The Buddhist holiday, Chokhor Duchen, commemorates the first teaching given by Shakyamuni Buddha after attaining enlightenment. For seven weeks after the Buddha attained full realization, he did not teach.  Finally, encouraged by Indra and Brahma, he turned the Wheel of Dharma for the first time by teaching the Four Noble Truths.  It is said that karmic actions created during the Chokhor Duchen are magnified 100,000,000 times, an opportunity to create huge positive results for this life and future lives.

If you’d like to join in the meritorious activity of prepping, lighting, or cleaning butter lamps please contact the center here.

If you would like to make a butter lamp offering send your request using our secure online form or by email by the morning of July 12th.

H.E Chagdud Rinpoche explained the value of lamp offerings:

“We do not offer the lamps because enlightened beings need to see them. The offering of light is a means of dispelling the darkness of our own ignorance, giving rise to clarity and wisdom. We offer them with the wish that their light will illuminate the lower realms and the bardo, assuaging the torment of beings who suffer in darkness. We aspire that all beings will develop greater mental clarity in order to discover the causes of long-lasting happiness in virtuous actions of body, speech, and mind. We offer them so that the inner light of great knowing will arise in all beings’ minds and remove the darkness of ignorance and intellectual obscurations.”