TIBETAN        NEW YEAR

 

at the

Yungdrung Bön Monastery of Menri

According to the Tibetan lunar calendar, the name of the coming year is the Earth-Ox year and it begins on February 25th, 2009

.

In the Bön tradition, the 1st month of each Tibetan year is considered a holy month, and is called
                 Bum-Gyur Da-Wa.

During this holy month (in 2009, February 25 – March 26), all prayers and practices are multiplied 100,000 times.

2009

Dates Events:

Western date (Tibetan date)

Feb. 21, 22, 23 (27, 28, 29) (dGu-gTor Chen-Mo) End of year ritual for averting

evil before the New Year starts.

February 24,

Tuesday (30, new moon) (gNam-sTong) New Moon. Preparations for Lo-Sar.

————————————————————————————————————

February 25,

Wednesday (1) (Lo-Sar) 1st day of the New Year. Early morning, an Auspicious takes place: the first food offering (Tshogs)

Greeting Ceremony

of the New Year is by the Abbot of Menri to all the senior lamas,

monks, nuns, children, and villagers.

Then, villagers bring their first tea and food of the New Year to the Abbot to wish him a Happy New Year.

Feb. 25,

26, 27, (1, 2, 3) (Lo-Sar) traditional Tibetan New Year festival.

New Year festival parties.

February 27

, Friday (3) (bSang-gSol) ceremony. Incense fumigation ritual and universal prayer offerings, following the Bön tradition.

All are encouraged to come.

February 28, March 1st (4, 5) 653rd birth anniversary of Nyame Sherab Gyaltsen,

First Abbot and founder of Menri Monastery in Tibet.

« Flower Offering » ceremony to the 1000 Buddhas.

March 4,

Wednesday Gathering ceremony and prayers by all villagers of the Bönpo

(8,

2nd quarter moon) settlement.

March 8, Sunday (‘Cham) traditional Bön masked dance festival.

March 10, 11 (14, 16) Birth anniversary of Lord Tonpa Shenrab,

Founder of the Bön religion.

March 11,

Wednesday (16, full moon) « Flower Offering » ceremony to the 1000 Buddhas

.

March 17, 18 (21, 22) (Ma-rGyud Tshogs-mChod) Mother Tantra ritual(22, 4th quarter moon) chanted following the Shen lineage tradition.

 

March 19 to 25 (23 – 29)

Retreat of sMar-Ba’i Seng-Ge (« Lion of Speech »)

 

wisdom deity.

 

Prayers, invocations, chanting, Tshogs and butter lamp offerings performed by all monk students of the Bön Dialectic School.

March 26, Thursday sMar-Ba’i Seng-Ge « Lion of Speech » wisdom deity(30, new moon) initiation performed by the Abbot of Menri to all the monks, nuns, children, and villagers.

 

 

 

 

Our thoughts and prayers are always with you.

 

 

 

 

 

Menri Trizin private secretarial office:

MENRI Monastery