Create Merit While Celebrating Choekhor Duchen

Choekhor Duchen, Twitter.

Friday, July 24, 2020, is Chokhor Duchen, the day people around the world will commemorate the anniversary of Shakyamuni Buddha's first teaching.

Chokhor Duchen is a merit multiplying day. The merit received for any positive actions done on July 24 will be multiplied. This week, I have been sharing some opportunities to create merit:

Help Pay Dharamsala Animal Rescue Staff Salaries on Chokhor Duchen

Help Supply Volunteers with Dog Food for Street Dogs in Nepal on Chokhor Duchen

Make Offerings to Tibetan Buddhist Nuns on Chokhor Duchen

There are many programs scheduled for Chokhor Duchen. Participation in these programs is another opportunity to create merit. Here are just a few of the programs taking place on Friday, July 24.

Tibet House New Delhi

Geshe Dorji Damdul will lead the taking of the Aspirational Bodhisattva Pledge and will give a teaching on Four Noble Truths with Emphasis on the Truth of Cessation of Suffering.

Choekhor Duchen, Tibet House New Delhi e-newsletter.

The Event

The Tibet House New Delhi poster says, "Celebrating Choekhor Duechen (The First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma) led by Ven. Geshe Dorji Damdul, Director, Tibet House, New Delhi.

"All are welcome.

"10:30 AM - 12:00 PM IST: Aspirational Bodhisattva Pledge
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM IST: Four Noble Truths with Emphasis on the Truth of Cessation of Suffering"

Schedule

July 24, 2020

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM IST
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM IST

(July 23 from 10:00 PM - 11:30 PM PT and on July 24 from 1:30 AM - 3:00 AM PT)

Watch the Livestream

To watch Live - Tibet House Facebook

Geshema Tenzin Deden, Gompa Services Facebook.

Jamyang Choling Institute

A pre-recorded teaching from Geshema Tenzin Deden, given in English and recorded at Jamyang Choling Nunnery and Institute in Himachal Pradesh, India, will be made available for viewing on the Gompa Services website.

The Event

The Gompa Services website says, "On the auspicious occasion of Chokhor Duchen (the anniversary of Shakyamuni Buddha’s first teaching on the Four Noble Truths), we are pleased to announce a free webcast on July 24th, 2020 of a teaching titled ‘The Significance of Chokhor Duchen and the Four Noble Truths’ by Geshema Tenzin Deden at Jamyang Choling Nunnery and Institute, Dharamsala, India. The teaching is given in English.

"Geshema Tenzin Deden is a teacher and senior nun at Jamyang Choling Nunnery and Institute. Originally from Kanam, Kinnaur, she received her monastic ordination from His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the age of twenty in Bodhgaya. Since 1989, she has been engaging in the rigorous study of Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan language, and other courses at the Jamyang Choling Institute. After completing seventeen years of study of the five major texts, she participated in the Geshema degree program, which was formed under the kind guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In 2016, she completed her study of Buddhist Philosophy and was amongst the first batch to receive the Geshema degree.

The Schedule

The Gompa Services website says, "Pre-recorded live, the teaching will be available to view on July 24th, 2020. The webcast will then remain available for you to view at any time of your choosing until August 17th, 2020.

Watch the Video

The Gompa Services website says, "This is a free webcast but registration is needed to view the webcast.

"To register, please go to www.gompaservices.com and sign in to your Gompa account and select Special Events / See details of all events and webcasts; then select the event (from the list in date order, or by selecting Jamyang Choling Nunnery and Institute from the monastery / nunnery list). If you do not have a Gompa account, you can create a free account at www.gompaservices.com/NewToGompa.

"Registration and viewing will be available until August 17th, 2020. At the time you register there will also be the opportunity to make a voluntary offering in support of Jamyang Choling Nunnery and Institute."

International Mahayana Institute

The International Mahayana Institute is the FPMT organization's community of monks and nuns. Join their twenty-four hour Global Big Heart Sutrathon.

The Event

Monks and nuns will lead recitations of the Heart Sutra for twenty-four hours, taking turns. Each session will last one hour and there will be two monastics per session. At the end of each session the monastics will check the YouTube chat to see if there are any questions for the monastics.

The Schedule

The Global Big Heart Sutrathon will last for twenty-four hours on India time.

July 24, 2020

12:00 AM - 11:59 PM IST

(July 23 from 11:30 AM PT until July 24 at 11:30 AM PT)

Watch the Livestream

Watch the twenty-four hour livestream on the Chenrezig Institute Australia YouTube channel.

Follow along by using the text, available for free from FPMT in various languages: English, Chinese, Catalan, Spanish, French, and Italian.

Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche, Tushita Meditation Centre Facebook.

Tushita Meditation Centre

Tushita Meditation Centre, a retreat center in Himachal Pradesh, India that I have visited is offering a number of programs for Choekhor Duchen.

The Events

The Tushita e-newsletter I received said, "We are extremely honored and delighted that Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche accepted our request to give His first online teaching for Tushita on the very auspicious occasion of Chökhor Düchen."

The Schedule

6:30 AM – 8:00 AM IST – The Path of Joy – Online Course with Venerable Amy Miller

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM IST – Guided Meditation with Venerable Drolma & Light Offering Ceremony with Sangha. (Live on Zoom and Facebook)

An unique opportunity to have your own butter lamp with your special dedication offered on this meritorious day! Click here to sponsor a butter lamp

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM IST – Medicine Buddha Puja – Led by Venerable Drolma (Live on Zoom and Facebook)

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM IST – Life of the Buddha (Watchparty on Facebook)

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM IST – Reading of Sutra of Golden Light – Led by Ven. Gyalmo (Live on Zoom and Facebook)

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM IST – Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche – How to Study and Practice (Live on Zoom and Facebook)

6:30 PM – 8:00 PM IST – The Path of Joy – Online Course with Venerable Amy Miller

Watch the Livestream

"This teaching with Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche is open to everyone and registration is not required. For the live stream of Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche's teaching please join us on Zoom or visit our Facebook Page.

"Most of the remainder of the program will be live streamed to all of you through this Zoom Meeting and on our Facebook Page so make sure to follow that space during this day."

Yangsi Rinpoche, www.maitripa.org.

Maitripa College

Maitripa College president Yangsi Rinpoche will lead a Guru Puja.

The Event

The Maitripa College website says, "Join the global Maitripa College Community online on Chokhor Duchen. Chokhor Duchen, or Wheel Turning Day, is a traditional Buddhist celebration day, in which we commemorate the Buddha’s first teaching (Turning the Wheel of Dharma). This is also a day of celebration of the tradition of ordained monastics (the traditional ‘sangha’) in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition."

The Schedule

July 24, 2020

12:00 PM PT

Join the Zoom Meeting

Everyone wishing to join must register in advance to attend the puja.