Saga Dawa Düchen

The most important month in the Tibetan lunar calendar is Saga Dawa, the 4th lunar month from May 20, 2023, to June 18, 2023. The 15th day of this lunar month, the full moon day, is called Saga Dawa Düchen. In Tibetan, Düchen translates into “great occasion.” This year, Saga Dawa Düchen falls on Sunday, June 4, 2023. This day is the single most important holy day of the year for Tibetan Buddhists.

Saga Dawa: the Month of Merits:

Saga Dawa is the month of merits, also called bumgyur Dawa, which means “merits multiplied by a hundred thousand times.” Tibetan Buddhists worldwide practice Dharma, generosity, and compassion to accumulate greater virtuous merits and purify our negative karmas. Along with remembering Buddha and his activities, the festival’s main point is to pray.

Tibetan Buddhists go to monasteries and temples to pray during the Saga Dawa Festival. It is said by many that the goal of the festival season is to pray for the long life of all the holy Gurus of all traditions, for the survival and spreading of Buddha’s teachings in the minds of all sentient beings, and for world peace. One place in Lhasa where crowds of Tibetans gather to pray is the Potala Palace. Hundreds of people lie down or stand to pray in front of it.

Saga Dawa : Buddha Purnima, Vesak, Buddha Day

Saga Dawa Düchen commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and Parinirvana of our perfect, most supreme teacher, Buddha Shakyamuni. In other Buddhist traditions, this occasion is known as Buddha Purnima, Vesak, or Buddha Day. They are celebrated slightly earlier than Saga Dawa because it’s based on a different lunar calendar. This year, Vesak falls on Friday, May 26, 2023.