Saga Dawa Festival

“Sag” means Glowing star and “Dawa” means month. Saga Dawa festival takes place in fourth lunar month on full moon days or 15^th day of the month as per the Tibetan calendar. This is probably the most important religious day for the Buddhist practitioner. The festival is also popularly known as Saga Dawa Duchen within the Mahana community of Buddhist. Every year this special day is observed and celebrate to commemorate three of the Buddha main events of his life, “Birth of Buddha”, “Buddha enlighten” and “Buddha Parinivana (Death)”.

1. The Birth of Buddha

The date of Buddha’s birth is different from the conventional viewpoint. It is not the date when he was born, but the day when he entered the womb of his mother. In other words, it is the day of his conception. According to the Buddhist philosophy, the first moment of the consciousness with the contact of parent’s cells in the womb of the mother is considered to be an actual birth. It is the very beginning of life or rebirth. That’s why the moment when historical Buddha entered the womb of queen Mahayana of the Shakya Royal family on the full moon day of the Vesak month is regarded as Buddha Shakyamuni’s birth.

1. Buddha’s Enlightenment

At the age of 35 Buddha presented his attainment of enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya. The earth trembled at that moment as he touched it. That’s why you can see Shakyamuni Buddha with a touching earth gesture on sculptures and paintings.

1. Buddha’s Parinirvana (death)

At the age of 80 historical Buddha performed his last deeds and entered into Parinirvana in Kushinagar. SAGA DAWA IS ALL ABOUT MAKING MERIT The Buddha gave five moral gave five basic moral principle (pañca-sīla, also translatable as the five virtues). The Buddha advised over and over again to:

1. Abstain from killing
2. Abstain from stealing
3. Abstain from sexual misconduct
4. Abstain from wrong speech
5. Abstain from the use of intoxicating substances that cause inattention

  Many general people follow Panca-sila during the month of Saga Dawa. Tibetans strongly believe that all good deeds help accumulate good karma. You will carry it for your next life and all virtues acts will help with a favorable rebirth. They also believe that the merit of worthy acts is multiplied during the holy festival. That’s why Tibetans dedicate the entire month to making merit. The fifteen day is one of the most sacred days to earn good merit. According to Buddhism, all good deeds during that time are multiplied 100,000 times. WAYS TO COLLECT MERIT PILGRIMAGE TO HOLY PLACES Pilgrims from all over Tibet visit the most sacred sites. The most important and popular places are Lhasa and Mount Kailash, one of the most sacred places in Tibet. The atmosphere in the holy places is festive and spiritual. It makes it one of the best times to visit for tourists. One of the best places to visit during Saga Dawa is Mount Kailash. It attracts thousands of pilgrims. A new flagpole is erected every year at the base of the mountain. It is a great time to travel to Mount Kailash and join pilgrims walking the kora, a holy circumambulation around the Mountain. VISITING MONASTERIES During the Saga Dawa, people visit monasteries, temples, stupas, as well as holy mountains, lakes, caves and other sacred places. Pilgrims offer butter lamps, burn incense, pray and recite mantras. Some perform whole body prostrations. In Lhasa you can see many Tibetans visiting Jokhang temple, Potala Palace and walking around the Lingkhor path. Lingkor is the first City ring, about 10 km long. OFFERING DONATIONS The generosity (Dana), act of giving is very important during the holy month. Tibetans make donations to poor people, monasteries and temples. REFRAIN FROM EATING MEAT Tibetans not only stop eating meat, but also try to save animal lives by buying and freeing animals from slaughter’s hands. On the fifteenth day, many people, both monastic and lay have only one meal before noon and follow the eight Mahayana precepts. SAGA DAWA FESTIVAL CELEBRATION Tibetan monks performing Cham Dance During the festival, monks chant, read scriptures, recite mantras. Tibetans give donations to the monastery or to individual monks and nuns to recite the sacred scriptures, which helps to avoid the bad luck and bring good fortune to all the living beings. One of the most spectacular sights is the Cham Dance. During the Cham dance a group of monks dress up in religious clothes symbolizing different deities and protectors. They wear masks with different images of god and animals. PLACES TO VISIT DURING SAGA DAWA It is one of the best times in the year to see many pilgrims from all over Tibet gathering in sacred places. They wear their best costumes making the scene especially bright. The most popular places during the Saga Dawa Dunchen are Lhasa, Everest region, DrigungTil and Tsurpu Monasteries, and of course Mount Kailash.