Important Teachings on World Buddha Festival

[A Very Important Festival]

Namo Shakyamuni Buddha!

Hello everyone!

The seventh and eighth day of the Month of Saga Dawa are the days when our fundamental master Shakyamuni Buddha was born. These are very, very significant holidays for Buddhists.

We can either say "Buddha's Birthday  Puja", "Saga Dawa Puja" or "Complying with the Buddha Puja". Although the names are different, the principle is the same, and the common name all over the world is "World Buddha Festival".

(Puja ==> a Buddhist ceremony that involves offerings, meditation, and prayer, visualization, Mantra recitations)

This is the tenth year in which we have held Saga Dawa Puja. This is the blessing of our fundamental master Shakyamuni Buddha, and the blessing of our Guru and the Triple Gem of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

All of us Buddhists (disciples of our fundamental master Shakyamuni Buddha) should have one mind and work together. Why? We have only one fundamental master Shakyamuni Buddha. The Dharma we practice is the Dharma taught by Shakyamuni Buddha, there is no difference and are all the same.

What are Buddhists all over the world thinking about? It is to escape from Samsara and become a Buddha. This is not just our goal; it is the goal of ​​Buddhists all over the world.

In this case, whether we have faith or take refuge, there is only one object in front of us who is our fundamental master Shakyamuni Buddha. There is only one goal that is to escape from Samsara and become a Buddha. This is a common understanding among Buddhist disciples all over the world.

[We Are All Disciples of the Buddha]

Therefore, everyone should gather together for Puja to commemorate the Buddha, such as the World Buddha Festival (Saga Dawa Puja).

From a local perspective, there are some differences, such as Tibetan Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism, etc. There should be some difference, why? The direction in which Buddhism is passed down is a little different, so the names are also a little different.

Moreover, within Tibetan Buddhism, the sects are also different. Like the Gelug sect, Nyingma sect, Sakya sect, Kagyu sect, Jonang sect. Why? Because every eminent venerable with great virtue has a different way of liberating sentient beings, the locations are different and the disciples participating are also different. So, if divided, there can be many.

But we are all disciples of the Buddha. As just said, our fundamental master is Shakyamuni Buddha, our practice is the Dharma taught by Shakyamuni Buddha, and the goal of all of us is to escape from Samsara and become a Buddha, there is no other goal.

Therefore, Buddha’s Birthday Pujas are becoming more and more popular, getting better and better, and getting outstanding and excellent. In this case, I rejoice very much and feel extremely happy.

[Study More Deeply, Feel More Extraordinary, Have More Confidence]

Through these Pujas, many primary school students, middle school students, and college students around the world can learn about the Buddha. Many students are smart and kind, have good roots and wisdom. They can study about what our fundamental master Shakyamuni Buddha is like. The more we study our fundamental master Shakyamuni Buddha, the more extraordinary we will become, and the more confidence we will obtain.

The perfect and complete merits of both Nirvana and Enlightenment are only possessed by our fundamental master Shakyamuni Buddha. All faults and defilements, big and small obstacles and habits have been eliminated. All merits have been totally fulfilled. Therefore, the more we study our fundamental master Shakyamuni Buddha, the more extraordinary we will become, and the more confidence we will obtain.

"The Supreme Master", The more we study, the more we will know. If a wise person studies it, his confidence will naturally increase.

Not to mention the Dharma taught by our master Shakyamuni Buddha, the more we study, the more we feel remarkable and perfect. In this way, everyone's confidence will naturally increase.

Through such Pujas, we can help many, many sentient beings and people we had past connections with. In this way, we open a great door to promote Buddhism and benefit sentient beings.

Many people can come to this gate and take refuge in the Triple Gem. By reciting the Buddha's name, listening, meditating and practicing the Dharma, many people will have the opportunity to be liberated and become Buddhas.

[Buddha's Vajra Speech]

Even if we do not achieve such an effect, through this kind of Pujas, we can make the supreme name of the Buddha heard in many places. Regarding the name of Buddha, everyone should try their best to promote it.  "Shakyamuna", "Shakyatba", "Shakyamuni Buddha", whoever hears such name will immediately plant the seeds of liberation in the mind, will be on the Bodhi path and never turn back.

In this case, if we offer a flower to our fundamental master Shakyamuni Buddha, we will be liberated and become a Buddha. Why? This is what our fundamental master Shakyamuni Buddha himself said.

If we do good deeds with our fundamental master Shakyamuni Buddha as our object, the good roots will neither be wasted at all, nor be reduced to half, nor be lost.  If we do a lot of such good deeds in this life, then the good roots will continue to grow vastly in the next life.

Even if we are still in Samsara, we will immediately become people with wisdom, compassion, good roots, and a very powerful ability to liberate sentient beings, will soon become great and amazing Bodhisattvas and achievers.

If there are people with Avici-punishable offenses or relatively serious karmas, hear the name of the Buddha, and offer a flower with the Buddha as the object, even if they fall into hell, they will come out in a very short time. This is the Vajra Speech of the Buddha.

[Pray Well to Shakyamuni Buddha]

So, it is very meaningful for us to hold the Saga Dawa Pujas. We have such an opportunity is because that we have the blessing of Buddha, Bodhisattva, Triple Gem, and Guru Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche.

Without such blessing, we would not have the merits to participate in such extraordinary Pujas. These celebrations are too outstanding and remarkable.

In these days, everyone should visualize our fundamental master Shakyamuni Buddha residing in front of us in the mind, pray well to Shakyamuni Buddha, pay homage, make offerings, and take refuge in our fundamental master Shakyamuni Buddha, visualize the Buddha giving us blessings and abhisekas, after receiving the Buddha's blessing, all our karmic obstacles were eliminated.

We must visualize like this in our mind, our fundamental master Shakyamuni Buddha said: "Whoever visualizes me, I must be in front of him, and I must give him abhisekas, and I must let him receive the greatest blessings."

Shakyamuni Buddha made it very clear in the sutras, so when we practice rituals, it is very important not to be distracted, but to recite them seriously and visualize them solemnly in our mind.