FPMT News Around the World
Saka Dawa light offerings in Bodhgaya, India, organized by Root Institute. Photo courtesy of Root Institute.
FPMT centers, projects and services around the world celebrated Saka Dawa, the day commemorating Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and parinirvana, yesterday. We rejoice in all of the events and activities that took place!
Here are highlights from a
very few celebrations of Saka Dawa:
At the Mahabodhi Stupa in Bodhgaya, India, the
Festival of Lights and Merit (FLAM) offered 100,000 lights June 3-5. FLAM is a project of
Root Institute and makes light offerings and prayers during the four great Buddhist festivals. In addition to the 100,000 rainbow-colored electric lights that are carefully hung among the trees and walls of the entire Mahabodhi Stupa grounds, offering and dedication prayers are made on the advice of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, increasing the power of the offerings even further.
Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore reported on
Facebook that on Saka Dawa they liberated “about 800,000 lives (about 7 tons of la-la [clams] and cockles).”
Saka Dawa food offerings at Sera Je Monastery in India. Photo courtesy of FPMT Sera Je India.
shared photos on Facebook of Saka Dawa food offerings at Sera Je Monastery in India. [In other rejoicing news: This month,
FPMT’s Sera Je Food Fund received US$115,000, which covers the next six months’ worth of meals for all 2,600 monks currently studying at Sera Je.]
On Saka Dawa,
Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa (ILTK) consecrated their new
Geshe Jampa Gyatso stupa. Geshe Jampa Gyatso taught 27 years at ILTK. Jhado Rinpoche presided over the cemerony. You can see more photos from the
ceremony and of the
creation of the stupa on ILTK’s Facebook page.
Consecration of Geshe Jampa Gyatso stupa, Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy, June 2012. Photo by Piero Sirianni.
FPMT International Office celebrated Saka Dawa online by inviting students and supporters of Lama Zopa Rinpoche around the world to contribute to the
Work a Day for Rinpoche fund, which supports the continuing realization of Rinpoche’s vast compassionate vision. Response thus far has been fantastic.
With 159 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.