Lha Bab Düchen (Tib. ལྷ་བབས་དུས་ཆེན་, Wyl. lha babs dus chen), the 'Festival of the Descent from Heaven' — one of the four m
ajor Buddhist holidays. It occurs on the 22nd day of the ninth Tibetan month. Buddha’s mother Mayadevi was reborn in Indra’s heaven. To repay her kindness and to liberate her, and also to benefit the gods, Buddha spent three months teaching in the realm of the gods. When he was about to return to this world, Indra and Brahma manifested three stairs of 80,000 yojanas each, reaching this world in Sankisa. As the Buddha walked down the central one, they accompanied him on either side, carrying umbrellas to honor him. He descended to earth in Sankisa, located in modern Uttar Pradesh and counted among the eight holy places.
JOIN GESHE TENZIN ZOPA ONLINE to celebrate the auspicious occasion of LHA BAB DUCHEN
Geshe la will lead us in Atisha's Light Offering Prayer ( have your candle light offering ready to offer together) and offer the oral transmission of Sutra Remembering the Three Jewels
JOIN US FROM WHEREVER YOU ARE IN THE WORLD, YOUTUBE LIVE recording HERE
JOIN GESHE TENZIN ZOPA AT CTCT ONLINE to celebrate the auspicious occasion of LHA BAB DUCHEN
Once again CTCT has the immense fortune to welcome our beloved teacher Geshe Tenzin Zopa to host another important date in the Buddhist Calendar with us - ensuring we utilize this date effectively when all merit, and positive potentials (of actions of our body speech, and mind) are said to multiply immeasurably!
It is especially heartwarming to close our 2025 Program with Geshe Zopa and we hope you will all join us as Geshe-la guides us in ways to integrate thankfulness and gratitude in our daily lives during turbulent times - especially as they are, right this moment around the world, assisting us to find ways to translate into positive activities and not feelings or thoughts of negativities which can so easily overwhelm us.
Lhabab Duchen is a Buddhist festival commemorating the descent of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha from the God Realm of the Thirty-Three after he taught the Dharma there for three months. It is one of the four great festivals in Tibetan Buddhism, and virtuous actions performed on this day are said to have their effects multiplied one hundred million times. This auspicious day is used to celebrate the Buddha's life and teachings, often by engaging in practices like prayer, meditation, and generosity.
- Event: The festival celebrates Buddha's return to Earth from the heavenly realm where he was teaching his mother, Mayadevi, and other gods.
- Significance: It is considered a "merit-multiplying" day, meaning good deeds performed on this day have greatly enhanced spiritual rewards.
- Practices: Buddhists observe Lhabab Duchen by engaging in various virtuous activities, such as reciting mantras, taking Mahayana precepts, and making offerings.
- When it occurs: It is celebrated on the 22nd day of the ninth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar.
