Today is lhabab- Dhuchen but you should know what exactly it means. By Jamyang Dorjee Chakrishar. Buddha, a great teacher, set examples by engaging in twelve great deeds in his life. Through these deeds, he conveyed the message of what is known as the four noble truths: there is suffering, there is cause to the suffering, there is cessation to the suffering and there is path to the cessation of the suffering. He taught eight fold paths of cessation of suffering. Lhabab Duechen, another great deed of the Buddha will be celebrated every year on the 9th month of the lunar calendar, as usual with great religious fervor. Most of the Buddhists know that the Buddha ascended the heaven after attaining enlightenment to repay the kindness of his mother by teaching and liberating her from the sufferings of the cyclic existence. His mother, Maya Devi is said to have ascended there when she left behind her worldly body. His returning to earth by descending from the heaven is called Lhabab Duechen or the great day of descending from heaven Buddha certainly did not engage in these acts so that his followers will celebrate the day and worship him only but to make them understand the essence of the day, the kindness of a mother, to apply on one self and make it socially relevant. Many people in the west have the idea that Buddhism is a harsh, life-denying path. Contrary to it; Buddhist philosophy perhaps is not even a religion but science of mind, of infinite compassion with a capacity to build a better world. One of the drawbacks of Tibetan Buddhism or Nalanda Tradition of Buddhism is that for a long time it only remained monastery centric. Fortunately with the continuous effort of great spiritual masters, many great monasteries in across the Himalayas are today active in ‘engaged compassion’ such as running hospitals, schools, orphanages and homes for senior citizens successfully. However, besides engaging in social activities, it is equally important to review some of the existing traditions such as expensive rituals said to be performed, especially during the death of a person, predominant in Buddhists villages in Himalayan regions in India and Nepal which is the main cause of conversion into other religions perceived to be less complicated. As a 21st century Buddhists, it is time to review whether these expensive traditions are socially relevant and if they conforms to the teachings of Buddha. Besides remembering the great deeds of the Buddha, Lhabab Duechen can practically be celebrated as a mother’s day; repaying the kindness of the mother. In many countries there are days set aside especially to commemorate mother’s day. The Resolution for having a dedicated Mothers Day was signed by US President Woodrow Wilson on May 8, 1914. Since then people across the world have been celebrating Mothers Day with joy and devotion and express gratitude for the hardships they bear in bringing up a child. Buddha emphasized greatly on the importance of loyalty to ones parents. “My smile is the gift of my mother” His Holiness the Dalai Lama said to 13,000 audiences packed into the Long Beach Arena for the annual California Governor and First Ladys Conference on Women in 2006. He further said More women must become leaders and schools must teach compassion. Tibetan Buddhism believes that in our multiple past lives, we have had mothers who must have given us the same love and care like the mother of this life. Therefore, our prayers begin by saying “Ma sem chen tham che”, meaning entire sentient beings as your mother. Caring or remembering the kindness of your mother is the path to praying for the entire sentient beings. It begins from there; therefore, Lhabab Duechen is the festival of expression of gratitude towards your mother and promotion of compassion which is common to all religions and even relevant to non-believers. Since we are not Buddha, we do not have the power to know where our mother of so many lives exists or to liberate her from Samsara but, as a lay man we certainly know our mother of this life. We can practically celebrate this day by remembering the kindness of our mother by expressing gestures such as spending quality time with her or pamper her a little on this special day of hers just as she pampers you all year round. Happy mother’s day/ The writer is a former senior civil servant of the Government of Sikkim and can be reached at jamyangdorjee@yahoo>
Posted on: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 16:52:48 +0000
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