With Nalandabodhi Teachers
Onsite @ Maitrivana and Live-StReamed on Zoom
Pre-registration required
Please join us for Saka Dawa Düchen (Śākyamuni Day) to celebrate three great events in the life of Śākyamuni Buddha: his birth, enlightenment, and parinirvāṇa.
This major Buddhist holiday is considered one of the year’s most auspicious days. Actions taken on Saka Dawa Düchen are said to carry significant karmic weight, whether positive or negative. Many Buddhists devote the day to spiritual practice and acts of generosity, with the results multiplied one hundred million times, making it a day of especially intensified practice, generosity, and devotion. The entire month of Saka Dawa is regarded as meritorious, with the full moon day itself being the pinnacle.
Shakyamuni Day is also a day to celebrate our good fortune in being able to study, reflect, and meditate on the profound teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha.
Schedule
Sunday, May 31, 2026 (Pacific times)
10:00 am to 12 noon
The morning session will be led by Nalandabodhi teachers, with special addresses, liturgical practice in English, and the ritual of bathing the baby Buddha.
2:00 to 4:00 pm
The afternoon session will be led by Nalandabodhi Acharyas and Lamas, with practices conducted in Tibetan language. Members of the general public are welcome to drop in and meditate in silence during the chanting. Offerings may be made, and the ritual of bathing the baby Buddha may be performed at any time throughout the session.
About the ritual of bathing the baby Buddha
On Saka Dawa Düchen a beloved ritual takes place in Buddhist communities around the world: the bathing of the baby Buddha statue. This ceremony reenacts the legendary moment of the Buddha’s birth, when heavenly beings and nāgas are said to have poured fragrant water and flower blossoms over the newborn prince Siddhārtha as he stood upright, pointed one hand to the sky and one to the earth, and proclaimed his final birth into the world. Participants ladle scented water or flower-infused water over a small standing figure of the infant Buddha, placed in a basin often surrounded by flowers. The act is deeply symbolic: just as the water purifies the statue outwardly, it is understood to purify one’s own mind of the three poisons — greed, hatred, and ignorance. It is a moment of joyful devotion, a renewal of one’s aspiration to follow the Buddha’s path, and a reminder that the potential for awakening dwells within every being.
We will enjoy goodies and refreshments at Maitrivana during breaks and intervals (4610 Earles St., Vancouver BC).
We look forward to practicing and celebrating with you, whether in person or online!
Please register below / Please consider making an offering to support our teachers and this program
Date/Time
Date(s) - Sun., May 31, 2026
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Location Nalandabodhi Vancouver – Maitrivana
