Celebrating Chotrul Düchen: The first of Four Special “Buddha Days”
There are four major Buddha days or "festivals" (düchen) in a year which relate to the life of Buddha Shakyamuni. During these four days, it is said that the effects of positive or negative actions are multiplied 100 million times, so positive thoughts, words and deeds are strongly encouraged. This year Chotrul Düchen, which highlights the end of Losar, will be celebrated on Friday, March 18th, 2022.
Chotrul Düchen: ཆོས་འཕྲུལ་དུས་ཆེན “miraculous manifestation, great celebration”
Image: Shakyamuni Buddha and the fifteen miracles at Shravasti
This day marks the end of the first 15 days of the New Year. Buddha was reluctant to display miraculous powers, but it is said that during these 15 days, he displayed a miracle each day to increase the merit and devotion of his disciples. Chotrul Düchen marks the end of these first two weeks.
This Friday offers a great opportunity to make the most of a “multiplying day.” Think Body, Speech and Mind. If you concentrate on utilizing all 3 of these Spiritual Gates in positive ways on multiplying days, your efforts are being magnified and supercharged! You are also tapping into an energy that has been in place for hundreds of years in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
Chotrul Düchen is celebrated by focusing on the idea that all karma you are creating on that day is multiplied a million times, be it positive or negative! Traditionally, Tibetans will make offerings of butter lamps and donations to monasteries and nunneries. Saving lives of beings is also practiced, such as freeing animals being sold for slaughter or releasing fish. For us here in the west, donations to Dharma Centers, paying special attention to our thoughts, words and deeds in whatever we do is of great benefit. It is a great day to start a garden or launch a project meant to benefit others. There is no end to the ways you can bring the meaning and benefit of Chotrul Düchen into your lives!
How does a multiplying day work?
Aside from positive acts of Body, Speech and Mind, this is also a perfect time to renew your relationship with the Six Paramitas, or Perfections: Generosity, Ethical Conduct, Patience, Enthusiastic Effort, Meditative Concentration and Wisdom. The Paramita of Generosity, when practiced with “the absence of the three spheres”- no gift, no giver, no receiver - it is said to contain the merit of all the other paramitas.
One of the most powerful manifestations of the practice of generosity is that of giving Dharma. If you wish to benefit Sukhasiddhi Foundation during this time, imagine that any positive act of Body, Speech and Mind directed towards the sustainability of Sukhasiddhi will be multiplied in power and effect. The benefits rely on the intention behind the acts. Praying for the long life of Sukhasiddhi is one example, turning someone on to the teachings of Sukhasiddhi is another. These are ways of giving Dharma.
Giving funds is another way. What if your donation, however small or large, suddenly grew several zeros behind your donation! A gift of $5.00 becomes $5000.00 or even more. In this Year of the Water Tiger 2149, what if people were inspired to give $21.49 or some other version of this amount? What fun. If you are inspired by this opportunity to multiply the benefit of a gift, you can donate here.
The next of the Four Major Festivals is Saga Dawa Duchen, May 26th-June 9th.
