About Event:
Saka Dawa commemorates Shakyamuni Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana when karmic results are multiplied by 300 million times as it commemorates Shakyamuni Buddha’s three major life events.
As Lama Zopa Rinpoche explained, “Because Saka Dawa combines these three special days, the possibility to create merit is unbelievable. Due to this, it is very important for one to use this opportunity to do everything the best!
“It is so important also to understand that if one collects non-virtue on merit multiplying days, then that will also increase by that many number of times. One has to be careful to not increase non-virtuous actions during the merit multiplying days.”
- Lama Zopa Rinpoche
How to best celebrate Saka Dawa? – fulfilling the lama’s advice!
Schedule for Saka Dawa
7:30am Raising the Big Thangka in the Nalanda Masters Garden
8:00am Setting up Water Bowl offerings in front of the Thangkha
9:30am Prayers in the Nalanda Masters Garden
10:00am - 4:00pm Working Bee – see more info below
12:00pm Lunch (Please book your lunch in advance)
6:00pm Medicine Buddha Puja (in the Tara Room)
Please refer to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice for merit multiplying days, in particular:
Taking the eight Mahayana precepts: students can receive the lineage of these precepts from a specially produced video of Lama Zopa Rinpoche granting them, recorded in 2020 at Kopan Monastery.
Reciting the Sutra Remembering the Three Jewels.
Working Bee – Saka Dawa
Sunday, 31th May 2026 | 10:00am–4:00pm
Garden of Enlightenment, Chenrezig Institute
Join us on Saka Dawa, one of the most powerful days for creating vast merit, for a Working Bee. Help restore the stupas, clean holy objects in the Garden of Enlightenment — a meaningful offering of your time on this sacred day. No experience needed.
Please bring a hat, sunglasses, sun cream, water, and lunch. Cake and chai provided.
Come for an hour or the whole day — all help is appreciated!
RSVP: artstudio@chenrezig.com.au
A Special Opportunity to Join the Offering for His Holiness’s Long Life Puja
As part of the October 2026 pilgrimage to India, Geshe Tsultrim will be offering 135 Long Life Lama Tsongkhapa statues to His Holiness the Dalai Lama during a Long Life Puja.
Each 23 cm statue is crafted from red copper with a 24-karat gold-adorned face. The number 135 reflects heartfelt prayers for His Holiness’s long and stable life, for the benefit of all beings.
By offering one or more statues, you help support these prayers while creating causes for long life, health, and blessings for yourself and your loved ones. Each donor’s name will be read before His Holiness.
If you wish to participate, you are warmly invited to offer $300 per statue, or make a donation of any amount toward the Long Life Puja 🙏
Saka Dawa marks the birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana of Shakyamuni Buddha, and it is one of the most powerful days of the Tibetan Buddhist calendar. According to tradition, any virtuous actions performed on this day are multiplied millions of times.
If you wish to make an offering for the puja during this holy day of Saka Dawa, it is a deeply auspicious opportunity.