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General
Buddhism |
Time Cycles
TIBETAN
CALENDAR
Year of the Female Earth Snake 2128
PAGE CONTENTS:
Introduction
Missing and double days
Four major festivals
Solar and lunar eclipses
Monthly recurring dates
Special months
Kalachakra days
Other annually occurring days
Prayer flags
Tibetan Birthdays
Advice for the Female Earth Snake Year
The Calendar
Links
This page contains significant dates in the Tibetan calendar for early 2001.
The Tibetan calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, and various dates are
considered especially auspicious or inauspicious for certain practices. This
year, the Tibetan New year of the female earth snake starts on February 24.
The information is mainly taken from the websites mentioned at the bottom of
this page.
Several aspects of the advised practice may differ in the various traditions.
For example in addition to others, my teacher Lama Zopa Rinpoche advises his
students to:
- take "One-day Mahayana precepts" on all Buddha-days (see below).
- On tsog-days, he advises the "Guru puja" being done in his centers
and "Those who have received an initiation into Highest Yoga Tantra have a commitment
on the Tibetan 10th and 25th of every month to perform a tsog offering. The
10th is associated with Father Tantra and the 25th with Mother Tantra."
- On Medicine Buddha day (8th), he advises the practice of Tara and Mahakala
Especially in the Nyingma tradition, emphasis is put on the "Guru Rinpoche
day" on the 25th of every month. In this way, all traditions celebrate
their own special days in their own special way.
The multiplication factors mentioned below for special days can vary per tradition, if not mentioned otherwise, I follow Lama Zopa Rinpoche's teachings of the Vinaya text "Treasure of Quotations and Logic".
The complicated Tibetan calendar is based on lunar cycles. As the lunar cycle is less than 30 days, and the year is divided into 12 months, tricks are applied to compensate for the difference between the 12 moon cycles in approximately 354 days and the actual 365-something days of the year. For this, sometimes dates appear double or not at all. About every 30 months, like in early 2000, even a complete month was doubled for compensation.
Special days which fall on double days are usually celebrated on the second day, but may be celebrated on the first day if it is more convenient. Special days which fall on missing days are usually celebrated on the preceding day.
There are four major Special Buddha days or "Festivals"
(düchen) in a year which relate to the life of Buddha Shakyamuni. During these
days, it is said that the effects of positive or negative actions are multiplied
100 million times, so practice is strongly advised.
Chotrul Düchen: During the first two weeks of the new year, it is celebrated that the Buddha displayed a miracle each day to increase the merit and devotion of future disciples. The 15th is the "Day of Miracles". During these days, the Gelugpa Mönlam Chenmo (great prayer festival) is celebrated.
Saga Dawa Düchen: the 15th of the 4th month, Buddha Shakyamuni's Enlightenment and Parinirvana are celebrated. He became enlightened during a full moon night in Bodhgaya and entered parinirvana ("passed away") in Kushinagar.
Chökhor Düchen: the 4th of the 6th month, the "First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma" (first teaching) is celebrated. For the first seven weeks after his Enlightenment, Buddha did not teach. Encouraged by Indra and Brahma, he then gave his first teachings at Sarnath on the Four Noble Truths.
Lha Bab Düchen: the 22nd of the 9th month, "Buddha Shakyamuni's Descent from Tushita Heaven" is celebrated. Buddha's mother had been reborn in Indra's heaven. To repay her kindness and to benefit the gods, Buddha spent three months teaching in the Tushita realm.
During a (partial) solar eclipse the effects of positive and negative actions are multiplied by 10,000 according to the Khandro site, 100 million times according to Lama Zopa Rinpoche. During (partial) lunar eclipse, the factor is 7 million according to Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
Every months, certain dates on the lunar calendar have special significance.
On the Buddha-days, positive and negative actions are multiplied by 100:
- Tibetan 8th (about first quarter): Medicine Buddha (Lama Zopa Rinpoche also
advises practice of Tara or Mahakala)
- Tibetan 15th (full moon): Amitabha Buddha, meditation and recitation of Sutras
- Tibetan 30th (new moon): Shakyamuni Buddha, meditation and recitation of Sutras
Guru Rinpoche day: the 10th of every month, a special occasion in Guru Padmasambhava's life is celebrated. Tsog is performed on this day as it is also related to the "Father tantras".
Medicine Buddha day: the 8th of every month
Dakini's day: the 25th of every month is related to the "Mother tantras" and tsog is performed.
Dharmapala's day (Dharma Protectors): the 29th of every month is a special day for Protector practice.
Sojong: on 14 or 15th and 29th or 30th, confession practice for monks and nuns.
One-day Mahayana Precepts: for one day, one can take the precepts to refrain from killing, stealing, any sexual conduct, lying, intoxication, not to take a high or luxurious seat, not to sing, dance or wear ornaments, and not to eat after midday. (The first time, one should receive the precepts from a qualified teacher, thereafter one can take them by oneself.)
Saka Dawa: the 4th month; 100,000 multiplying month; practice is emphasized
The 11th month is especially associated with the practices of Chakrasamvara and Vajrayogini, which belong to the Mother Tantras. The 25th of this months is an annual special days for these practices.
In the Kalachakra teachings, it is mentioned that the Buddha taught this practice on a full moon day, therefore full moon days are considered special for practice in this tantra. The 1st of the 3rd Tibetan month is Kalachakra New Year. (In 2001, on April 24.) On the 15th day of the same month, the Buddha is said to have taught the Kalachakra tantra.
Month 1, 14th: Anniversary of Milarepa; founder of the Kargyu
school
Month 1, 21st: Anniversary of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, great master of the 19th
century
Month 3, 25th: Anniversary of the great 5th Dalai Lama
Month 4, 7th or 8th: Shakyamuni's birthday
Month 4, 23rd: Anniversary of Virapa, founder of the Sakya school
Month 5, 15th: Local deity day - also Shakyamuni's birthday according to the
Theravadin school
Month 6, 10th: Anniversary of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava)
Month 7, 15th: Discovery of the 4 medical tantras, special Meicine Buddha day.
Month 9, 3rd: Anniversary of Jigme Lingpa, one of the great Nyingma masters
Month 9, 4th: Anniversary of Karma Paksi, second Karmapa
Month 10, 25th: Anniversary of Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelugpa school
Month 11, 3rd: Anniversary of Dusum Khyenpa, first Karmapa
Month 11, 6th or 7th: Ill omen day; advised to not do important actions on this
day
Month 11, 26th: Anniversary of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great, eminent master of
the 10th century
Month 11, 29th: offering day to Dharma protectors (Gutor)
Month 11, 30th: House cleaning day
Generally, Monday is a good day to hang flags and Friday is very good. According to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, by hanging prayer flags (including long prayer flags and banners) on the wrong astrological dates, "you will continuously receive obstacles." The following are inauspicious dates according to the Tibetan calendar: 10th and 22nd of the First, Fifth and Ninth months; 7th and 19th of the Second, Sixth and Tenth months; 4th and 16th of the Third, Seventh and Eleventh months; 1st and 13th of the Fourth, Eighth and Twelfth months.
If nothing else, this can be confusing to non-Tibetans. When a baby is born,
one calls it one year old. This is probably connected to the fact that the baby
started this rebirth already 9 months earlier at conception. Next, birthdays
for ordinary people are normally celebrated once a year, as part of Losar, Tibetan
New Year. This means in practice that a baby born on the last day of the year
can be called a two-year-old on the next day. So if you need to know accurately
how old someone is, try to find out when he or she was born according to the
Western calendar.
The birthdays of great Tibetan saints are usually celebrated on the same date
of the lunar calendar. Probably to avoid confusion (but also adding to it),
the birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama is celebrated on a fixed date of
the Western calendar (July 6).
ADVICE FOR THE FEMALE EARTH SNAKE YEAR
From Jampa Shaneman's page: The female Iron-Serpent/Snake Year enforces deep thinking and re-thinking to increase your innate wisdom. It's a year of retreat and secret inner developments to change some of your skin's and learn quickly from experience. Stay apart from emotional decisions. Think wise and act accordingly.
| January | TIBETAN YEAR OF THE IRON DRAGON - 2127 | |
| Western Date | Tibetan Date | Practice |
| Tibetan Month 11/12 | ||
| 3 | 8/11 | Precepts, Medicine Buddha |
| 5 | 10/11 | Guru Rinpoche's day, Tsog |
| 9 | 15/11 |
Full Moon, Precepts, Sojong |
| 10 | 16/11 | Inauspicious to hang prayer flags |
| 19 | 25/11 | Dakini's day, Tsog |
| 23 | 29/11 | Protector Puja |
| 24 | 30/11 | Precepts, Sojong |
| 25 | 1/12 | Inauspicious to hang prayer flags |
| February | Tibetan month 12/1 | |
| 1 | 8/12 | Precepts, Medicine Buddha |
| 3 | 10/12 | Guru Rinpoche's day, Tsog |
| 6 | 13/12 | Inauspicious to hang prayer flags |
| 8 | 15/12 |
Full Moon, Precets, Sojong |
| 17 | 25/12 | Dakini's day, Tsog |
| 23 | 30/12 | New Moon, Precepts, Sojong |
| TIBETAN YEAR OF THE FEMALE EARTH SNAKE 2128 | ||
| 24 | 1/1 | Tibetan New Year, Precepts, Sojong, , Special Buddha day |
| 25 | 2/1 | Special Buddha day |
| 26 | 3/1 | Special Buddha day |
| 27 | 4/1 | Special Buddha day |
| 28 | 5/1 | Special Buddha day |
| March | Tibetan Months 1/2 | |
| 1 |
6/1 |
Special Buddha day |
| 2 | 7/1 | Special Buddha day |
| 3 | 8/1 | Precepts, Medicine Buddha, Special Buddha day |
| 4 | 9/1 | Special Buddha day |
| 5 | 10/1 | Guru Rinpoche's day, Tsog, Inauspicious to hang prayer flags,
Special Buddha day |
| 6 | 11/1 | Special Buddha day |
| 7 | 13/1 | Special Buddha day |
| 8 | 14/1 | Special Buddha day |
| 9 | 15/1 |
Full Moon, Precepts, Sojong, |
| 16 | 22/1 | Inauspicious to hang prayer flags |
| 19 | 25/1 | Dakini's day, Tsog |
| 20 | 26/1 |
Equinox
|
| 23 | 29/1 | Sojong |
| 24 | 30/1 | New Moon, Precepts |
| 31 | 7/2 | Inauspicious to hang prayer flags |
| April | Tibetan Months 2/3 | |
| 1 | 8/2 | Precepts, Medicine Buddha |
| 3 | 10/2 | Guru Rinpoche's day, Tsog |
| 7 | 14/2 | Sojong |
| 8 | 15/2 | Full Moon, Precepts |
| 11 | 19/2 | Inauspicious to hang prayer flags |
| 15 | 22/2 |
Easter Sunday
|
| 18 | 25/2 | Dakini's day, Tsog |
| 22 | 29/2 | Sojong |
| 23 | 30/2 | New Moon, Precepts |
| 24 | 1/3 | Kalachakra New Year |
| 27 | 4/3 | Inauspicious to hang prayer flags |
| May | Tibetan Months 3/4 | |
| 1 | 8 | Precepts, Medicine Buddha, Tara, Mahakala puja |
| 2 | 9 | Guru Rinpoche's day, Tsog |
| 7 | 15 | Full Moon, Sojong, Precepts, Buddha taught the Kalachakra |
| 8 | 16 | Inauspicious to hang prayer flags |
| 17 | 25 | Dakini's day, Tsog |
| 21 | 28 | Sojong |
| 22 | 29 | Protector Puja |
| 23 |
30 |
New Moon, Precepts |
| 24 | 1 | Inauspicious to hang prayer flags |
| 29 | 7 | Precepts, Special Buddha day: Lord Buddha's Conception/Birth |
| 30 | 8 | Precepts, Medicine Buddha, Tara, Mahakala puja |
| June | Tibetan Months 4/5 | Tibetan Months |
| 1 |
10 |
Guru Rinpoche's day, Tsog |
| 4 | 13 | Inauspicious to hang prayer flags |
| 5 | 14 | Sojong |
| 6 | 15 |
Full Moon, Precepts, Special Buddha day: |
| 16 | 25 | Dakini's day, Tsog |
| 20 | 29 | Sojong, Protector Puja |
| 21 | 30 | Precepts Total solar eclipse, Solstice |
| 28 | 8 | Precepts, Medicine Buddha, Tara, Mahakala puja |
| 30 | 10 | Inauspicious to hang prayer flags, Anniversary of Guru Rinpoche |
| July | Tibetan Month 5/6 |
Tibetan calendar and astrology links
- Government
of Tibet
- Kandro's Page
- Jhampa Shaneman
- Snowlion Calender
Page
- Rajuna's Dragon
Year Page
- IKN Kalacakra Calendar
- Tibetan Astrology
Site - Free downloadable Tibetan Astrology Programme
- Nitartha
General Astrology and calendars
- One-World Global
Calendar
- Claus Tondering page
- extensive FAQ on many calendars
- Kelsung
- Matrix Software
- Sonia's Chinese Astrology
Astronomy
Fourmilab - great free astronomy downloads;
see actual planetary positions, moon phases, star map etc. on your own PC.
Books:
Tibetan Astrology by Philippe Cornu, Shambala 1997
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Revised on: April 6, 2001
