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 began on May 22nd 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.
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.
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 H.H. Dujom Rinpoche’s Letter of Advise to students of Wish Fulfilling Center:
Kathmandu, First day of Month Nine of Fire-Snake Year |
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
It doesn’t matter how much money you donate to dharma activity but now is the right time to give. Most of the time we don’t use money for the dharma but when difficulties arise it is a good time to give. This is because the dharma is the only remedy to relieve suffering, sickness and the difficulties we experience. Donating also benefits those who have died from the pandemic and will also benefit us in this and future lives. Let us think this way. Your donation will go to the The Wish Fulfilling Center for study and practice (Nyingmapa College) Everyday monks and students are praying and doing dharma ceremonies, offering butter lamps and persevering the buddha dharma for the benefit of all sentient beings. This is rare and precious. |
“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.