Vesak Day

Remembering the Buddha’s

Birth, Awakening, and Passing Away

Wednesday, May 26

All merit accumulated on this special day is multiplied 100 million times.

Join the Abbey community for Vesak practice and teaching with Ven. Chodron on Vesak-eve, Tuesday, May 25.

Add your Vesak Day Shakyamuni Buddha mantra recitations to help remove obstacles for building the Abbey’s new Buddha Hall.


 

Close-up of golden Buddha for Lhabab Duchen

Vesak Day—called Saka Dawa Duchen in the Tibetan tradition—is the most special time in the Buddhist calendar. It’s the anniversary of the Buddha’s birth, awakening, and passing away. Buddha’s compassionate wisdom teachings offer guidance and support to Buddhists and non-Buddhists, too.

Vesak Day is a special time to recall how learning and practicing Buddha’s teachings help you now and in the future. It’s a time to renew your resolve to develop ethical conduct, love, compassion, and wisdom and diminish the afflicted minds that bring so much misery.

Vesak is a good day to do special practices that deepen your connection with the Buddha. See our suggestions below.

On Vesak Day, let’s dedicate all goodness generated to relieve all suffering, including the challenges of the pandemic. We can dedicate to end the mental sufferings that rise from greed, anger, and ignorance. Dedicate merit, too, to sustain the Buddha’s teachings, for your own awakening, and for the welfare of all beings.

When you dedicate, we invite you to dedicate merit for the Abbey’s new Buddha Hall project, too. We hope begin this summer.

How to Celebrate

Teachings

Practices