The Lhabab Duchen is a Tibetan term it means Lord Buddha’s Descent from Heaven. Lord Buddha after attaining enlightenment realized the futility of being in this cycle of birth and death in this samsara. In order for the greater people to escape these shackles of attachments and suffering, he began to preach by giving many religious sermons to all.
However, Lord Buddha was initially born in 567 BC as Prince Siddhartha to great mother Maya who was the wife of king Sudhodhana of Lumbini in modern-day Nepal. Unfortunately, just after a year of giving birth, Queen Maya passed away leaving little prince Siddhartha in Nepal.
Thereafter prince Siddhartha upon witnessing a sick man, an old man, and a corpse being carried to the burning ground. Prince Siddhartha was not prepared for such an experience as he has spent most of his life in utter luxuries. Upon knowing the real causes behind these experiences from his charioteer, he was really disturbed to have witnessed such things in the streets of Kapilavastu. On returning to the palace, he encountered an ascetic man walking peacefully wearing the robe and carrying a single bowl of a sadhu. He then resolved to let go of all his belongings by bidding a silent farewell to his families and led a peaceful life in the midst of the forest in search of the ultimate reality for our existence.
Hence Lord Buddha attained enlightenment under the very Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya at Bihar. He had devoted a huge amount of time to giving religious sermons to common people to let them know about the ultimate reality of our own existence which is to escape from this world of attachments and sufferings.
Table of Contents
Lhabab Duchen
One day Lord Buddha from his own insight and spiritual awakening came to understand that his mother Maya who had passed away just after giving birth to him is reborn as a deva in the Trayastrimsha heaven (33 realms of heaven) which is presided over by the Brahmanical god, Indra called. Due to her early demise, Lord Buddha didn’t have the time to repay back her kindness and love. So in his 41st year of life, Lord Buddha ascended to the 33rd heaven, where the gods reside. Here, it is important for us to know that the realms where the heavenly god resides also come under the six realms of rebirth (Samsara). They do also suffer from extreme pleasures and self-gratification due to which they have no inclination towards religious merits. But they are referred to as higher realms as compared to the realms of human beings.
Lord Buddha ascended the 33 realms of heaven with an aim to liberate his mother from the clutches of attachments, sufferings. He along with Sariputra and his devoted followers ascended the heavenly abode and stayed there for three months. During his stay at heavenly abode, Lord Buddha delivered numerous sermons which had benefitted many gods and deities including his own mother who was able to get the auspicious teachings.
After staying there for almost three months, the king of Magadha who is well known for building the city of Rajgriha one day asked Lord Buddha’s other chief disciple Maudgalyayana about the Lord Buddha’s whereabouts. On knowing the Lord Buddha’s stay in heaven, he got so worried that he won’t be able to get the blessing of Lord Buddha again. He requested Maudgalyayana to relay his message of worries to Lord Buddha.
On getting the message, Lord Buddha sensed the worrying state and his responsibilities to help the mortal beings attain enlightenment, Lord Buddha decided to descend from heaven on the occasion of the 22nd day of the ninth lunar month according to the Tibetan calendar which coincides on 27 Oct 2021. With the help of gold, beryl & silver ornamented stairway specially crafted for him by the Hindu God of Machines, Vishwakarma Lord Buddha descended from heaven on this auspicious day. The stairways connected the heaven and the summit of mount Meru near Sankashya city with Indra and Brahma depicted as Lord Buddha’s attendants.
Good merits to be done on Lhabab Duchen:
I don’t personally know how far it is true. But so far by our traditional Buddhist belief, Lhabab Duchen is an important occasion for mankind marking the Lord Buddha’s descent from heaven that every act of kindness and generosity bring multiplied karmic merits ( Ten million times) on the day.
These are some of the acts you could do to earn some merits though we appreciate it if you could do these things on a daily basis for some better karmic merits.
- On the occasion of Lhabab Duchen, visit a Buddhist temple as they normally organise events on October 27.
- It will be very beneficial for you in addition to your normal principles, keep all eight Mahayana precepts for today which are
- Abstaining from killing.
- Abstaining from stealing.
- Abstaining from sexual activity.
- Abstaining from telling lies.
- Abstaining from intoxicating drinks and drugs.
- Abstaining from eating after noon.
- Abstaining from entertainment and beautifying the body.
- Abstaining from using luxurious furniture.
3. Indulge in philanthropic activities at your own level no matter how big and small it is especially supportive of the Buddhist Sangha of monks, nuns, old peoples, and lay teachers.
4. Act virtuously by donating to the construction of the stupa and temple.
5. It is a very wise decision to take formal refuge in three Jewels:
5.1 The Buddha
5.2 The Dharma
5.3 The Sangha
6. Do not consume meat and be sure to make extra offerings, fulfill all your practice commitments.
7. It’s a good day to begin a new retreat by isolating yourself in the home for a holy mantra retreat.
8. With your thoughts at peace for the welfare of all sentient beings, circumambulate a stupa, chant mantras, and spend some time alone reflecting on the wellbeing of all living organism
Buddha’s Descent Day or Lhabab Duchen Festival | explained in Tibetan
The Lhabab Duchen Festival or Buddha Sakyamuni’s Descent Day is one of the four great Tibetan Buddhist festivals commemorating four events in the life of the Buddha. The other three are Losar Festival, Saga Dawa Festival, Chokor Duchen Festival according to Tibetan traditions.
Lhabab duchen prayer
Preliminary Prayer
The moment you wake up, say and reflect thus
Enthused by great compassion,
You taught the immaculate Dharma,
To dispel the perverted views,
To you, the Buddha Gautama, I pay homage.
Extract from Mulamadhyamakakarika
In dependent origination,
There is no ceasing, no arising,
No annihilation, no permanence,
No coming, no going,
No separateness and no sameness,
I prostrate to the consummate Buddha,
The supreme among all teachers,
The one who taught [this] peace,
Which is freed of elaborations.
Refuge and Generating Bodhicitta
I go for refuge until I am enlightened
To the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.
By my accumulations of the practice of giving and so forth.
May I become a Buddha to benefit all sentient beings (3 times)
Inspired by wisdom and compassion
Today in the Buddha’s presence
I generate the Mind of Full-Awaking
For the benefit of all sentient beings
Acharya shanti devaQuote
May I allay all the suffering of every living being?
I am the medicine for the sick.
May I be both the doctor and their nurse,
Until the sickness does not recure.
Related Articles