To celebrate the occasion of Saga Dawa—the “month of merits” for Tibetan Buddhists—the renowned Bhutanese lama, filmmaker, and author Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche will give a public teaching on 14–15 June under the theme “Buddha Dharma: An Indian Heritage.” The talk will encompass “the quintessential purity and relevance of the Buddha’s teaching and place it in the context of India’s rich cultural heritage, emphasizing the need to preserve and practice it.” (Buddha Pāda)
“The Buddha’s teaching is like a Lion’s Roar, ‘Simhanada’, the only danger to a lion is the decay from within,” Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche said in an announcement for the teaching shared with BDG. “And to prevent this, it is essential for the authentic teachings of the Buddha to be studied and practiced with a vast attitude. From a simple export value perspective, compare the quality of India’s rich Buddhist heritage and the respect it commands worldwide . . . it is the greatest creation it has ever produced—the stainless teachings and wisdom of Gautama Buddha.”
This free two-day event will be conducted in person at the Buddha Pāda Institute in Kalimpong, India, and live-streamed, with the following start times:
Auckland: 4:30pm, Tuesday 14 June
Canberra: 2:30pm, Tuesday 14 June
Seoul, Tokyo: 1:30pm, Tuesday 14 June
Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei: 12:30pm, Tuesday 14 June
Bangkok, Jakarta: 11:30am, Tuesday 14 June
New Delhi: 10am, Tuesday 14 June
Moscow: 7:30am, Tuesday 14 June
Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Stockholm: 6:30am, Tuesday 14 June
London: 5:30am, Tuesday 14 June
Montreal, New York: 12:30am, Tuesday 14 June
Los Angeles, Vancouver: 9:30pm, Monday 13 June
For full details of the teaching schedule, click here
Saga Dawa, the fourth month in the Tibetan lunar calendar, is the most significant Buddhist holiday period of the year for Tibetan Buddhists. The name of the month is derived from the Shakya clan to which Shakyamuni Buddha belonged. The first 15 days of Saga Dawa are believed to be particularly auspicious for Dharma practice and cultivating body, speech, and mind. The 15th day of Saga Dawa, the full moon day known as Saga Dawa Duchen, commemorates the birth, awakening, and mahaparinirvana of Shakyamuni Buddha. This year, Saga Dawa begins on 31 May and ends on 29 June.
On 14 June, to mark Saga Dawa Duchen, Rinpoche will also offer a sutra teaching on “The Perfection of Wisdom: Prajnaparamita” and will introduce two new translations by 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, a global nonprofit initiative to translate and share the Tibetan Buddhist Canon. The two translations are drawn from the “Perfection of Wisdom”section of the Kangyur: The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom, the Blessed Mother (The Heart Sutra) and The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines.
“We are thrilled to share that this coming month of Saga Dawa will see the publication of two texts from ‘The Perfection of Wisdom’ section of the Kangyur: The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom, the Blessed Mother and The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines,” 84000 shared. “With the latter’s sheer length, we will also be hitting a major milestone in the publication of the Kangyur in English.” (84000)
Image courtesy of Siddhartha’s Intent India
Born in Bhutan in 1961, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche is the son of Thinley Norbu Rinpoche and was a close student of the Nyingma master Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910–91). He is recognized as the third incarnation of the 19th century Tibetan terton Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820–1892), founder of the Khyentse lineage, and the immediate incarnation of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö (1893–1959).
Rinpoche’s projects include Khyentse Foundation, established in 2001 to promote the Buddha’s teaching and support all traditions of Buddhist study and practice; Siddhartha’s Intent, an international collective of Buddhist groups supporting Rinpoche’s Buddhadharma activities by organizing teachings and retreats, distributing and archiving recorded teachings, and transcribing, editing, and translating manuscripts and practice texts; 84000, a non-profit global initiative to translate the words of the Buddha and make them available to all; Lotus Outreach, which directs a range of projects to ensure the education, health, and safety of vulnerable women and children in the developing world; and Lhomon Society, which promotes sustainable development in Bhutan through education.
Rinpoche is the author of several books, including: What Makes You Not a Buddhist (2006), Not For Happiness (2012), The Guru Drinks Bourbon? (2016), and Poison is Medicine: Clarifying the Vajrayana (2021), and has garnered renown inside and outside of the global Buddhist community for the feature-length films he has written and directed: The Cup (1999), Travellers and Magicians (2004), Vara: A Blessing (2012), Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I wait (2016), and Looking For A Lady With Fangs And A Moustache (2019).
See more
Buddha Dharma: An Indian Heritage (Buddha Pāda)
Buddha Dharma: An Indian Heritage & The Perfection of Wisdom (Siddhartha’s Intent)
A Teaching on Sūtra | The Perfection of Wisdom offered by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha)
Related news reports from BDG
Khyentse Foundation Marks 20 Years in the Service of the Buddhadharma
Windows into Buddhism: Khyentse Foundation Announces Launch of New Book and Website
Buddha Path Hostel: Khyentse Foundation Announces a New Short Film on the Buddhist Teaching
84000 Announces World’s First Complete English-Language Catalog of the Tengyur
UPDATE: 84000 Launches New App, with Insights from Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Khyentse Foundation’s Kumarajiva Project Shifts Focus to Training Translators
84000 Launches Special Edition of The Hundred Deeds Sutra Illustrated by Children in Lockdown
Related features from BDG
Poison Is Medicine: Paradox and Perception in Vajrayana Buddhism
On Being Brave: Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche on Technology and the Dissemination of the Dharma
A Buddhist Vision for Education Reform: The Blue Lion Preschool, Inspired by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Seeing the Sacred: an Interview with Pawo Choyning Dorji, Producer of Hema Hema: Sing Me A Song While I Wait
Modern Education and the Future of Buddhism: An Interview with Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
