This Tuesday (March 28th) is the last day of the month of miracles, so we will be replacing our regular meditation/prayer session with a Full Tara prayer.

Sunday, March 12, 2017 is the full moon of first Tibetan month known as Festival of Miracles (Chotrul Dhuchin) and is one of the four great occasions in Buddha’s life.

When Buddha was in his 40s, the leaders of India’s six main (non Buddhist) philosophical schools led by Purnakasyapa had challenged the Buddha to a contest of miraculous powers. Buddha agreed, only because he saw how in the future the root of virtue would arise in many beings as a result.

Thousands of followers of the six tirthika teachers adopted the Buddha dharma after that and later became arhats.

In Tibet the whole month is known as Bhumgyur Dhuchen as the effects of positive (or negative) actions are multiplied ten million times during the month and 100 million times on the full moon & new moon days.

In keeping with this tradition Geshe la will lead us in celebrating this great day on March 12th as follows:

10:00am – Mahayana precepts
10:30am – Bodhicitta vows
12:00pm – Lunch (Vegetarian potluck)
2:00pm – Tsog Offering

If you are taking the Mahayana precepts, please do not eat any meat or eggs.

The next series of Geshe la’s teachings is on the Six Preparatory Practices (Jorchoe), and will begin Sunday, March 5, 2017. These hands-on instructions will help us to prepare our environment, body, and mind to be open to the presence of the enlightened ones so that our practices become meaningful:

1. Purifying the space and setting up the representations of body, speech & mind of Buddha. This involves cleaning the altar room, setting up the altar, etc. which will be a very auspicious beginning.
2. Arranging the offerings
3. Resting in 7-point Vairochana’s equipoise, setting motivation, taking refuge and arousing bodhicitta
4. Visualizing the merit field
5. Accumulating merit and purifying misdeeds through the seven-limb prayer and offering mandala
6. Requesting inspiration through prayers