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Chokhor Düchen - Buddha's first teaching 2022

10:00 am Monday, August 1, 2022

  

Seven weeks after attaining enlightenment at Bodhgaya, Shakyamuni Buddha gave his first teaching at the Deer Park in Sarnath.

We celebrate this day as Chokhor Düchen.

It is a Buddha Holy Day, when the karma of our merit is multiplied 100 million times, according to a Vinaya sutra. To support our members in creating merit, we will open our doors from 10 am to 6 pm for students to do personal practice.

At his first teaching, the Buddha expressed his profound realization of the nature of existence in the Four Noble Truths:

    The Truth of  the Nature of Suffering
    The Truth of the Origins or Causes of Suffering
    The Truth of the Cessation of, or Liberation from, Suffering
    The Truth of the Eight Fold Path as the means to attain ultimate happiness and freedom from suffering.

This teaching, referred to as the First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma, led to the formation of the Sangha, the community of disciples committed to following the Buddha's example of living simply, following the Path, and teaching the Dharma. Accordingly, every year at this time, the FPMT encourages its Centers to celebrate the presence of the ordained sangha community. Our website includes a Sangha Support and Offerings page with valuable information, including a previous year's talk and Q&A about sangha with our director, Robbie Watkins.

Kadampa Center will open our doors from 10 am to 6 pm for students to come and do personal practice. Geshe Gelek recommends practices such as circumambulating the gompa, circumambulating the stupa, reciting mantras, reciting Praises to the 21 Taras, purification practice and, of course, anyone's personal practice.

You can sponsor Holy Day events - amazing merit!  Click here to sponsor Chokhor Düchen

Location at Kadampa Center: 
Gompa