth, although in fact Buddhism is more of a science than a belief in the divine. Buddha formulated four truths, on the basis of which the teaching grew - “Four Diamond (Noble) Truths”:
Buddhism is divided into several main and many small schools, between which there are minor, but still differences in views on their teaching:
Chinese Buddhism and Zen are also considered offshoots of Buddhism, but they emphasize the achievements of the later masters rather than Gotama Buddha himself.
The Eastern mentality is significantly different from the European one, and the religious one is even more so: “a holiday means we relax and go for a walk” - this is not about Buddhists. On the contrary, on these days they zealously observe various restrictions, austerities and vows, perform various rituals, because they know that the energy of holidays is special and can strengthen the effect of actions hundreds of times: both positive and negative.
Another feature is that the Buddhist chronology follows the lunar calendar, and since the lunar month is shorter than the solar month, almost all holiday dates are rolling, that is, sliding according to the dates (Christian Easter is also moving holiday). Also, many dates begin counting from a certain event, the birthday of Buddha, for example. Therefore, astrologers are constantly busy calculating future celebrations, memorable events and important events.
Regardless of belonging to different movements of Buddhism, most of the holidays are common, which means they are celebrated simultaneously in all regions and schools. The following list of holidays in Buddhism includes events that are important to all adherents of this movement.
In addition to the main ones, the birthday of the Dalai Lama is celebrated - the only fixed holiday, as well as many less pompous, but also important events for Buddhist communities.
One of the main Buddhist holidays has several names that designate this day in different schools of Buddhism - birthday, day of passing into Paranirvana and day of achieving Enlightenment. Almost all schools of this teaching are confident that these three most important events in the life of the Buddha occurred on the same day, only in different years. Vesak, Donchod-Khural, Saga Deva, Visakha Puja - all these names mean the same thing. For a whole week, followers of the Buddha celebrate Vesak, telling the world about the life of their guru, lighting lanterns made of paper in his honor, which are a symbol of the enlightenment to which the Teacher leads.
In monasteries and temples, solemn prayer services, processions and all-night prayers are read, mantras are chanted and thousands of candles are lit around the sacred stupas. The monks tell everyone interesting stories from the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and his faithful disciples, and guests can take part in communal meditation or make an offering to the monastery to show their commitment to the Dhamma.
The most important holiday in Buddhism is Asalha (Asala, Asalha Puja, Chokhor Duchen), the day when the Buddha first delivered his sermon on the Noble Truths to his first five disciples, with whom he later founded the first community for monks (Sangha). In honor of such an outstanding holiday in Buddhism, every year on this day the monks read “Dharma Chakra Pravartana” - one of the sutras, and also give instructions on how to correctly follow the teachings of the Buddha. Many spend this Buddhist religious holiday in meditation, hoping to achieve Enlightenment on such a day. significant date, as happened with Kaundinya (one of Gautama's first disciples).
This is what Buddhists call the “Buddha Tooth Festival,” which is especially revered in Sri Lanka, although it is not religious in nature. The origins of this celebration lie in the legend that after the cremation of Buddha Gautama, one of his disciples noticed the Buddha’s tooth in the ashes, miraculously preserved. This relic was placed in a Buddhist temple in India, but in the 4th century it was transported to the island of Sri Lanka in order to preserve the valuable artifact for subsequent generations. A special temple was built in which the Buddha’s tooth is kept to this day.
The celebration lasts two weeks. Colorful processions go through the streets: dressed up elephants and dancing people in best outfits, on one of the elephants there is a casket with a relic, which is carried through all the streets. Buddhists sing songs and set off fireworks to glorify their great guru.
In India, this holiday is also called the Elephant Procession, and it has more secular and social significance than religious. The underlying story is about how the Buddha once compared a wild, untrained elephant and a domesticated one tamed by people: in order for the wild elephant to understand where it should go, it is harnessed to the same harness as the trained one. So it is with a person: in order to comprehend the Teaching of the Eightfold Path, one should tie oneself to someone who has already been trained, that is, who has achieved Enlightenment.
How is the Buddhist festival of elephants held, reminding followers of the teachings of this sermon of Gautama? A massive procession of decorated elephants moves through the streets of the city to the sounds of musical instruments, ritual chants and enthusiastic greetings from residents: more than 100 animals of all ages take part in this action, even babies two weeks old.
Many religious rituals are distinguished by specific beliefs and convictions (as for a European person), sometimes a little strange, but at the same time having a mystical background to everything that happens on Earth. That is why Buddhists try in every possible way with their good deeds to influence karma, not only their own, but that of all humanity.
1. Mengyn Zasal: once every nine years, Buddhists perform this ritual to get rid of the “unpleasant consequences of the ninth year,” which, according to legend, falls on the 18th, 27th, 36th, etc. year of a person’s life. During these years, a person is especially vulnerable, which is why the Mengyn ritual is performed: a person collects nine “special” stones and gives them to the lama, who reads special prayers over them, blows his beneficial breath and tells the person to throw them out in a special way in different directions. Buddhists believe that in this way a person is protected from misfortunes for nine whole years, so they try to spend it in the first month of the New Year.
2. Tchaptuy: Ritual bathing for those prone to illness or misfortune. It is believed that if this happens to a person, he Vital energy too dirty and needs to be cleaned with a special ritual. In a closed room over a special vessel, the mantra is read in a huge number of repetitions (from 100,000 to 1,000,000 times). Buddhists believe that then a deity descends into the water in the vessel and gives it healing powers, which removes negativity from a person.
3. Mandal Shiva, or Four-part offering of the mandala to Tara - the goddess who removes any obstacles on the path. Often used at the birth of a child, marriage or an important start of a new business, building a house, for example. During the ritual, the goddess Green Tara is offered fragrant water, flowers, beneficial food and incense, as well as lamps. Then a special mandala of 37 elements is presented and the corresponding mantras are chanted.
4. Chasum (Gyabshi ritual) - this is the name of the pagan offering to various subtle entities (devas, nagas, asuras, pretas) that negatively affect human life and the planet as a whole. Moreover, these creatures are so grumpy and capricious that the time of offerings must be carefully selected so as not to incur even greater anger on the person. It is especially important to carry out this ritual for those whose work involves mining metals or cutting down forests - any intervention in nature puts the pest at risk, so they try in every possible way to appease higher beings. Turning to the Buddha, the supplicants read prayers and offer lamps, food and lud-tormas - these are human figures made of dough, as well as tsatsa - relief images of Buddhist stupas, the Buddha himself, made of plaster or clay. Each variant of the offering should be equal to 100 units, the total is 400 - that’s why the Gyabshi ritual is called “four hundred”.
This holiday in Buddhism symbolizes the beginning of the New Year, which in the Buddhist tradition falls in spring. An interesting fact is that in different countries professing Buddhism, the New Year holiday may fall on different dates, because they live according to the lunar calendar, which does not coincide with the solar one, so astrologers calculate all holidays and important dates in advance, notifying the people.
Three days before the onset of Saagalgan, monks in temples hold a special prayer service - Dharmapalam, which is dedicated to ten deities guarding the teachings of Buddha, lamps are lit, and the bells are struck 108 times. Particularly revered is the goddess Sri Devi, who, according to popular belief, travels around all possessions three times on New Year's Eve, checking whether people are ready, whether their houses are clean enough, whether their pets are in need, and whether their children are happy. Buddhists firmly believe that if you stay up until six in the morning that night and chant mantras and prayers dedicated to the goddess, then luck will be on their side in the coming year. It is very important that on New Year's Eve there is milk, sour cream, cottage cheese, and butter on the table. It was also recommended to spend the first day of Saalagalgan with family.
Exists interesting tradition launching the “Wind Horse of Luck” is an image on fabric, symbolizing the well-being of a person or family. This symbol must be consecrated in the temple and then tied to a house or a nearby tree so that it sways in the wind. It is believed that the “Wind Luck Horse” is a powerful amulet for the family against failures, illnesses and sorrows of any kind.
In some provinces of the south, adherents of Theravada schools put new monastic robes on Buddha statues, which they then give to the monks for use: it is believed that such actions increase a person’s good karma. In Laos, on this day, people try to buy live fish and release them into the wild, thus also improving karma through compassion for a living creature.
Bun Kathin is another festival in Buddhism that motivates lay people to do good deeds and thus “accumulate” good karma. “Kathina” is the name given to a special pattern used to cut out clothes for monks. The holiday involves giving bhikkhus (monks) new clothes; for this, the donor or his family invites the monk to the house for a festive dinner, before which a special prayer is read. After the meal, they go to the temple to present gifts. They are accompanied by lay people with songs, dances and playing local musical instruments. Before entering the temple, the entire procession walks around it three times, always counterclockwise, and only then everyone goes inside and sits down for the ceremony: the elders in front, and the young ones behind.
An important point: the robe for the monk must be made 24 hours before the holiday, that is, the person must have time to make threads from cotton, weave the fabric on a loom, cut out the robe and then paint it in the traditional orange color, which means not sleeping or eating during these days, paying tribute to the members of the Sangha (monastic community) with such an act. It is interesting that at the moment of donation, the abbot of the holy place asks all those gathered whether (the name of the monk is called) the gift is worthy, and if all those present confirm three times with the word “sadhu,” only then the bhikhu receives his gift, blessing the manufacturer. This blessing is considered very valuable, so hundreds of people try to make a gift for bhikkhus on the eve of the Buddhist holiday of Kathin.
Vesak(Tib., Mong. - Saga Dawa, Donchod Khural) is one of the main Buddhist holidays. Translated from Tibetan it means “Festival of a Thousand Offerings”.
This pan-Buddhist holiday is celebrated on the day of the full moon of the first summer month of the lunar calendar, which falls at the end of May - beginning of June of the Gregorian calendar. The Indian name for this month is Sanskrit. Visakha, Pali Vesak - is also attached to this holiday.
It is believed that on this day, three greatest events occurred in different years: the birth (Jayanti) of the Buddha, his achievement of complete Enlightenment (Bodhi) at the age of 35, and his departure to Parinirvana at the age of 80.
In South Asian Buddhist countries, all three events are celebrated on the 14th day of the month of Vesak. In 2015, this day falls on June 1st.
In northern Tibeto-Mongolian and Russian Buddhism, Buddha's Birthday is celebrated on the ninth day of the fourth month of the Tibetan calendar, and Enlightenment and Parinirvana are celebrated on the night of the 15th day of the same month. The Tibetans call this holiday Saga Dawa, and the Mongols and traditional Buddhists of Russia call it Donchod Khural.
In accordance with the resolution of the UN General Assembly of February 8, 2000, this day is celebrated annually by the UN in recognition of the contribution that Buddhism, one of the oldest religions in the world, has made over two and a half millennia and continues to make today to the spiritual development of mankind.
Vesak is considered the most important of all Buddhist holidays and lasts for a week. On the eve of the holiday, believers send to their friends and relatives Greeting Cards, which usually depict memorable events from the life of the Buddha.
It is believed that on the full moon of the fourth lunar month, merit increases millions of times, so on this day Buddhists are especially diligent in their spiritual practice.
On the day of Khural, solemn prayers are held in all monasteries, processions and processions are organized. Temples are decorated with garlands of flowers and paper lanterns - they symbolize the enlightenment that came to the world with the teachings of Buddha. Oil lamps are placed around sacred trees and stupas on the temple grounds. The monks read prayers all night and tell believers stories from the life of the Buddha and his disciples (darshans).
On the morning of June 1, a collective meditation was held in honor of Duinkhor Khural on Genghis Khan Square in Ulaanbaatar. Duinhor Khural is celebrated for three days, from the 14th to 16th day of the third month of the lunar calendar, and is associated with the beginning of the Buddha's preaching of the Kalachakra Tantra, which is the basis of Vajrayana philosophy. Moreover, the main celebration occurs on the 15th lunar day - when Donchod Khural is celebrated. Photo Facebook.
Lay people also meditate in the temple and listen to the instructions of the monks throughout the night, thereby emphasizing their loyalty to the teachings of the Buddha (Dharma). During the holiday, the ban on agricultural work and other activities that could cause harm to any living beings is observed with special care.
During Khural, lamas read sacred sutras from Ganjur (the sacred book of Buddhism) - “Worship and Offering to the Buddha”, “The Coming of the Buddha from the Heavens of Tushita Paradise”. The main day of the Donchod Khural is celebrated as the World Day of Peace and Meditation in all Buddhist countries.
After the end of the festive prayer service, the laity arrange a rich meal for the members of the monastic community and present them with gifts (dana), thereby demonstrating their loyalty to the Buddha’s instructions to honor the monastic community (Sangha) as one of the Three Jewels.
A characteristic ritual of the holiday is washing Buddha statues with sweetened water (or tea) and showering them with flowers.
On this day, it is customary to make a goroo - a circular walk around a sacred place (datsan or stupa) clockwise. This is considered one of the best cleansing practices. The number of goroos is 3, 7, 21, 108 or however old you are.
There is a tradition to abstain from eating meat and alcohol during the holy Buddhist month. In the event that it is not possible to maintain vegetarianism throughout the month, Buddhists, as a rule, give up meat in the first 15 days of the month.
Many people take a vow of silence for seven days, which symbolizes the importance of abstinence in Buddhist practice and at the same time remembering the Buddha.
Buddhists in East and Southeast Asia have a widespread tradition of offering lamps in paper lanterns on this holiday. The Mongolian peoples had not previously practiced such a ritual. In 2008, a prayer service for offering lamps was held for the first time in Mongolia: over ten thousand believers gathered at the largest stadium in Ulaanbaatar, and 3.5 thousand lamps were launched into the sky.
In Buryatia, the first prayer service for offering lamps was held in 2009.
Telo Tulku Rinpoche.
In Kalmykia, on this day, believers take a vow of sobriety “for the sake of affirming life,” said the Supreme Lama of Kalmykia and the representative of the Dalai Lama in Russia, Mongolia and the CIS countries Telo Tulku Rinpoche.
"On this holiday, we remember three acts from the life of the Buddha. We are often asked: “What is the best way to celebrate this important day?” It falls in the middle of the holy Buddhist month, during which we make special efforts to “accumulate merit” by performing good deeds.
We refuse meat in an effort to preserve all forms of life existing on Earth; we undertake the obligation to abstain or completely renounce committing such sinful acts as taking intoxicants - alcohol and drugs, as well as theft, lying and many others. All these are actions that we commit intentionally or unintentionally, which are harmful or sinful,” said the representative of the Dalai Lama in Russia.
The Buddhist religious calendar, like the Muslim and Jewish ones, is lunar. However, not all Buddhists have the same moon calendar: Most Buddhists celebrate February 2, 2003, 2547 (the year of the black or water sheep) of the era of nirvana, which began on the day of the death of Buddha; On March 3, 2003, Tibetan Buddhists will celebrate the year 2130 since the ascension of the first king of Tibet to the kingdom. The Buddhist months do not have any special names, but are simply called “first”, “second” and so on until the “twelfth”. Sometimes they are called by the seasons: the first month of the year is also called the first month of spring, the fourth - the first month of summer, the seventh - the first month of autumn, the tenth - the first month of winter.
The main religious holidays of Buddhists are: Buddha Day (Skadava or Vesak; 15th of the fourth month), New Year (Sagaalgan in Mongolian, Losar in Tibetan), Maitreya Circulation (Maidari Khural in Mongolian; 15th of the fifth month), Lhabab Duichen (or the descent of Buddha from Tushita heaven to earth; 22nd of the ninth month), Buddha's Birthday (8th of the fourth month), Dharma Day (Chuinkor or Asalha; 4th of the sixth month). Adherents of Tibetan Buddhism (“Lamaists”) also celebrate Duinhor (or Kalachakr; celebrated at any time, usually in spring), Dzul (25th of the tenth month), the mystery of Tsam (Cham in Tibetan; at any time, simultaneously with another holiday ) and the Dalai Lama's birthday (July 6). According to the Buddhist calendar, the 15th day (full moon) of each lunar month is considered a holiday, in addition, good days The 5th, 8th, 10th, 25th and 30th of each month are also considered. Next we will talk about how adherents celebrate certain holidays Tibetan Buddhism, since it is to this branch that the peoples of Russia who traditionally profess Buddhism belong (Tuvians, Buryats, Kalmyks, most of the Altaians).
New Year
New Year celebrations take place in different years between the end of January and mid-March, on the first spring new moon according to the lunar calendar.
Two weeks before the New Year, Buddhists begin cleaning their houses, buying new clothes, prepare the most delicious dishes. On the 29th of the twelfth month, all women must bathe before the New Year, and on the 30th, all men. The ceremony of spiritual cleansing takes place on the 30th day of the twelfth month (the last day of the old year): the monks light a ritual fire (usually at crossroads, where all evil forces are concentrated), into which they throw an effigy of an evil deity; its death in the fire symbolizes spiritual cleansing.
Traditionally, on the eve of the New Year, the most respected and revered lamas make astrological forecasts for the residents of the country for the next year. At midnight in all monasteries the lamas will begin to say the Chidirsan prayer, which will end only with sunrise on the first day of the year. The celebration of the New Year itself begins only on the morning of the first day of the coming year: at three or four o'clock in the morning the hostess gets up to prepare a festive meal, at dawn everyone else gets up, dresses up and starts the festive breakfast. Then they go to the temple, where they read prayers. The clergy dedicate the prayer service of the first day to the goddess Som, the patroness and protector of the family. It is believed that she descends to earth before the New Year and checks how the family lived, whether the household members did the right things, and gives them a blessing for the next year. You can also pray at home: in Tibet, for example, every family has an altar with portraits of Buddha and the Dalai Lama. When praying, Buddhists perform “ku-sun-tuk” (translated as “body-speech-heart”) - touching the forehead, throat and chest with folded hands. On the first day of the year you can’t go to visit, you need to spend it with your family. From the 2nd day, visiting begins in honor of the New Year, which can continue until the end of the first month.
Buddha Day
This is the holiest day for all Buddhists, a thrice blessed day marking the birth, enlightenment of Buddha and his attainment of nirvana.
On this day, three great events happened in the life of the Buddha: his last earthly birth, enlightenment and immersion in nirvana. 80 years passed between the first and last events. He became Enlightened at the age of 35, but all this, according to the traditional biography of the Buddha, happened on one day. For a whole week, monks talk in temples about the life of the Buddha, solemn processions move around temples and monasteries, depicting theatrical versions of these three events of his biography. Not only monks, but also lay people take part in processions and temple services.
On this day it is especially important to do good deeds and to sin dangerously: the significance of all actions increases many times over. In this regard, Buddhist monks even perform a rather peculiar ritual: they catch or buy live fish and release them back into rivers and lakes.
Maitreya's rotation
Maitreya is the future Buddha, with whose advent a new era will begin and the period of “rule of our world by Buddha Shakyamuni” will end. Buddhists have the idea that with every century people live less and less, and the new Buddha (Maitreya) will come when people begin to live 10 years. On this day, a sculptural image of Maitreya is taken out of the temple, placed under a canopy on a chariot, to which again a sculptural image of a horse is harnessed. Surrounded by crowds of believers, the chariot slowly makes a circuit around the monastery grounds, moving in the direction of the sun. Believers on both sides of the road move along with the procession, periodically kneeling before the statue of Maitreya: they believe that holding this holiday should hasten the coming of the future Buddha to earth, when the “happy and joyful life " The holiday is held at the height of agricultural work. Throughout holiday
the solemn procession slowly moves across the steppe around the datsan. One group of monks drives the chariot, others walk in front or behind it, reciting prayers. The service lasts all day. People from the crowd often try to touch the sculpture of Maitreya, believing that in this way they receive a blessing, the nolams condemn such prejudices and push people away from the chariot.
The Mystery of Tsam is performed annually in the monasteries of Buddhist Lamaists in Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia, Buryatia, and Tuva and lasts several days. It was introduced into the practice of temple rituals of Tibetan schools of Buddhism by the great teacher Padmasambhava (8th century), who brought Buddhism to Tibet and was the founder of the Nygma school of Tibetan Buddhism (although this school is now widespread in Tibet, all Dalai Lamas, like all Russian Buddhists, “ Lamaists" belong to the Gelug school). Even within the same country, this mystery could be performed in different time- in winter, in summer - and be different in genre. In some cases it was a ritual dance, in others it was a play with dialogues, which included four or five characters finally, it could be a grandiose theatrical performance with 108 participants (the ritual number - Buddhist rosaries also have 108 rings), who, in costumes and masks that were quite heavy in weight (one mask could weigh up to 30 kilograms), acted out the action, the heroes of which were characters from the pantheon of Lamaist Buddhism and characters from folk mythology. The fulfillment of the mystery pursued several goals at once, and in different monasteries the emphasis was placed on different things: intimidating the enemies of Buddhism, demonstrating the triumph of the true teaching over all false teachings, a way to pacify evil forces so that the coming year would be prosperous, preparing a person for what he will see after death on path to a new rebirth. Tsam was performed by specially trained monks who had undergone initiation. Each monastery had costumes and masks, carefully preserving them from one performance to another. Now Tsam is being revived in Russia.
Duinhor
The celebration of Duinhor is associated with the beginning of the Kalachakra sermon - one of the important components of Vajrayana philosophy. Kalachakra translated from Sanskrit as “wheel of time”; this is one of the most esoteric concepts of Buddhist tantra. The time of its formation is considered to be the 10th century, the place is the mythical country of Shambhala, invisible to sinners; only lamas and righteous people can dive into it. The meaning of the Kalachakra sermon is the destruction of selfishness in everyone and the generation in the souls of people of compassion for all living beings.
Dzul
The holiday is dedicated to the memory (the day of passing into nirvana or the birthday - the days of death and birth in Buddhism often coincide) of the founder of the “Lamaist” school of Gelug philosopher Tsongkhapa. This celebration usually takes place in December.
It is also called the Festival of Lamps, because on this day, with the onset of darkness, thousands of oil lamps are lit inside and outside the monasteries.
They are extinguished at dawn. Monks read prayers, lay believers make offerings to the temple with money, food, and things. Gelug Buddhists also celebrate it as another New Year. Lhabab duichen Living in the guise of a bodhisattva in the Tushita sky (the 9th level of the Buddhist cosmos, where all bodhisattvas live before becoming Buddhas), Shakyamuni Buddha realized that it was time for him to take his last rebirth among people on earth. He chose the ruler of the Shakya people, Shuddhodana, and his wife Maya as his earthly parents. In the guise of a white elephant (one of the sacred images of Buddhism), he entered the side of his future mother and was born a prince. After 29 years
happy life
in the palace he went in search of truth, at the age of 35 he discovered it for himself, sitting under a bodhi tree, and became Enlightened, i.e. Buddha, and began to preach his teachings.
Also, the celebration of Dharma Day indicates the founding of the Sangha (community, Church). On that day, the first five followers became members of the Fellowship because they followed the Buddha's instructions. The founding of the Sangha meant the founding of the Three Jewels, the Three Great Refuges: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, trained followers, those who practiced the Doctrine and gained its fruits. Members of the Sangha are carriers of the Buddha's teachings. Also on Dharma day, a retreat period, vaso, begins, which can last a month or even a year. Vaso coincides with the beginning of the monsoon season in Asia and is a period during which members of the Sangha do not travel but remain in one place. In ancient times, followers who did not have their own homes traveled constantly, and if they stopped somewhere (in a cave or in a forest), it was for intense meditation. As the centuries passed, the more the Sangha settled in the country, the more often lamas remained in the monastery for an entire year or even their entire lives.
The purpose of this period is advancement in individual practice and development within the Sangha. The laity also enjoys the benefits of this period. When visiting monasteries, they can practice the three most important qualities: giving, morality and mental development.
Dalai Lama's birthday
This is the only Buddhist holiday that is celebrated according to the European calendar. On this day, prayers are read in datsans for the longevity of the Dalai Lama, they turn to him with the most Best wishes. The 14th Dalai Lama Jampal Ngawang Losang (or Tenzin Gyatso - “the ocean that preserves the teachings”), the spiritual and secular leader of Tibet, was born into a peasant family on July 6, 1935 in the village of Tagster in the northern Tibetan province of Amdo. At the age of two, he was recognized as an incarnation of the previous 13th Dalai Lama, who left a prediction describing the exact birthplace of the next Dalai Lama, which was then determined by traditional methods. In 1939 he was brought to Lhasa and in 1940 he was proclaimed the head of all Tibetan Buddhists.
Albert Einstein considered Buddhism “the most scientific religion,” however, there is a place in it for such a widespread concept as holidays. Despite their reluctance to acknowledge the existence of God as the supreme ruling entity, Buddhists have deep respect for the various forces of nature, saints and teachers, as well as for the very creator of this very deep and comprehensive religious and philosophical teaching - the Buddha.
Siddhartha Gautama, later nicknamed Prince Shakyamuni, is a real historical figure who lived several hundred years BC. Thus, Buddhism can be considered one of the most ancient world religions, although it is unlikely to be able to “squeeze” it into the framework of ordinary religion. Over the past many centuries, several movements and schools have been formed in the teachings of the Buddha, so the holidays of Buddhism in them, as well as in different areas where it is widespread, can differ greatly from each other. It can be said that only a small part of them are truly religious holidays, such as Vesak. This is the 15th day of the second month of spring, on which, according to legend, Prince Gautama was born, gained enlightenment and died, finally going into nirvana, becoming Buddha, that is, enlightened. The holiday arose a long time ago, at the very beginning of Buddhism and belongs to Theravada - one of its earliest versions. According to ancient legend, all three events took place on the same day of the year, which falls on the full moon in May. We can say that this day is revered by all Buddhists without exception, because they treat the Buddha with the deepest respect, understanding and admiration for the power of his mind and wisdom.
For most Christians church holidays directly related to joy and relaxation. Buddhism holidays in this regard differ from our accepted norms. It is believed that everything that is done or thought about during these moments is amplified 1000 times. Accordingly, any negativity, whether in deed or in thought, will increase in the same proportion. Therefore, for true Buddhists, these days are devoted to the strictest and deepest control not only over their own actions and deeds, but also over their thoughts. If any positive achievement at this moment increases 1000 times, then the moment of celebration is The best way achieve the goal of Buddhism - interrupting samsara and going to nirvana.
The second point that distinguishes the holidays of Buddhism is much closer to our spirit. This is ritual purity. Moreover, physical cleanliness is associated with spiritual cleansing. On such days, believers and monks carefully clean temples and monasteries, cleanse their homes and bodies. But these actions cannot be considered simple spring cleaning. This is a sacred act in the highest sense, with mantras and the extraction of special sounds designed to harmonize the living environment and establish contacts with subtle matters. An experienced scientist could say that festive cleansing in Buddhism is nothing more than a way of influencing the world at a quantum, deep level.
Among the traditions characteristic of both Buddhist holidays and many other religious activities, one can name visiting temples, distributing offerings to the Buddha himself, teachers, monks and community members. These days, everyone strives to become better, to expel from themselves the vices that interfere with enlightenment.
However, there are no strict requirements regarding mandatory attendance at the temple or regulation of actions, as, for example, in Judaism, where it is generally impossible to deviate from the rule accepted once and for all in ancient times. In the Buddhist tradition, the holiday can be celebrated at home, the main thing is that it is filled with deep inner meaning rather than simple inaction.
Although in some countries where Buddhism is widespread, the Gregorian calendar is used, that is, the one that we are all accustomed to using since childhood, the traditional Buddhist lunar calendar. Its months are much shorter than ours, which is based on the solar year, so all dates are significantly offset. Buddhism holidays are calculated according to special astrological tables, which, by the way, is also done for some Christian ceremonies and memorable days, for example, Easter. There are also fixed holidays, such as, for example, the birthday of the current Dalai Lama X|V Ngagwang Lovzang Tenjing Gyamtsho, who is not considered canonical, but very revered by all Buddhists, especially the Tibetan tradition, on July 6, 1935.
Full moons have been considered a special time since ancient times, so a significant part of the holidays that have come from the darkness of centuries fall on these days of the month. It should be noted that different countries Where Buddhism is widespread, different dates and special events may be used, that is, there is no single calendar of Buddhist holidays.
Among the most common and popular days are the following:
This is only a small fraction of the many rituals and celebrations accepted in the Buddhist tradition. There are many less significant celebrations dedicated to local deities or local events, saints and patrons.
This teaching also quite clearly regulates the days when it is best to cut your hair, undergo treatment, go on a long journey, or start a new business. This is a kind of Buddhist astrology that advises the most optimal way to conduct important events for a person. Also, in all countries where Buddhism is accepted, days of transition from one age to another are celebrated, especially growing up (I remember the bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah in Judaism and the first communion in Catholicism), weddings, births of children and funerals. Like other religious and ethical groups, Buddhists have special, centuries-old rituals and norms for celebrating these important events for people.
Important events such as Buddhist weddings have interesting features. Their exact date, as well as the time of the ceremony, is calculated based on the moment of birth of both spouses. As a result, celebrations can take place both during the day and in the middle of the night. It is believed that this approach contributes to ideal harmony of relations in the new unit of society.
I would like to emphasize once again that in such a huge family of peoples united by Buddhism, one can find many various types celebrations and ritual activities. Moreover, they do not necessarily have to be carried out according to a single scheme, because the habitats, traditions and living conditions of Buddhist peoples differ sharply from each other. It is enough to compare the customs of Buryatia and Thailand, Tibet and Sri Lanka to understand that each state will not only have its own special holidays, but the celebrations traditionally celebrated throughout the Buddhist world will also acquire personal features and a unique national coloring. It cannot be said that this is something negative; on the contrary, it says that world Buddhism is not an inert mass frozen forever, but a living, developing and progressing, changing without changing its essence, a bright and pure teaching.
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