KIBI - Karmapa International Buddhist Institute KIBI - Karmapa International Buddhist Institute

February 25, 2013

Chotrul Duchen is one of four major celebrations in the Tibetan Buddhist calendar known for their potential to multiply virtuous actions but also non virtuous ones. This event celebrates, on the full moon day of the first Tibetan month, the historical Lord Shakyamuni Buddha’s ‘Display of Miracles’. Lord Buddha, upon being challenged by the leaders of India’s six main philosophical schools, decided to spontaneously express the depth of his realization and the truth of the view of the Middle Path, Four Noble Truths and so forth. The Buddha began to display a unique and different miracle during each of the 15 days after New Year. By displaying siddhis, or psychic powers of an apparently miraculous nature (although siddhis are not considered miraculous from the enlightened perspective) it was his intention to defeat the wrong views of his opponents and to inspire numerous participants and inhabitants who heard about these displays of spiritual manifestation to follow the Dharma.
In order to adequately celebrate this auspicious occasion and to accumulate a vast amount of merit KIBS staff, KIBI residents and guests participated in a program of Mahayana Sojong Practice, a Guru Yoga ritual with Tsok and a 1000 Lamp Offering.
On the fresh morning of the 15th day of the first month (25th of February) the monastic and lay Sangha gathered in KIBIs Lhakhang in order to perform the Mahayana Sojong ritual.
Generally Sojong is a practice to restore and purify damaged Pratimoksha (self-liberation) vows.
The Tibetan word sojong is the equivalent of the Sanskrit uposatha. ‘So’ means to restore broken self-liberation vows and ’jong’ to purify negative karmas and harmful deeds. Sojong vows taken for the benefit of all beings are called Mahayana sojong vows. The reason why the vows taken in our tradition are called the Mahayana sojong vows is the unique motivation. Ordinary uposatha precepts are usually taken with the intention to purify one’s negativities and to attain one’s own liberation. However, if we take these ethical vows with the intention of benefiting all beings, then – owing to the great power of motivation – the result of maintaining self-discipline is immeasurably bigger.
Mahayana Sojong is usually done in monastic Sanghas on full moon and new moon. The ‘Second Buddha’ of Oddiyana (Guru Padmasambhawa) said:

“It fully restores (So) all positivity,
And clears away (jong) all negativity without exception,
In order to replenish virtue and purify harmful deeds,
The Tathagata has taught the practice of Sojong”.

For lay Buddhists, Sojong comprises a formal confession the one day taking of the following 8 Mahayana precepts:

  1. not to kill,
  2. not to steal,
  3. to abstain from sexual acts,
  4. to abstain from telling lies,
  5. to abstain from alcohol and other intoxicants,
  6. to refrain from singing, dancing, wearing frivolous things,
  7. not to eat meals after noon time,
  8. to refrain from sitting or laying on high seats or luxurious beds.

We tend to damage our precepts constantly due to our deluded emotions and habits. Sojong cultivates a deliberate effort to reflect about oneself. Through this self reflection a practitioner can become more mindful of his own habitual tendencies. In today’s world, Sojong is a particularly useful practice for busy people who have no time for more formal practices like they are performed in monasteries or Buddhist Centres. It is a simple but meaningful practices, which even a busy person can easily do at home or at work.
These precepts are essentially the same as the monastic precepts, except of not taking them for life; a lay practitioner takes them for one day at a time. Taking the precepts from dawn to dawn is a very effective way to train the body, speech and mind of a lay practitioner. If the precepts are kept correctly, one’s ignorance will diminish; knowledge and wisdom will naturally increase; our meditation practice will benefit.

In the afternoon in the most cherished presence of H. H. The 17th Gyalwa Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje the Milarepa Guru Yoga Sadhana together with a Tsok offering was practiced. This ritual invokes the presence and powerful blessings of Tibetan most beloved and acknowledged saint and yogi renowned to be vividly present when called with heartfelt devotion and appreciation.

Afterwards, a lavish light offering initiated by H .H. Gyalwa Karmapa was made. It illuminated the compound of KIBI with bright transparent light emanated from countless light sources and the good-mindedness of all present. Wishes for harmony and wellbeing were made expanding the light-rays to all sentient beings, encompassing all places and times.

Since most practitioners took the Mahayana Sojong precepts no time needed to be spent for dinner instead it could be spent to the liking of each individual for virtuous activity on this so potentially beneficial auspicious day, Chotrul Duchen.

 

Skip to toolbar