An Auspicious Chötrül Düchen, everyone!

Dear vajra brothers and sisters,

Today is Chötrül Düchen, the first of the four most auspicious days in the Tibetan calendar. On the full moon day of the first lunar month we celebrate the ‘day of miracles’ or ‘butter lamp festival.’ Independently of the exact meaning and traditional celebrations and ceremonies, this day (like the three other ‘Düchen’ days throughout the year) has an extremely powerful karmic multiplier. It is said that on these days all actions have the ten-million-fold karmic effect.

Which is why today (at the end of the day here in Nepal) we will dedicate the practices accumulated on Dharma.online since the last dedication on Losar. I’ll write more about dedications in a little while, for now let’s just say this is a very precious opportunity to increase and share the merit of your practice, both done today and done at other times.

So, wishing all of you an auspicious Chötrül Düchen I would like to very strongly encourage my students and friends around the world to practice as much and as well as possible today, and log your practices on Dharma.online for the dedication tonight.

You can use the opportunity to practice things you don’t normally get around to, or you can just focus on your core practices. Either is fine. In order to increase the karmic effects (or merit where practice is concerned), especially of you don’t have a lot of time to spare today, take a moment to bring to mind all those beings in the ten directions who are practicing very well, and rejoice with their practice and accomplishment. And then bring to mind all beings who are having difficulties in their practice, in their lives, and make wishes for them to overcome those difficulties, to attain happiness, both relative and ultimate.

May the benefits and merits of your practice become limitless, may all be auspicious!

Yours in the Dharma, Dupseng Rinpoche.