Saga Dawa is the most significant “merit multiplying month ” for Vajrayana Practitioners and Tibetan Buddhism in general.

In Tibetan, “Dawa” refers to the whole “month” and “Saga” is the name of a star  in the sky which appears especially brighter during the fourth lunar month. Saga Dawa begins on May 23 through June 22, 2020.  The 15th day of this fourth lunar month which is the full moon is called Saga Dawa Duchen.   June 5th is the full moon in 2020.  This is the most important day of the year for all Vajrayana practitioners.   It commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana of Lord Buddha Shakyamuni.

Any positive actions like doing month long retreats, meditation, making lamp offerings, prostrations, animal liberation, the six paramitas or any other form of virtuous Dharma activities made by the body ,speech and mind during this whole month will be multipled 100,000 times. In the same way, any unwholesome or negative activities will also be multipled 100,000 times.

On Friday, June 5th at 7pm via Facebook Live, Rinpoche will give a teaching on love and compassion.  The teaching will be in Tibetan, but all Rinpoche’s students are welcome to “tune in” and rejoice in his teaching.  The teaching is planned to be on the Portland Sangha’s Facebook page, but may be also be on the Manjushri Dharma Center (be prepared to check both sites).

More about this teaching from the Portland Sangha:

Following His Holiness’ recent Avalokiteshwara empowerment, it is fitting that we contemplate on the practice of Compassion. In these trying times in the midst of uncertainties and in the absence of our annual Saga Dawa activities at Bodkhang, we are pleased to announce an online teaching by Ven. Khenpo Karten Rinpoche on བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་བསྐྱེད (Awakening the Bodhicitta Mind).

READ MORE:  Happy Saga Dawa