Lha Bab Duchen
11/15/2022
Lha Bab Düchen, or the ‘Festival of the Descent from Heaven,’ is one of the four major Buddhist holidays. It occurs on the 22nd day of the ninth Tibetan lunar month.
Buddha’s mother Mayadevi died soon after the Buddha was burn and was reborn in Indra’s heaven. According to legend, the Buddha ascended to heaven at the age of 41, to repay her kindness and to liberate her, and also to benefit the gods, Buddha spent three months teaching in the realm of the gods.
When he was about to return to this world, Indra and Brahma manifested three stairways each reaching this world. As the Buddha walked down the central one, they accompanied him to his left and right carrying umbrellas to honor him. He descended to earth in Sankisa, located in modern Uttar Pradesh, which is counted among the eight holy places.
On Lha Bab 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.
This year, Lha Bab Duchen falls on Tuesday, November 15th, 2022
And we have a very special event! Khenpo Tenzin Norgay, who is one of our very special teachers, came to KPC especially to consecrate a beautiful thangka (religious painting) of H.E. Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo and her activities in this life. It is expertly painted by Lama Gyurme Rabgye, a well-known thangka painter whose work is in many temples around the world.
Khenpo Norgay will lead the ceremony at 9am EST, and it will go for 1-2 hours. It will be done at KPC Maryland and will be webcast on YouTube, where you can watch it live or anytime later. If you are in the area, you can come inside the prayer room after the ceremony and offer a traditional khatag (white scarf) and make an offering if you choose. Please wear an N95 mask to make sure you and everyone else is safe.
You can download the texts below to follow along, and find our live feed on YouTube on the link below.
