completed—SAKA DAWA ས་ག་ཟླ་བ།—-A SACRED and CELEBRATORY MONTH — The ས་ག་ཟླ་བ་དུས་ཆེན། special Day is MAY 31, 2026, full moon day.

SAKA DAWA  In Tibetan, Dawa is moon and Saka is a certain star that appears near the full moon at this time. 

DURING SAKA DAWA, we commemorate the Birth, the Enlightenment, and the Parinirvana (death) of the Buddha. This is the fourth month of the Tibetan calendar, starting on May 17 and ending on June 15 in the year 2026.  The most holy day is the day of the full moon (15th Tibetan day), which is May 31st. 

During the entire period, the merit of all good that you do or think is multiplied many times, from 100 to 100,000 times to as many as one hundred million times.  On the other hand,  your negative deeds and thoughts are also multiplied.  Therefore, this is a perfect time to be focused and dedicated to spiritually positive behavior.

WHAT IN PARTICULAR CAN WE DO?  Respectfully clean your shrine and make offerings to the Three Jewels and your shrine space. Practice generosity to all beings. This includes the generosity of forgiving the people and situations that upset and enrage you. Forgive yourself, too, in order to awaken your own Buddha-nature. Practice meditation, especially with compassion and without grasping.  Do any of your Buddhist practices with focus and sincerity.  Light incense and candles, place water bowls, and dedicate them.  Read biographies of the Mahasiddhas and of great Lamas.  Save and assist any animals and insects. Be kind and patient with all people.  You can also make mental offerings of all kinds.  Some people take the Eight Mahayana Precepts for a day or more, especially on the full moon day, May 31.  Eat vegetarian or vegan.  Spend a couple of days eating like an ordained person–nothing to eat after 1 pm.  Recite food offering prayers before you take food, and visualize the offering to the Three Jewels. Participate in special pujas, meditations, and other activities at Dharma centers. Pray for peace to all beings in the world.

Completed events—–H.E. Ngor Thartse Khen Rinpoche visits and gives in person Empowerments on 5/9 and 5/10 2026 SEE the INFORMATION BELOW.

                                                   HIS EMINENCE NGOR THARTSE KHEN RINPOCHE

Born in 1968 into a royal family in Mustang, Nepal, Rinpoche was ordained as a monk at the age of eight by His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche.  At the age of thirteen, he was recognized as Ngor Thartse Shabdrung Rinpoche by His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trizin.  Rinpoche then completed extensive studies of  ritual and rites of the Ngor tradition, with close instruction from His Eminence Luding Khenchen Rinpoche, who ordained him as a bhiksu at the age of 19. After completing his formal monastic education and training, Rinpoche attended Sakya Institute to study Higher Buddhist Philosophical studies and Art. He later joined Sakya College to further study Tantra.Thartse Khen Rinpoche travels extensively in Asia where he founded and supervises numerous monasteries and Sakya centers.

His Eminence Thartse Khen Rinpoche will kindly give the empowerments of Vajrapani Bhutadamara and Green Tara. The location is the same for both empowerments.

There is no Zoom offered.

VAJRAPANI BHUTADAMARA only on Saturday, 5/9/26 at 3:00 pm

GREEN TARA  only on Sunday, 5/10/26 at 10:00 am

LOCATION:  The in-person location is the Pal Tsechen Ling Sakya Center. (not Ewam Choden).  There is street parking.

   ADDRESS:  3731 Bissell Ave, Richmond, CA 94805

Sponsored by Ewam Choden, these empowerments are open to everyone without any charge. Donations are welcome.
There is no registration. Just come.  Please come a little earlier than the start time.
You may take them as blessings.   Sadhana booklets will be available to people who intend to practice them.

SEND AN EMAIL TO EWAM CHODEN WITH ANY QUESTIONS. info@ewamchoden.org

  Saturday, 5/9/2026 at 3:00 pm    THE EMPOWERMENT OF VAJRAPANI BHUTADAMARA

Vajrapani is the wrathful-appearing Bodhisattva, representing the power of     all Buddhas, who protects the Dharma and practitioners in various ways in   his different forms. As caretaker and guardian of all the Tantras, he is special   for removing the various types of obstacles that can arise during intensive   practice as well as simply removing obstructions on the path of a   practitioner.
This particular form, the Vajrapani Bhutadamara, is the“one who Subdues Demons.”  He stops discordant conditions and obstacles,  and the harms of all kinds of spirits and demons from above,  below, and in the middle.

   Sunday, 5/10/26 at 10:00 am.   THE EMPOWERMENT OF THE GREEN TARA  རྗེ་བརྩུན་སྒྲོལ་མ།། 

The Green Tara has been called the “Mother of all Buddhas.”
      Green Tara is a Bodhisattva of enlightened activity and purified energy. Her practice comforts, cures, and protects. She conquers fear and anxiety, and clears the way for the Dharma path to enlightenment to unfold. 
Please keep a vegetarian diet on the day of Green Tara’s empowerment.

 

STATEMENT Ewam Choden Tibetan Buddhist Center is a  501 (c) (3) status nonprofit organization. ALL DONATIONS ARE WELCOME AND APPRECIATED (and tax deductible). There is a donate button on the front page of the website where credit cards and PayPal are accepted. ≈