Saka Dawa Celebration
with Venerable Amy Miller

Saka Dawa celebrates the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana (when a buddha passes away and leaves his or her earthly body). On this day, Buddhists around the world engage in many prayers and practices, make extensive offerings to teachers and holy objects, and perform charitable activities. This occasion is an excellent opportunity for beneficial thoughts, speech, and actions, and to dedicate ourselves to practice and study. 

The karmic results of everything we do on this day are multiplied by 100 million, according to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, as cited in the vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic.

We encourage you to make a special offering on your altar: fruit, sweets, or flowers, which will create an abundance of positive energy.

Since the month of Saka Dawa (June 1-June 29) is an auspicious time to create merit, we invite you to make an offering to help sustain Shantideva Center. The practice of generosity strengthens our karmic connections to the teachings and our teachers, now and in the future. It also serves as the cause for our own future prosperity and opens the heart to our interconnectedness. 

This program is offered jointly by:

Thubten Kunga Ling, Deerfield Beach, FL

PRACTICES:

  1. Sutra for Remembering the Three Jewels
  2. Tonglen meditation
  3. Shakyamuni Puja
  4. Dedication and King of Prayers

Please click on the links above to access the PDF texts for the practices.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

You are welcome to request a dedication. Please email by June 13 to prayers@shantidevanyc.org and indicate “Saka Dawa Prayers” in the subject line. 

Today, just like any other day, is a perfect opportunity to engage more earnestly in one’s practice. May the Buddhadharma flourish and spread forth to all sentient beings in the ten directions!

Recording

About the Teacher

Venerable Amy MillerVenerable Amy Miller has been teaching extensively since 1992 and was ordained as a Buddhist nun in June 2000 by the great Tibetan master, Venerable Choden Rinpoche. She has previously directed several FPMT centers and projects for decades and has completed a seven-month solitary retreat. Her teaching style emphasizes a practical approach to integrating Buddhist philosophy into everyday life. She is happy to help people connect with meditation and mindfulness in an effort to gain a refreshing perspective on normally stressful living. Venerable teaches and leads retreats and pilgrimages around the world. Her teaching schedule and other information can be found at www.AmyMiller.com.