Tibet is a country known for its beautiful landscape, pristine natural environment, peaceful Buddhist culture and its unique traditions. In Tibet, people are considered to be more spiritual than materialist. Since the country is bound by age old customs and traditions, people hold different views and beliefs according to their unique traditions. In this context, we bring you a glimpse of Tibetan festivals and their social significance.
The First day of the First Tibetan month
In Tibet, the native inhabitants of Kham and Utsang celebrate the first day of the first Tibetan month as a ‘New Year’ according to the Tibetan calendar. The day is marked with great significance, and family members and relatives from far and wide gather on this particular day. The day begins with the offering of butter lamps and ritual cakes in the shrine. People dress up in new clothes and put on their jewels and ornaments to grace the occasion. The best items of foods and drinks are served and they celebrate the day by playing, singing and dancing. Similarly, the inhabitants of the Northern Province of Amdo and the southern region of Kham also celebrate this day as a ‘New Year’ according to the Chinese calendar.
Every possible effort is made to prepare varieties of food items. Guests are invited and served with the finest liquor and other drinks. On this day, families and communities usually host archery tournaments and many other competitions as the part of celebration. The celebration goes on for fifteen days and many bridal processions take place during these days as it is believed to be auspicious and fortunate for the newly wedded couple.
The First day to 15th day of the First Tibetan month
The first Tibetan month is considered to be very holy and auspicious in Tibet. It is said that Buddha Sakyamuni displayed various miracles to tame the heretics and the six extremist teachers during this particular month. Later, Lord Buddha’s disciples have built stupas during this month as memorials to the great deeds displayed. In the year 1409 AD Je-Tsongkhapa Lobzang Drakpa, the founder of the Gelugpa sect, introduced the first “Monlam Chenmo” or great prayer ceremony corresponding to the first Tibetan month to commemorate the marvelous deeds of Buddha.
Today, in Tibet we can see the ‘Monlam Chenmo’ tradition being upheld by different Gelug schools during this very auspicious month.
The 15th day of the Third Tibetan month
This day has the great significance in Tibet as according to the source and the record, it is said that on this day Buddha Sakyamuni initiated Kalachakra teachings to the dharma king Dawa Zangpo of Shambala and his retinue. On every 15th day of the third Tibetan month, respective Buddhist schools in Tibet conduct fire rituals for the benefit of all sentient beings, offer mandalas and initiate the Kalchakra sadhana for several days to mark the auspiciousness of the day.
The 8th day of the Fourth Tibetan month
The eight day of the fourth Tibetan month is considered to be very auspicious because on this day Lord Buddha took birth as a prince to king Sudhodhana and queen Maya Devi at Lumbini grove. In Tibet the day is marked with monasteries performing sacred rituals and presenting sacred masked dances to the people. On this day important relics and treasures are also displayed to the devotees to receive blessings and to mark the significance of the day.
The 15th day of the Fourth Tibetan month
This day is significant because of three extraordinary deeds displayed by Lord Buddha. The 15th day of the fourth Tibetan month is considered to be the actual day that Buddha Sakyamuni entered into the womb of the queen Maha Maya in the form of the six- tusked grey elephant.
The second extraordinary deed is the attainment of enlightenment. As the awakening day arrived, Buddha contemplated on diamond-like meditative absorptions, thereby destroying the most subtle latencies of dualistic appearance and thus attaining full enlightenment on this day.
The third extraordinary deed displayed by Buddha on this day is the great enlightened deed of showing impermanence. Buddha was eighty years old when he finally passed away into parinirvana at Kushinagar. In Tibet people usually mark the day by visiting temples, offering butter lamps to the shrines and avoid unwholesome activities. In some communities, people gather in one place and practice fasting while in other parts of Tibet, people get together and jointly recite the six-syllable mantra.
The 15th day of the Fifth Tibetan month
This day is commonly celebrated as the ‘Universal Smoke Ritual Day’. It is one of the four great offerings made in Tibet. Here, people usually go up in the mountains and light huge fires from herbal plants and good fragrant wood they collect. This offering is made to all the deities and guardian of the universe and it is believed that the smoke coming from this fire cleanses or purifies the entire world.
The 4th day of the Sixth Tibetan month
After Buddha attained full enlightenment, he restrained himself from teaching the truth for seven weeks, to indicate that the profound nectar he had realized was beyond the grasp of sophistry. Thus after realization Buddha remained deeply in meditative equipoise. It was on this particular day, ‘the fourth day of the sixth Tibetan month’ that the king of gods Brahma and lord Indra recollected their past aspirational prayers and earnestly requested Buddha to turn the wheel of Dharma by offering a thousand-spoked golden wheel and right-coiled conch. Due to their ardent appeal Buddha finally accepted and turned the first dharma wheel at Varanasi, to the first five disciples and countless fortunate devotees.
During the reign of dharma King Trisong Deutsen, he invited many scholars from India. Guru Rinpoche was the first one to bring Buddhism to Tibet. He blessed the land, converting it into a sacred holy place and subdued many demons, turning them into dharma protectors. Having spread Buddha dharma in Tibet, Guru Padmasambhava left for ‘Sinyul’ or the land of Rakshas to subdue the Rakshas or the ogres. Since it was on the 10th day of the sixth Tibetan month that Guru Rinpoche left for ‘Sinyul’, this day is considered to be very auspicious among the Nyingma and Kagyud practitioners in Tibet.
The 22nd day of the Ninth Tibetan month
After attaining full enlightenment, it is said that Buddha went to the thirty-third heavenly abode of gods to meet his mother who was reborn there. To repay her kindness, he preached the doctrine to her and other gods. After having liberated all the gods with profound nectar like teachings, Buddha descended back to this world. According to the Tibetan calendar, the 22nd day of the ninth Tibetan month is the day Lord Buddha descended from the heaven. Since the day is considered to be auspicious people in Tibet visit temples, offer butter lamps, and so on to accumulate merit.
The 29th day of the Twelfth Tibetan month
In Tibet, most monasteries conduct the ‘Gutor Ritual’ just a day before Tibetan New Year, on the 29th day of the twelfth month. The ritual is conducted to dispel all the obstacles and misfortunes that might occur in the coming year.
By Sonam Dolma
8th Year, NNNI
