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Lhabab Duchen is one of the four great merit multiplying days in the Buddhist calendar. The karmic results of actions done on this day are multiplied 100 million times.
One of the best ways to maximize on the power of a merit multiplying day is by taking the Eight Mahayana One-Day Precepts. Geshe Tenley will confer these in a pre-dawn ceremony.
With an altruistic motivation, one takes eight vows (to abandon killing, stealing, sexual activity, lying, intoxicants, eating at improper times, listening to music or wearing adornments, and sitting on a high bed or throne) before dawn and promises to keep them for twenty-four hours. Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the Spiritual Director of our parent organization the FPMT, encourages us to take precepts on these special days as today, since the karmic effects of both positive and negative actions are increased many times and the benefit we receive from keeping these vows is incredible.
The first time one takes the Eight Mahayana Twenty-Four Hour Precepts, they must be taken from a qualified lama. After that, they can be taken by oneself at home.
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Lhabab Duchen is the anniversary of the Buddha’s descent from Tushita, the heavenly realm, to earth. Buddha Shakyamuni ascended to The Heaven of Thirty-Three in order to give teachings to benefit the gods in the desire realms and to repay the kindness of his mother by liberating her from Samsara and to benefit the Arya Beings as well. This is considered to be one of the great deeds of the Buddha among eight great deeds. As a Buddha Holy Day, this is a very auspicious day for practice, since the karmic effects of actions undertaken on this day are multiplied one hundred million times, according to Lama Zopa, citing the Vinaya text, "The Treasure of Quotations and Logic."
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