Bodhisattva Road
Lha Bab Duchen is one of the four great Buddhist holidays in the Tibetan tradition. This year it is November 15th. It’s a different day every year because Tibetans traditionally use a lunar calendar.
The story is that the Buddha went up to heaven to teach his mother and some gods the path to Enlightenment. You see, the Buddha’s mother died when he was a child. The story is that the Buddha went to heaven for a week when he was 41 years old and then he returned. The holiday celebrates his return. It’s said to be a good day to spend doing virtuous things and meditating.
Many of us in the modern world struggle some with these kinds of stories. It’s difficult to fathom a person going up to heaven. For many of us it can be difficult to imagine a heaven existing at all.
That being said can this still be useful to us?
We can use Lha Bab Duchen as an opportunity for quiet reflection. We can reflect on the Buddha’s life and use this story to remind ourselves that this path is really significant and important. But there’s another aspect to this too. We can remind ourselves that the Buddha was human like us. He wanted the opportunity to go teach his mother about Buddhism in another world. That was important to him. She died very shortly after he was born. Like so many of us, he lost a parent. That’s a reminder when we feel broken by the circumstances of our lives. All of us feel that way at some time or another.
My temple, the Rime Center, is having an all day event on 11/15 to celebrate. If you’re local to Kansas City, you can show up. And if you’re not, there’s going to be a ceremony that night that will be broadcast online.
Here are the details:
Source: Lha Bab Düchen, the ‘Festival of the Descent from Heaven’ | Rime Buddhist Center (rimecenter.org)
Lha Bab Düchen 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 teachings 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 to his left and right carrying umbrellas to honor him. He descended to earth in Sankisa, which is located in modern Uttar Pradesh, and which is counted among the eight holy places.
The Rime Center will be open during the day for you to come in and meditate at your own pace and time limit. Lama Matt will be offering the 24 hour Mahayana vows to those who wish to make special effort for the day. The vows will be given in-person at 6:30am. A special puja to commemorate Lha Bab Duchen beginning at 6:00 pm. The puja will be in-person and online using Zoom. If you want to attend online click on the button to register in advance.
Schedule
6:30 am – 24 Hour Mahayana Vows – In-person only
6:00 am – Open House for Meditation In-person throughout the day
6:00 pm – Special Shakyamuni Buddha Puja – In-person and online
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