His Holiness during live teaching on May 26, 2021
Photo: Screengrab
Tibetans are observing Saka Dawa this month – the holy month in Buddhist calender, celebrating Lord Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and his entering into Mahaparinirvana (death). On May 26, it is also the full moon day, the fifteenth day of this holy month, and Buddhists across the world consider this day to be particularly auspicious.
On this special occasion, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetans and Buddhists all over the world, offered greetings to his fellow Buddhists, saying that Buddha’s teachings are as practical and relevant today as they were 2,600 years ago. Buddha’s teachings are not just for one group of people or one country, but for all sentient beings. People can follow this path according to their ability and inclination.
His Holiness continued, “I started my Buddhist education as a child and although I am now nearly 86 years old, I am still learning.” He urged Buddhists to be a 21st Century Buddhist by studying and analysing and putting into effect the Buddha’s teachings.
“This entails listening and reading, thinking about what you have heard and read and making yourself deeply familiar with it.”
His Holiness reiterated the Buddhas’ simple advice: to avoid harming others and to help them whenever we can and in whatever way possible.
“We can begin to do this by recognising that everyone else is just like us in that they want happiness and dislike suffering. Seeking joy and freedom from suffering is the birthright of all beings. But personal happiness very much depends on how we relate to others.”
Self-centredness is the source of many problems and it can be reduced by developing a sense of respect for others and concern for welfare of others, said His Holiness, calling on people to enhance feelings of kindness which are the natural source of joy.
His Holiness during live teaching on May 26, 2021
Photo: Screengrab
His Holiness concluded by saying that Buddhists are holding prayer services in holy places such as Bodh Gaya, and others, on this auspicious day, and reminded everyone to join together in doing whatever we can to overcome the global threats we face, including the COVID-19 pandemic that has brought such pain and hardship across the world.
To coincide with this auspicious day, His Holiness gave a short talk and teaching for Mongolians, online from his residence in Dharamshala. He followed this with a teaching on Je Tsongkhapa’s The Three Principal Aspects of the Path and conferment of the Ceremony for Generating the Awakening Mind at the request of the Geluk International Foundation and Drepung Loseling Tulku Association. The online live feed was viewed by over ten thousand people.
Print
Email