with Geshe Tashi Dhondup

Friday, February 28, 2025
4:00pm – 5:30pm PST (Pacific Standard Time)
in person and online

Program Category: Buddhist Prayers and Practices

The Fifteen Days of Miracles—from the first day of the Tibetan new year, Losar, (this year on February 28^th, 2025) until Chotrul Duchen (this year on March 14^th, 2025)—commemorate the special time when Guru Shakyamuni Buddha showed miraculous powers in order to subdue six tirthikas, or non-Buddhist teachers, who lacked faith in him, and to inspire more faith in his followers. It culminates on the full moon, the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar.

All fifteen days are merit multiplying days, when the merit of virtuous actions performed on each of these days is multiplied by 100 million, according to the vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic.

Lama Chopa, also known as Guru Puja, is a profound practice of guru devotion and offering to the spiritual guide, special to the Gelugpa tradition. During this practice, practitioners pay homage to the lineage of lamas, starting with Shakyamuni Buddha and extending to their present teachers. The practice involves making heartfelt offerings and requests for blessings to attain the same realizations as these great masters.

Tsog means "gathering," and it is performed alongside Lama Chopa. It is a practice of purification of negative karma and the accumulation of positive energy or merit. During the puja, extensive prayers are recited to affirm one's commitment to the spiritual path and seek inspiration from the teachers.

Together, Lama Chopa and Tsog create a powerful practice for purifying the mind, accumulating merit, and deepening one's connection to the lineage of enlightened beings.

Geshe Tashi will conduct the puja in Tibetan.
Everybody is welcome to attend!

You are encouraged to bring offerings such as flowers, food or small donations to create vast merit and benefit countless beings