Saga Dawa

2020 Saka Dawa Fundraising Event

Saka Dawa (also known as Saga Dawa) (ས་ག་ཟླ་བ།) represents the holiest and most sacred days in Tibetan Buddhism. This day is associated with three major events in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha – his birth, his enlightenment, and his parinirvana. The merit of any good deed that you perform during this month are considered to be multiplied many times over so it is an excellent time to dedicate ourselves to all kinds of spiritually positive actions.

This year Saka Dawa begins on May 29th and culminates on June 5th. During this holy month we can practice two kinds of activities: offering to help sentient beings and offering to the buddha dharma. This year we are supporting the Wish Fulfilling Center, a Nyingmapa College in Nepal.

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Wish Fulfilling Center for Study and Practice, Nyingmapa College

The Wish Fulfilling Center for study and practice (Nyingmapa College) was established June 4th, 1976 by His Eminence Khetsum Rinpoche under the guidance of His Holiness the previous Dudjom Rinpoche, the head of the Old School. The College started in Southern India in Dalhosi. In 1977 his H.H. Dudjom RInpoche gave teachings on The New Treasure of Dudjom along with empowerments.

After the empowerments H.H. Rinpoche said shedra should move to Nepal to his monastery. Wish Fulfilling College has around 60 monks living and studying there.The teachers Khetsun Rinpoche, Khenpo Tupton, Khenpo Dhazer, H.H. Chatrul Rinpoche, Dheshung Rinpoche and so forth taught shedra.

Shedra is a Tibetan word (བཤད་གྲྭ, bshad grwa) meaning “place of teaching” but specifically refers to the educational program in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and nunneries. It is usually attended by monks and nuns between their early teen years and early twenties.

In 1988 senior students received their graduation certificate from H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche. In 1993 they established a retreat place in a remote mountain region in Nepal. In 1994 shedra moved to Sundarijal, its current home.

H.H. Dujom Rinpoche’s Letter of Advise to students of Wish Fulfilling Center: Kathmandu, First day of Month Nine of Fire-Snake Year Dear Students & Faculty of Nyingmapa Wish-Filling Institute of Nyinma Studies & Practice I received your letter & per your request, I’ve complied & published a text of Aspiration prayer for the health & well-being of your head Lama. Let me assure you all that I’ll try my best to comply with the Bodhisattva vows for the fruitful realization of my aspiring words. Meanwhile, please make sure yo all study to the best of your ability & also be diligent in your day-to-day attitude of mind, speech and body by setting a best shining example of Buddhism. See you all later. With by Best Wishes, Dudjom

Fundraising for Wish Fulfilling Center

We are now starting a new campaign in 2020 to support the buddha dharma by raising money for a shedra school in Nepal, the Wish Fulfilling Center for study and practice. We are asking for your help so that the Wish Fulfilling Center achieves their goal of building a new dormitory to house the monks in the shedra program and expand their three year drubdra retreat housing. Their future plans include building a fence around their property and road improvement.

Your donation will help accomplish this buddha dharma activity.

A note from Lama Tsering Gyaltsen “Please support the Wish Fulfilling Center for practice and study.  This is the only shedra that exists on this earth established by H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche according to his wishes.  This shedra needs more space for housing and educational classrooms. They need our financial support. As new students arrive the center currently does not have enough rooms to house them adequately so they end up sharing small rooms. I like this shedra because it is not too fancy or doing unnecessary improvements. The teachers and students study diligently together. They are young and humble. They have few financial resources with the teachers receiving no payment for their work. They do this work for the benefit of the buddha dharma. This is my root teacher shedra. Please support them.”