Merits of the Buddhas' Anniversaries and Auspicious Days

Dharmadhatu SG

Merits of the Buddhas' Anniversaries and Auspicious Days In the Buddhist sutras...

by 藏密佛学研究会　Tibetan Buddhist Studies Society

In the Buddhist sutras and scriptures, it was recorded that Buddhist anniversaries were auspicious days created by the special vows and aspirations of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the ten directions. During these Buddhist anniversary days, whatever Dharma one practices and whatever good deeds one perform will multiply by innumerable times. Thus, Buddhist lineage masters in the past always chose the Buddhist anniversary days to accumulate merits and to practice diligently. In the Tibetan calendar's First month, the First to the Fifteenth day commemorates Buddha's subjugation of all Maras and demons. Thus this is called the Buddha's Miracle Month. Performing good deeds during this entire month will multiply merits by 100,000 times. The Tibetan Second month, First to Eighth day commemorates Buddha entering the womb of his mother. Performing good deeds during this entire month will multiply merits by 100,000 times. The Fifteenth day of the Third month was when Buddha turned the wheel of the Kalachakra Tantra in Amaravati, south India. Performing good deeds on this day will multiply merits by 100,000 times. The Eighth day of the Fourth month commemorates Buddha's Birthday, while the Fifteenth day was when Buddha both attained Enlightenment and entered Mahaparinirvana. Thus, performing good deeds during this entire month will multiply merits by 10 million times. It is also why the Fourth Lunar month is the month of Vesak. The Fourth day of the Sixth month was the day Buddha turned the wheel of Dharma; the Twenty-Second day of the Ninth month was the day Buddha descended from Tushita heaven; the Eighth to Fifteenth day of the Twelfth month was when Buddha sat and meditated under the Bodhi Tree. Thus performing good deeds during these days will multiply merits by 10 million times.

The First day of every month (Tibetan or Lunar) is the King of Samadhi Buddha's day, doing good deeds will multiply merit by 100 times. The Eighth day of every month is Medicine Buddha's day, doing good deeds will multiply merit by 1000 times. The Tenth day of every month is Guru Rinpoche day, doing good deeds will multiply merit by 10,000 times. The Eleventh day of every month is Thousand Buddhas' day, doing good deeds will multiply merit by 100,000 times. The Fifteenth day of every month is Amitabha (Limitless Light) Buddha's day, doing good deeds will multiply merit by 10 million times. The Eighteenth day of every month is Avalokiteshvara's day, doing good deeds will multiply merit by 100 million times. The Twenty-First day of every month is Ksitigarbha (Earth Store) Bodhisattva's day, doing good deeds will multiply merit by 100 million times. The Twenty-Fifth day of every month is Guru Rinpoche and 100,000 Dakas and Dakinis' day, doing good deeds will multiply merits by 1 billion times. The Thirtieth day of every month is Shakyamuni Buddha's day, doing good deeds will multiply merits by 90 million times. The Twenty-Fifth day of every month is also Lama Tsongkhapa day.

Guru Rinpoche's Birthday falls on the Tibetan Monkey year Seventh (Monkey) month Tenth day, as this was the day Guru Rinpoche was miraculously born in a lotus flower in Dhanakosha Lake. Making offerings and performing the Tsok puja as well as all good deeds is equivalent to the merits of making offerings to all the Buddhas who pervade the Dharma realms in the Ten Directions. Furthermore, it also purifies and removes all the bad karma accumulated in 100,000 great aeons (Kalpas), increase and completes one's wisdom and merits, prolongs longevity, gains power, and enables one to attain the uncommon fruit of Vidyadhara. The Tibetan Eighth month Tenth day celebrates Guru Rinpoche's Miracle day. At that time, Guru Rinpoche reversed the river's flow, stopped and suspended the sun in the sky, drank the wine carried by 500 horses at one go, and flew in the sky while riding a tiger. The Tibetan Ninth month Tenth day celebrates Guru Rinpoche defeating and subduing all the non-Buddhist external religions. The Tibetan Tenth month Tenth day celebrates Guru Rinpoche attaining the Mahamudra state of realization.

The Tibetan Eleventh month Tenth day celebrates Guru Rinpoche going to Tibet and subjugating all the demons of Tibet. The Tibetan Twelfth month Tenth day celebrates Guru Rinpoche returning to the Orgyen Zangdor Palri Copper-coloured Pure Realm. The Tibetan First month Tenth day celebrates Guru Rinpoche being enthroned as the King of Oddiyana. The Tibetan Second month Tenth day celebrates Guru Rinpoche leaving the kingdom and going to the great Charnel ground whereby he gave teachings to limitless Dakinis. The Tibetan Third month Tenth day is when Guru Rinpoche, at the sacred mountain of the Red Garuda, saw the combined essential embodiment of all the Buddhas and Yidams of the Vajra Realm. The Tibetan Fourth month Tenth day is when Guru Rinpoche, in the north Indian state of Punjabi, was punished by the king, tied to a pyre of wood and burnt. Later the pile of wood transformed into a lake. The Tibetan Fifth month Tenth day was when Guru Rinpoche, in the kingdom of Oddiyana, was punished by the king. The king used sesame oil to burn Guru Rinpoche, but the sesame oil transformed into water, and the water gathered and formed a lake. In the middle of the great lake arose a lotus flower, and Guru Rinpoche sat inside the lotus, while the Dakinis of the Five Buddha Families made offerings to him. The Tibetan Sixth month Tenth day was when Guru Rinpoche displayed the wrathful activity by conjuring lightning to destroy an externalist sorcerer. Besides the Tibetan Seventh month Tenth day, during these months' Tenth day, when one performs good deeds, the merits will multiply by 10,000 times.

As for the merits of group practice, if there are 100 persons practicing together, when one single mantra is recited once, everyone will gain the merits of reciting the mantra 100 times. To increase the merits of mantra recitation by innumerable times, we can recite these two mantras: 1) OM DHURU DHURU ZA YA MU KHE YE SOHA and 2) OM MANI PED MEI NA RA DA SHA HONG. Furthermore, the power of the Samadhi visualization of the Generation Stage and Completion Stage can also increase merits by limitless times. This is the uncommon method of the Secret Mantra Vajrayana.

In ancient times, people use horses as a means of transportation. Today, horses are replaced by cars. In ancient times, when people choose their horses, they will make sure that the horse's colour is compatible with their Astrological or Birth sign (Eight birth characters of Animal Year, Month and Hour). Today, when people buy cars, they will also consider whether the colour of their car is compatible with their Birth sign. Thus there are auspicious colours that are compatible with people born in different years.

People born in the Tiger and Rabbit years, when doing business or for better interpersonal relations, should use Yellow. For career and work, they should use Red. People born in Snake and Horse years, when doing business or for better interpersonal relations, should use White. For career and work, they should use Yellow. People born in Monkey and Bird years, when doing business or for better interpersonal relations, should use Green. For career and work, they should use Blue. People born in Pig and Rat years, when doing business or for better interpersonal relations, should use Red. For career and work, they should use Green. People born in Dragon, Goat，Dog and Ox years, when doing business or for better interpersonal relations, should use Blue. For career and work, they should use White. The Buddha's teaching on Interdependent Origination (Tendrel Nyinpo) also functions in one's Astrological Animal sign to some extent.

As for Prayer Flags (LongDa) and the compatibility with Animal signs, for those born in Ox, Snake and Bird years, they should use Blue Prayer Flags. For those born in Tiger, Horse and Dog years, they should use White Prayer Flags. For those born in Rabbit, Goat and Pig years, they should use Red Prayer Flags. For those born in Rat, Dragon and Monkey years, they should use Green Prayer Flags. As for the direction to hang the Prayer Flags, Tiger and Rabbit should hang in East；Snake and Horse should hang in South; Monkey and Bird should hang in West; Rat and Pig should hang in North. Dragon should hang in South-East, Goat should hang in South-West, Dog should hang in North-West and Ox should hang in North-East.

Now for Lamp Offering and Water Offering, we shall look at Lamp Offering first. The meaning of offering Lamps or Lights is to offer the Six Prajnaparamitas. The auspicious wood used for the Lamp Wick cannot be put upside down. The top of the wooden wick should be sharp, and this symbolizes Wisdom. The Root of the wooden Wick should be solid and strong, and this symbolizes Meditative Stability (Samadhi). The external of the wooden Wick uses cotton wool to wrap around three times in clockwise direction; this symbolizes Discipline, Patience and Diligence. The oil poured into the Lamp's goblet or chalice (container cup) symbolizes Generosity. In this way, we can understand why offering Lamps actually symbolizes the practice of the Six Prajnaparamitas.

When offering Lamps, if the Lamp goblet or cup used to offer the light is dirty, one will be reborn in the next life with an ugly and unattractive body. If one is stingy with the oil when offering Lamps, one will be reborn in the next life in the Hungry Spirits Realm. When there are impurities in the Lamp oil, one will be reborn in the next life in the Animal Realm. However, offering a clean and perfectly arranged lamp will ensure that one becomes liberated, and will never fall into the three lower realms. It will also increase one's wisdom among other merits. When pouring oil for the Lamp, one should recite: OM AH HONG , as this will purify and remove demonic obstacles, and the lamp offering will multiply into limitless lamp offerings. After one lights up the Lamp, one can recite the Lamp offering prayer. Otherwise, one can visualize that the lamp is offered to all the Buddhas in the Ten Directions and recite: OM BENZAR AH LOKE AH HONG . Then we dedicate the merits to all sentient beings in the Ten Directions. To offer Lamps is to offer the Light that dispels darkness, and objects such as the Sun, Moon, Stars and natural bodies that radiate light, can be offered to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

For Water Offering, one should start by placing the water bowls or cups from left to right. The water bowls should be arranged in a straight row and should not be crooked. The water should fill the bowls to the brim, but must not overflow. We can add some Red Flower water or other perfumed water to the offering water. When offering, the water should be clean, and one should be free from miserliness and attachment. We can recite: OM AH HONG to purify and remove demonic obstacles, and also to multiply merits limitlessly. When keeping the water bowls, one should keep from right to left. This is according to what Lord Atisha said, and offering pure, clean water to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will accumulate innumerable merits.