Saka Dawa
(Vesak Day)
Anniversary of the Buddha’s
Birth, Awakening, and Passing Away
Friday, June 5, 2020
in the Tibetan calendar
Saka Dawa is the holiest day of the Buddhist year.
Ven. Chodron explains how it brings hope in this short 2011 video.
And Ven. Sangye Khadro gives a Saka Dawa message in June, 2020:
What would Buddha say if he were here today?
On Saka Dawa, we celebrate the Buddha’s birth, awakening, and parinirvana (passing).
We rejoice in our potential to become fully awakened too.
We recall the Buddha’s fully perfected compassion, love, wisdom, and skillful means.
And we honor all the teachers who have brought the teachings to us.
It takes a tremendous amount of merit to meet the Buddha’s teachings, and you have created the causes to do so.
Rejoice in your fortune, take advantage of your precious opportunity, and cultivate your good qualities. Now, dedicate all this goodness for your own awakening and for the welfare of all beings.
All merit accumulated on this special day is multiplied 100 million times.
Ways to celebrate Saka Dawa and create merit
Teachings
- Watch Ven. Thubten Chodron’s teaching from Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions on how the Buddha’s life is explained in both the Pali and Sanskrit traditions.
- Read, watch, or listen to Ven. Chodron’s explanation of the Four Seals, the four characteristics that mark Buddhist teachings.
- Read or recite and reflect on Buddhist sutras, like the Heart Sutra. (Watch or read Ven. Chodron’s commentary here.)
- Watch Ven. Chodron’s beautiful telling of the Buddha’s life story and how it relates to your own life.
Practices
- Do the Shakyamuni Buddha meditation practice.
- Take and keep the Eight Mahayana Precepts for 24 hours.
- Make special offerings to the Three Jewels on your altar and do the extensive offering practice.
- Watch Ven. Chodron’s inspiring Vesak Day talk encouraging us to recall and realize our human potential, then meditate on it.
- Make offerings to your teachers and Dharma centers to support continuation of Buddha’s teachings.
- Go here to include the Abbey in your Saka Dawa offerings.
Saka Dawa greetings and best wishes from
everyone in the Sravasti Abbey Community