Chotrul Duchen 2026 – Four Lines of Essence of Buddha’s Teaching
Tuesday, March 3rd 2026 we celebrate the holy day of Chotrul Duchen (“Great Day of Miraculous Manifestations”) one of the four major Buddhist festivals that commemorate significant events in the life of Buddha.
This year Tulku Dakpa Rinpoche will give a teaching on the Essence of the Buddha’s Teaching at 4pm, attendance is open to all and is free of charge.
It is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the Tibetan calendar, during the full moon, also known as Bumgyur Dawa. The first fifteen days of the year are dedicated to celebrating the fifteen days when the Buddha displayed miracles for his disciples to increase their devotion. Rinpochela requests us especially on these days to cultivate virtues and to uphold ethical conduct.
One of the key miracles celebrated during Chotrul Duchen is the “Great Miracle” (mahāprātihārya), which occurred in Śrāvastī. This miracle is said to be one that only buddhas can perform and is said to be displayed by all buddhas at Śrāvastī. According to Vinaya accounts, the Buddha entered a state of meditation, disappeared, and then became visible in the sky in the eastern direction, displaying the four types of noble bearing- walking, standing, sitting, and lying down- all while remaining in meditative equipoise. He then entered into the fire-element concentration, emitting multi-colored rays of light, and displaying the Twin Miracle, where fire blazed from the lower half of his body and water flowed from the upper half, and vice versa. The same miracles were then displayed in the western, southern and northern directions.
This festival is also believed to be a time when the effects of both positive and negative actions are multiplied ten million times. It is an opportunity for practitioners to increase their devotion, make offerings, and engage in positive actions for the benefit of all sentient beings.
This powerful and auspicious day allows us to connect with the life and teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha and receive the blessings of Shakyamuni Buddha.
Schedule of Events:
4pm – Essence of the Buddha’s Teaching
6pm – Buddha Shakyamuni Sadhana and Practice