Buddha’s Descent Day or Lhabab Duchen Festival

Lhabab Duchen, one of the four great holy days of the Buddhist calendar, takes place this year on November 4.

Lhabab Duchen commemorates the coming back to Earth of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha from the God Realm of the Thirty-three, where he had spent several months teaching the Dharma to the gods, including his mother, Mayadevi, who had passed away a week before the Buddha’s birth and had been reincarnated. The karmic consequences of deeds performed on this day are multiplied 100 million times since it is a merit-multiplying day. Treasure of Quotations and Logic, a Vinaya book, teaches this astounding result.

Lhabab Duchen: How to Celebrate:

These auspicious occasions (duchen) inspire us to practice extra Dharma by engaging in various virtuous activities. For instance making offerings, saying mantras, prayers, and lighting butter lamps. Along with remembering Buddha and his activities, the festival’s main point is to pray. Many say the goal is to pray for the long life of all holy Gurus from all traditions, for the survival and spreading of Buddha’s teachings in the minds of all sentient beings, and for peace on earth. As a merit multiplying day, the karmic results of actions done today become multiplied 100 thousand times.

On that day, there are a large number of pilgrims in Lhasa. Ladders are painted afresh on rocks around many monasteries to symbolize the event.

On Lhabab Duchen, the effects of positive or negative actions are multiplied ten million times. It is part of Tibetan Buddhist tradition to engage in virtuous activities and prayer on this day. Tibetan people hold Buddhist activities on this day each year, celebrating Buddha’s return to the human world and promoting Buddhism. According to the local custom, people paint the outside walls of their own houses or the temples on this special day to greet the Buddha’s return.

See more history Tibetan topics in : https://thetibetanhistory.com