Calendar. Buddhist holidays and special days according to the lunar calendar

Atsagat is a small but historically unique place. Naryn-Atsagat is located in the central part of the Republic of Buryatia on the right bank of the Uda River, 50 km from Ulan-Ude.

Atsagat is surrounded on three sides by sacred mountains: from the west, the sacred mountain Tamkhita is obscured, spreading its hem towards the sun, the peculiarity of which is that it rises in the middle of the steppe and ends with a steep slope near the river Uda.

They say that the owner of the mountain, an old man, rejoices when people come to live in Atsagat, but does not like it when they leave Atsagat. According to legend, he helps visitors in every possible way, and visiting people get rich, living in abundance. The name of the mountain happened, according to one version, according to legend. In ancient times, the Khan of the Buryats died and the question arose of electing a new monarch. The soothsayer predicted that the khan would be the one who collects stones from the mountain. One young man began to collect stones and left a tobacco pouch. People did not find a single pebble on the mountain, but only found a pouch. Since that time, they gave the name Tamhita mountain (tamhita, means tobacco). According to another version, the mountain got its name because of the pipe forgotten by Genghis Khan on it during his campaign.

On the east side is Mount Badi Delger (generous wealth). On its slopes, the Atsagat people grow grain, graze their herds, and prepare forests.In the north rises the sacred mountain Sagaan hada (rich mountain). On the slope of this mountain there are amazing stones with footprints of children and animals, which means that the area is favorable for giving birth to children and raising livestock.

In the northwest, the sacred mountain is Under Baysa, it is called the lord of the winds. The owner of the Under-Bays is considered to be a snake that can disperse a storm and bad weather. During the prayer service, lamas turn to this mountain with a prayer for good weather.

In the south, the high-water river Uda flows, originating in Eravna and flowing into one of the most major rivers Buryatia Selenga.

The ancient Mongolian word Asagad is translated as "rocky area". There are many legends about the formation of the village. Here is one of them. EThat was a long time ago, in the 1500s. When the Guchid tribe from 11 Khori clans lived on the shores of Lake Baikal. One fine morning, a camel gave birth to a camel of an unusual red color, and this was a very bad omen for the tribe. Soon happened terrible event: the mountain eagle took the baby to feed. These two serious reasons forced the people of the tribe to leave their habitable places and look for other, more successful ones.

For a long time the caravan of nomads went in search of better land, the elders meticulously chose a place for permanent residence. When one day the girth of the saddle of the head of the clan was untied for no reason, it was perceived as a sign from above and the head of the tribe ordered to stop in this particular area.

The land turned out to be rich in an abundance of various succulent herbs, despite the stony soil, the climate is harsh, but dry, favorable for raising livestock, the water in the river is clean and transparent, inhabited by many fish, the dense forest was distinguished by a large number of forest gifts and wild animals.

In ancient times, our ancestors were guided by the wish: "So that your house is built on rocky terrain, so that your flocks graze where there are many wolves." This meant that it was on rocky terrain that various succulent herbs grow, the climate is dry and the water is clear, as for the second line, it is known that wild animals catch the most frail and sick animals from the herd, i.e. nature itself makes natural selection, and the most healthy and full-fledged individuals survive.

Since that time, following the ancient wish, the Guchit tribe from 11 Khorin clans settled in this area, lovingly naming their camp - Asagad.

Why was the village called Asagad? The old people suggest that from the word "Asa" (like villas, double, branched, branched) because our ancestors used to live in the areas: Naryn - Atsagat, Khara - Atsagat, Khukhata - Atsagat. With coming Soviet power they were united into one village and called Atsagat.

And now the inhabitants of Atsagat are known for a prosperous and measured life, they gratefully honor the traditions of their ancestors who chose this fertile and favorable land.

The climate of Atsagat is sharply continental, it is good for health due to the abundance sunlight, dry air and low cloud cover. In count sunny days Atsagat surpasses many southern regions.

In Transbaikalia, I found everything, - wrote Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, passing through these places. “Great in Transbaikalia! This is a mixture of Switzerland, the Don, Finland.” Mighty thickets of taiga giants - cedars, trumpet roar of deer, red deer and handsome red deer, deafening the taiga. The icy mountain rivers roar noisily on the riffles, carrying their crystal-clear waters to the glorious sea - the sacred Baikal.

Tibetan calendar animals

Buddhist is used with minor differences in the southern Buddhist countries of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka; as well as in the countries of northern Buddhism: in Tibet before annexation by China, Nepal, Bhutan, individual states and regions of India (Sikkim, Ladakh), Japan, etc.

The Buddhist calendar is also called the lunar calendar because it is based on the phases of the moon.

The beginning of the chronology of the Buddhist calendar in southern Buddhism is from the year of the implementation of Parinirvana by the Buddha Shakyamuni and is ahead of the Gregorian chronology by 543 years.

Thus, 2016 corresponds to the year 2559 in the Buddhist calendar.

Tibetan calendar

Tibetan calendar animals

The history of the Buddhist calendar in Tibet dates back to 1027, when the Tibetan translation of the Kalachakra Tantra appeared, which became very famous and spread throughout the Buddhist traditions of Tibet. Exactly and The astrological representations of the Buddhists of Tibet, Mongolia and Russia, as well as the popular lunar calendar of 60-year chronology cycles, each of which is subdivided into five 12-year small cycles, originate from this system.1027 Fire Rabbit- the time when an astrological calendar based on the Chinese lunar calendar was introduced in Tibet, since it was also based on 60-year cycles. All previous events were calculated in accordance with the new calendar.

The Tibetan calendar is divided into major cycles of sixty years. These sixty-year cycles are in turn divided into five smaller twelve-year cycles, each year identified by the name of an animal, bird, or reptile. Twelve years is also consistently associated with various Elements. There are five such Elements, with alternating male and female attributes.

The sixteenth cycle ended in 1986 with the year of the Fire Tiger. Thus we are living in the seventeenth cycle and 2004 was the Year of the Wood Monkey. The Tibetan year is based on twelve lunar months and lasts 360 days. So that there is no discrepancy with the solar year (365.25 days), a "rapidly growing" month is added every three years. There are reasonable calculations as to which month will be "fast rising". And this particular month just repeats itself. In 1997, the fifth month of the Year of the Fire Ox was repeated.

Depending on the exact shift, five or six days are excluded from the Tibetan year if the shift occurs later, and twice if the shift occurs earlier. In order to translate the date of the Western calendar into the Tibetan calendar or vice versa, the most accurate calendar"Tsurphu tradition Tibetan calendar" developed by the Third Karmapa Ranjung Dorje.

Due to the rapidly growing month, the New Year's Day (Losar) of the Tibetan calendar moves between February and March. The month begins on the new moon and the 15th day corresponds to the full moon.

In the center of the drawing is an astrological chart drawn by Manjushri on the lower shell of a tortoise. In the inner center circle are the Tibetan numerals from one to nine arranged in a "magic square" known as "nine mewa" with the number "five" in the middle and the remaining eight digits arranged around so that they add up to fifteen horizontally, vertically and diagonally. The second circle has eight lotus petals, each containing one of eight possible combinations or figures formed by the yin and yang lines, which create the eight trigrams used in Chinese divination.

Thai calendar

The official calendar in Thailand is based on the Buddhist calendar, although an exception is made for foreigners, and the year is indicated in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The beginning of the first month of the new lunar year falls on the first day of the waning moon in the month of December. Thus, the ordinal numbers of the months of the lunar calendar are shifted 1 month ago in relation to the solar calendar. The months of the lunar calendar do not have names, they are only numbered in order. The first two months of the lunar calendar are numbered in Chinese, the rest in Thai:

• 1st month of the lunar year
• 2nd month of the lunar year, เดือนยี่, dyan yi, corresponds to January
• 3rd month of the lunar year, เดือนสาม, dyang sam, corresponds to February
• etc.

All major significant dates in Thai culture are tied specifically to lunar calendar. So, the key Buddhist holidays are on the full moon, ขึ้น ๑๕ ค่ำ ค่ำ ค่ำ, 15th (he is the last) day of the growing moon, which has a number of names in Thai: สว่าง สุก เืดือน เพ็ญ วันเพ็ญ พระจันทร์ เต็ม ดวง ดวง. The full moon holidays are Visakha Bucha, Makha Bucha, Asalaha Bucha, Khau Phansa, Ok Phansa, Loykrathong and others. key lunar days the 8th day of the waning moon (แรม ๘ ค่ำ), the new moon (แรม ๑๕ ค่ำ) and the 8th day of the waxing moon (ขึ้น ๘ ค่ำ) are also considered. The full moon and new moon are also considered major brightest holidays (วันพระใหญ่), and the eighth days of the waxing and waning moon are considered minor brightest holidays (วันพระเล็ก). Along with the lunar calendar in Thailand, the usual solar calendar (Gregorian), สุริยคติ, Suriyakhati, is widespread, where the months have their own names, and are not numbered. Any Thai printed calendar will contain both of these calculations, both months and years, and the days of the full moon, new moon and the eighth days of the waning and waxing moon will be marked with small figures of the Buddha.

January 1st as the official day of transition to New Year was established by the decree of His Majesty Rama VIII Anantha Mahidon on December 24, 1940 (2483rd year according to the Buddhist calendar).

Literature

• Androsov V.P. Kalachakra Tantra // Indo-Tibetan Buddhism: encyclopedic Dictionary. M., 2011. S.243-245.

Hello dear readers.

Despite the large number of branches of Buddhism, the main religious dates in it are associated with important events life of Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha), and therefore are the same for almost all Buddhist traditions. This article will tell about the main Buddhist holidays and significant dates for believers.

The teaching of Gautama Buddha is one of the largest world religions, which differs significantly from the more familiar Christianity or Islam. The main Buddhist holidays have their own characteristics, as they are held in an atmosphere of asceticism, especially strict observance of vows and traditions.

Religious traditions of Buddhism

According to the religious teachings of the Buddha (Dhamma, Dharma), on holidays, any impact on karma is aggravated many times, therefore, during these solemn periods, it is especially important to lead a righteous life, not to commit acts that may negatively affect karma. Adherents of the Dharma believe in the mystical essence of everything that happens on Earth. With their righteous deeds, they do everything possible to improve the karma not only of their own, but of all mankind.

Buddhists use the lunar calendar, and therefore the holidays in it are sliding - every year they fall on different dates. The most important celebrations include:

• Vesak - Birthday, Enlightenment and death of the Buddha;
• Asalha - the day of the first sermon of the Buddha;
• Asola Perahara - the festival of the tooth of the Buddha;
• Saagalgan - Buddhist New Year;
• Elephant Festival - a day of remembrance of one of the most important sermons of Gautama;
• Bun-Kathin is the day of gift giving to the monks.

On a note. Not everyone memorable days are in the nature of a cult. Some holidays are devoted to rather ordinary events, they are rather mundane - aimed at attracting interest in the teachings of Gautama, making people kinder, fairer.

Vesak or Buddha's Birthday

This is one of the most significant dates for any Buddhist. According to legend, the Buddha was born, attained enlightenment, and died on the same day (but different years) during the May full moon. According to the Gregorian calendar, the holiday falls at the end of May - beginning of June. By the way, the word “Vesak” itself means the name of the month (the second one according to the ancient Indian calendar tradition) when all these events took place.

Traditionally, the celebration lasts a whole week. In churches, festive prayers are held with chants and the lighting of hundreds of candles. Buddhists around the world pray intensely, talk about the life and teachings of their guru, light paper lanterns, and meditate. Anyone can join the glorification of the teacher and prayers. Group meditations, offerings to monasteries, proving adherence to the values ​​of Buddhism, are welcome.

Asala or Dhamma Day

In the Buddhist tradition, this day can be compared with Christian Easter - it is so significant and important for every adherent of the teachings of Gautama Buddha. It was on this day, coming on the first full moon of the ancient Indian eighth month (July), that the great guru first delivered a sermon to his five disciples, telling about the Dhamma, the teaching that allows one to achieve Enlightenment.

According to tradition, every believing Buddhist should also spend this day - for meditation and attempts to achieve the state of satori (awakening from the sleep of ignorance, allowing you to comprehend the true nature of the world).

Asola Perajara

This is more of a secular holiday, celebrated in honor of an interesting event - the discovery of a tooth that miraculously remained intact after the burning of the Buddha. He for a long time was kept in an Indian temple, but then was transported to Sri Lanka to protect the relic from invaders and ill-wishers. The tooth is there to this day.

Asola Perahara is especially popular in Sri Lanka. They celebrate the holiday for two whole weeks, carrying a casket with a relic on the backs of elephants big cities and religious centers of the island.

Sagaalgan - New Year

One of the few Buddhist celebrations celebrated by various sects in different time. By the way, this day is dedicated not so much to the Buddha himself, but to the goddess Sridevi, the mistress of time and the keeper of the secrets of life and death.

Celebration traditions are approximately the same in all Buddhist traditions. Monks and adherents of the Dhamma cult do not sleep on this night, but fervently pray and sing mantras. It is believed that this will attract good luck in the coming year. Buddhists usually spend this night with their families, and dairy products are traditionally used as festive dishes.

elephant festival

This secular holiday is dedicated to one of the most important and iconic parables of Buddhism about wild elephants, which are put in one team with trained ones in order to train. Similarly, people should follow the Enlightened Ones in order to approach the guru themselves and learn the Dhamma teaching. On this day, traditional processions and rituals are accepted - meditation, prayers, chants, lighting lamps and paper lanterns.

Bun-Kathin

Another worldly holiday, on which it is customary to invite monks to visit, feed them and give them clothes. The purpose of such a custom is to make the whole world and people who have not yet come to the Dhamma more tolerant and kind. The peculiarity of the traditions is that the attire prepared for a gift must be sewn with one's own hands, which gives it special significance and symbolism.

Other solemn dates

The list of Buddhist holiday dates is much longer. Some celebrations are celebrated only by certain areas of religion, some are more general. Other notable dates include:

• Lhabab Duisen - the descent of the Buddha into the earthly world for the final reincarnation, celebrated in October - November;
• The Dalai Lama's birthday is an event celebrated on the European calendar every year on July 6;
• Zula Khural is the day of memory of the founder of the Tibetan school of Buddhism, Bogdo Tsongkhava.

Conclusion

These, as well as other major holidays listed above, are of particular importance not only for believers, but also for lay people living in traditionally Buddhist regions. Therefore, they are almost always accompanied by beautiful processions, joint prayers, sermons of the teachings of Gautama.

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It is necessary to observe calmness and goodwill in the territory of the temple complex.

At the entrance to the datsan, women, according to custom, must let the men go first.

Before entering the temple or bowing to the stupa, the holy face, it is customary to go around the place of worship three times in the direction of the sun. Such a circle is called a goro.

If the Buddhist complex is a male monastery, then there are additional rules. For example, women are not allowed to come in trousers, women's days; you should cover your naked body so as not to tempt the monks. It is forbidden for women to be on the territory of the monastery after sunset.

At the entrance to the temple, you need to take off your hat, sunglasses, remove your bag from your shoulder, and spit out chewing gum in advance.

The mobile phone must be turned off.

One should always be facing the altar, it expresses reverence. In order to move away from the altar, you need to take three steps back and only then you can turn your back.

It is wrong to point a finger at the faces of deities.

During prayers, you can not cross your arms, legs. Sitting at a prayer service, you can not stretch your legs towards the altar or the clergyman.

Photography is usually prohibited inside the temples, but there is no such prohibition in the adjacent territory.

You can’t visit the monastery after drinking alcohol, you can’t smoke and use foul language on the territory of the monastery, in a holy place.

Do not leave garbage in sacred places.

You cannot pick up coins that lie on the ground or on drums and mortars. These are donations from parishioners and they belong to the monks and huvaraks of the monastery, because Due to these donations, the life of the entire complex is ensured.

Permissible Practices

In datsans you can sprinkle yourself with arshan

Light lamps in specially designated places

Make offerings

The datsan is protected by the state as a monument of religious architecture. To this day, the Ivolginsky datsan is the official center of Buddhism in Russia.

The Tibetan system of astronomy and astrology is extremely complex. It takes five years to study and master it at the astrological department of the Tibetan Institute of Medicine and Astrology in Dharamsala (India). Students learn to calculate everything by hand in the traditional way, they write with a pen on a wooden board covered with soot. There are no compiled complete ephemerides in which ready-made figures can be searched. One of the main components of learning is mathematics, which is used in all calculations.

The Kalachakra system, like the Hindu traditions, provides formulas for determining the "five planets and five indicators included in the calendar." Five planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Their position, as well as the position of the Sun, Moon and lunar nodes calculated for the Tibetan ephemeris in accordance with a certain mathematical model, as in the ancient Greek system. In this, the Kalachakra system differs from Chinese astronomy, in which the positions and movements of celestial bodies are determined mainly by observing the sky. The Chinese mathematics sometimes used is mostly algebraic.

Defining and describing the movement of the planets, the ancient Greeks mainly used geometry, namely various geometric proportions. The Hindu system developed the sine wave, that is, it applied trigonometric and not just geometric methods. Calculations in the Tibetan system, on the other hand, contain neither geometric proportions nor trigonometric functions- only arithmetic.

The calendar and almanac are compiled by calculating five calendar characteristics: lunar days of the week, day of the lunar month, constellation of the moon, period of combination and period of action. The first two are used to harmonize the lunar and solar calendars.

In both the Tibetan and Hindu systems, there are three types of days. A zodiac day is the time it takes for the sun to travel through one of the 360 ​​degrees of the zodiac. A sunny day is the period from dawn to dawn. The days of the lunar date, compared with the phases of the moon, is the time during which the moon travels one thirtieth of the distance between the positions of the new moon in neighboring signs of the zodiac. The beginning of the days of the lunar date is received mathematical method, similar to that used to determine the position of the sun and planets. They are counted by applying the cycle of the seven lunar days of the week, named after the names of the days of the week, which, as noted above, coincide with the names of the seven planets. To harmonize the lunar and solar calendars, the lunar days of the week must be brought into line with the solar ones. It's complicated.

First, the new moon does not occur at exactly the same time every month. Therefore, the Moon can begin to travel one of these short distances, one thirteenth of a cycle long, at any time on a solar day. The period of passage of one thirtieth part of the cycle is called in accordance with the name of the day of the week. Thus, the day of the week can begin at different times of the solar day.

Moreover, the Moon takes a different time to cover each of these small thirty distances, as its speed varies depending on its position and the position of the Sun in the Zodiac. Therefore, the number of lunar days of the week that have passed between the beginnings of two consecutive solar days is not constant, since the duration lunar day weeks also changes.

The days of the lunar month, which make up the second calendar characteristic, are numbered from one to thirty; they last from dawn to dawn, like sunny days. The problem is to determine which lunar day to assign to each day of the week. The solution is not so obvious, since the beginning and duration of the lunar days of the week - which determine the days of the week, because they are called Sunday, Monday, and so on - do not match.

The rule is that the day of the week is determined by the lunar day of the week, which falls on the beginning of the lunar day. For example, a lunar day of the week, say Monday, might begin at noon on the second day of the month and end at noon on the third. Since at the beginning of the third lunar day - it is generally accepted that the day begins at 5 o'clock in the morning - the lunar day of the week is still Monday, then the third day of the month is Monday.

The day of the week cannot be doubled or omitted. Sunday must be immediately followed by Monday, not another Sunday or Wednesday. However, sometimes two consecutive dates start on the same lunar day of the week. For example, lunar Monday may begin five minutes before the start of the third day, and the next day, Tuesday, five minutes after the start of the fourth day. That is, both, the third and fourth days, are Mondays! But there can't be two Mondays in a row. One of these dates must be skipped. Therefore, in the Tibetan calendar, some days of the month are missing.

Conversely, sometimes the beginning of two lunar days of the week occurs before the beginning of the next day. For example, if lunar Monday began five minutes after the start of the third day and ended five minutes before the start of the fourth day, then, according to the first rule, the third day must be Sunday, and the fourth must be Tuesday, that is, there will be no Monday. But since Sunday cannot be followed by Tuesday, they must be separated by Monday, one of these dates must be doubled to add Monday. Therefore, sometimes there are two eighths or two twenty-fifths in a Tibetan month.

To further harmonize the lunar calendar with the solar one, from time to time it is necessary to add a thirteenth month - doubled, or leap year. The rules for when the days of the month should be doubled or omitted and when an additional month should be added differ in different Tibetan astrological traditions. This is precisely their main difference. The various Hindu calendars are also characterized by doubling and skipping dates. In addition, both they and the classical Chinese calendar have doubled months. However, the rules differ from those adopted in Tibetan systems.

The third calendar characteristic is the lunar constellation. This characteristic has nothing to do with the actual position of the Moon at the beginning of the lunar date, calculated by the five planets method, but rather with its next associated constellation. For any lunar date, this is the position of the Moon in the constellation at the beginning of the lunar day of the week, which fell at the beginning of this date and in accordance with which the day of the week was assigned to this date.

The fourth and fifth characteristics are periods of combinations and actions. There are twenty-seven combination periods. Each of them is a period during which the total movement of the Sun and Moon is equal to one twenty-seventh of the Zodiac. That is, for any moment in time, we get the combination period by adding the refined position of the Sun in relation to the position of the next constellation associated with the Moon. Thus, these periods begin at different times. Each of them has its own name and interpretation; some are less favorable than others.

Finally, there are eleven periods of action, which are obtained by dividing thirty lunar dates asymmetrical method. There is no need to describe it here in detail. Each of the eleven periods of action has a name, and in the same way some are less and others more favorable to different types activities.

Special dates of the Tibetan calendar Arrow down Arrow up

The Tibetan calendar and almanac play an important role in the life of Tibetans. One of the most important uses is to determine the dates of various Buddhist offering ceremonies, or tsogov (tsog). The tenth day of both the waxing and waning moon, in other words, the tenth and twenty-fifth of each lunar month, is the day when ritual offerings are made to the Buddha images of Chakrasamvara, sometimes called Heruka, and Vajrayogini, as well as Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava, the founder of the Nyingma tradition. Of these days, the twenty-fifth day of the eleventh Tibetan month is the most important day of Chakrasamvara, and the tenth of the twelfth month is Vajrayogini. Eighth days of every Tibetan month special days for offerings to Tara. These rituals are performed only in the waxing phase of the moon.

If, for example, there are two tenth days in a Tibetan month, the offering ceremony is performed on the first. If the tenth day of the month is missed, the ceremony is held on the ninth. This rule applies to all religious practices that are held on special occasions. auspicious days Tibetan calendar.

In every tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and in every monastery different traditions the schedule of rituals held throughout the year is determined in accordance with the Tibetan calendar. The summer retreat usually takes place from the sixteenth of the sixth Tibetan month to the thirtieth of the seventh month. This period is known as the early summer retreat. The tantric monasteries of Lhasa Gyuto and Gyume hold a late summer retreat from the sixteenth day of the seventh Tibetan month to the thirtieth of the eighth month. In addition, in the Gelug tradition, the twenty-ninth day of each lunar month is the special day of the meditative image of Vajrabhairava, also known as Yamantaka, who is especially relied upon as a protector from obstacles. Therefore, it is believed that meditation retreats for intensive practice are best started on this day of any Tibetan month.

The Buddhist festival of Vesak celebrates not only the parinirvana, or passing away, of Buddha Shakyamuni, but also the date of his birth and enlightenment. The word "Vesak", or sometimes "Uosak", comes from the Pali name - common in Theravada countries - of the Sanskrit month of Vaishakha, the second month of Kalachakra and the fourth month of the Tibetan calendar. This holiday is celebrated on the full moon, that is, on the fifteenth day of the month. Since the Theravada calendar differs from the Tibetan one and is borrowed from one of the Hindu systems, Vesak according to this calendar is celebrated a month earlier than according to the Tibetan one.

Two other events from the life of Shakyamuni Buddha are also celebrated. After the Buddha manifested enlightenment under the bodhi tree in Bodhgaya, his first disciple was his mother, who died in childbirth and was reborn in the Heaven of Thirty Three Gods or, according to some sources, Tushita Heaven. The Buddha went there to teach her. The return of the Buddha to this world is celebrated on the feast of the Descent from the divine world on the fourth day of the sixth Tibetan month. The Buddha then went to Sarnath and deer park taught his first human students. This event is celebrated on the Feast of the Turning of the Teaching Wheel on the twenty-second day of the ninth Tibetan month.

Each of the Tibetan lineages also has its own special days. Thus, in the Gelug tradition, the festival of the Fifth Offerings of Ganden (Ganden ngamcho), which is celebrated on the twenty-fifth day of the tenth Tibetan month, is dedicated to the departure of Tsongkhapa. Monlam, the Great Prayer Festival in Lhasa, is celebrated from the third to the twenty-fourth day of the first Tibetan month. On the last day of the holiday, according to tradition, the ceremony of throwing the ritual cake takes place, performed by the state oracle of Nechung, during which all obstacles in the new year are symbolically removed. The day after this ceremony, on the twenty-fifth day of the first month, the festival of Maitreya's Invitation is celebrated. On this day, a procession circles around Lhasa carrying the image of Maitreya, the coming Buddha, in an ornate cart.

Also on special dates they ask for the advice of oracles. The Tibetan government traditionally consults the state oracle of Nechung on the tenth day of the first month. In Tibet, the abbots of Drepung Monastery regularly consult the Nechung Oracle on the second day of every Tibetan month.

Three types of inauspicious dates are regularly given in Tibetan calendars. "Bad days" are marked with the letter "shcha", and they last from dawn to dawn. "Black days" are marked with the letter "nya", they apply only to the daytime. Both fall on certain days of each year, one day for each month of Kalachakra. The third type of unfavorable days, which are marked with the letter "I", continues day and night. It is known as the "days of Yan Cuon", after a Chinese deity. As a rule, there are thirteen such days in each year, and they fall on certain dates of the months of the extensive Chinese style of the yellow system of calculation. Moreover, according to the elemental calculation system inherited from China, each year contains two "black" or inauspicious months, and from time to time there is a "black" year.

Another type of date in the Tibetan calendar is marked with the letter "sa" - the dates of the twice-monthly ceremony sojong- a ritual of purification and restoration of vows for monks and nuns. The first ceremony of the year takes place on the fifteenth sunny day after the new year. The Tibetan months begin on the waxing phase of the moon. The second sojong takes place every month at the end of the waning moon phase, fourteen lunar days after the first ceremony. If there are double numbers, both dates are considered as one in the calculation. If any date of the month is omitted, an additional number is added in the calculation to get fourteen. The first sojong of each month, at the end of the waxing phase of the moon, takes place fifteen solar days after the previous ceremony, not counting doubled or missing numbers.

It should be noted that the half of the month when the moon arrives is generally considered more favorable than the half of the month of the waning moon. Therefore, most Tibetans begin creative, positive practices in the first half of the lunar month, so that the result intensifies and develops like the growing moon.

Auspicious and unfavorable days Arrow down Arrow up

In addition, some days are considered favorable, while others are unfavorable for a particular activity. For example, the ninth, nineteenth and twenty-ninth days of the lunar month are favorable for starting a journey, and the so-called "water filter" dates - the second, eighth, fourteenth, twentieth and twenty-sixth days - are unfavorable for travel. Therefore, if Tibetans cannot travel on an auspicious day, they often take some of their luggage and carry it along the road to another house on the auspicious day, that is, they symbolically begin the journey on the auspicious day. If someone dies on the ninth, nineteenth, twenty-ninth day, or on the day when the moon is in the ninth constellation, or on Sunday, and especially on the day when all these three events coincided, this is considered very inauspicious for those who remain alive.

The most unfavorable day of the year is "the day of nine bad omens". It begins at noon on the sixth day of the eleventh Tibetan month and lasts until noon on the seventh day. At this time, most Tibetans try not to do special religious or other positive practices, but instead have picnics, relax and play. The history of this tradition: in the time of the Buddha, one person tried to do many positive things on this day, but nine troubles happened to him. The Buddha advised not to try to do many good things on this day of the year in the future.

The twenty-four hours following this day, from noon on the seventh day of the eleventh month to noon on the eighth day, is "the day of ten good omens." On this day in the time of the Buddha, ten wonderful things happened to the same man as he continued his creative work. Thus, this period is considered very suitable for positive plans, but for the most part, Tibetans also spend this time in picnics and games.

The almanac contains two other noteworthy periods of the year. The first is called "Rishi Star Rising". This period begins at a certain calculated moment of the eighth Tibetan month and lasts seven days. During it, the light from the Rishi star hits a stone in the crown of a certain mystical statue, and nectar flows from it, so the hot springs are most effective at this time, and these seven days are the so-called bath days when Tibetans go to hot springs for treatment.

Another period is called the "Poison Pig Days". It also lasts seven days and begins at a different calculated time of the fifth Tibetan month. During these days, polluted rains make the water poisonous. Whatever medicinal herbs are collected these days, they will all be poisonous. In addition, hot springs will be very harmful, and therefore they are avoided.

Although there are many periods of obstacles throughout our lives, according to the system of calculating the elements inherited from China, the most important according to Tibetans is the “year of obstacles of age”. These are the years ruled by the animal of our year of birth. For example, if we were born in the year of the rat, each subsequent year of the rat will be a year of obstacles. That is, this period occurs every twelve years. According to the Tibetan way of calculating age, as described above, in the first of these years our age is one year, in the second it is thirteen, and so on.

Common Use of Astrology by Tibetans Arrow down Arrow up

Horary astrology, checking the auspiciousness of this or that hour of the day, is the main astrological characteristic obtained from the Tibetan almanac. This characteristic also plays an essential role in Tibetan life. It is based on the first two calendar characteristics: the lunar days of the week and the lunar constellation.

Each of the twenty-eight lunar constellations and each of the seven lunar days of the week, like all celestial bodies, is associated with one of the four elements. These are four of the five Indian elements: earth, water, fire and wind. For a certain date, the element of the next associated lunar constellation is compared with the element of the lunar day of the week. Each of the ten possible combinations has an interpretation, on the basis of which they decide whether this time is suitable for certain action or not.

This is a system of ten minor correspondences. For example, if we need to perform a fire offering ceremony at the end of a meditative retreat, then it is most favorable to choose an hour from the period of double fire (fire-fire), which will increase the fire, and not from the period of water-fire, which will extinguish the flame.

Most often, Tibetans consult with astrologers about the horoscopes of newborns, as well as about marriage and death. In order to make a horoscope, aspects of both white and black systems of calculation are combined. Especially Tibetan parents are interested in the life expectancy of their children. If a short life and many obstacles are expected, they perform religious ceremonies recommended by the horoscope, and also make statues and images.

Before marriage, the compatibility of the couple is checked, as mentioned above, by comparing various aspects of the stone and the trigrams of the bride and groom. Saturday is a day of prosperity. Therefore, in marriage calculations, Saturday is considered the best day of the week for the bride to move into the groom's family. The couple's family informs the astrologer about the expected week of marriage. Then, using the system of ten small correspondences, they choose the most favorable day and time of the wedding this week. If it turns out that the auspicious day is Saturday, then it is always better to postpone the wedding until Saturday. If Saturday is an unfavorable day, then the next closest auspicious day is chosen, although the bride is still advised to move to the groom's house on the previous Saturday.

Almost every Tibetan will consult an astrologer in case of death loved one. Depending on the time of death, using the system of elements inherited from China, they calculate the time and direction in which the deceased should be taken out of the room in order to be buried or cremated. The exact time of cremation or burial is not calculated; the calculations also do not use favorable and bad days, determined using ten small correspondences. But they determine the type of ceremonies that must be performed for the deceased, especially if the death was associated with harmful spirits.

Tibetans also turn to an astrologer for advice on auspicious days to move to new house, new store opening and business travel. The latter in Tibet is related to the day and time suitable for the departure of the caravan, and in India it is most often calculated in this way when to leave the house and go to sell ready-made sweaters and clothes on the streets of various remote Indian cities. It is the most common source of livelihood for Tibetans in exile.

In addition, they always try to choose auspicious days when a young incarnated lama is enthroned, when he later makes official offerings to his monastery before the start of training, when a family sends a child to enter a female or monastery and when the new Geshe, having completed his religious education and passed his examinations, makes official offerings to his monastery. Also, according to the Tibetan tradition, the baby's hair is cut for the first time about a year after birth. This should be done on an auspicious day: it is believed that otherwise the baby will develop ulcers or wounds.

Tibetan doctors consult with medical astrologers about better days weeks for special patient treatment, such as moxibustion (moxibustion) or golden needle acupuncture. To do this, in accordance with the natal animal of the patient, choose his days life force and the spirit of life, and the deadly days are avoided.

The offering of the long life ceremony to the lama is made early in the morning on the day of his life force or spirit of life. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama was born in the Year of the Earth Pig. Since the day of his spirit of life is Wednesday, many lamas begin to give discourses ( Khrid, oral instructions) on this day of the week, as it is considered auspicious. When it is necessary to perform ritual ceremonies to help the sick, his or her days of life force or spirit of life are also chosen.

And another reason why Tibetans often consult with astrologers is whether their business will be successful this year. The astrologer makes a forecast according to the scheme from the system “arising from vowels”. The question must be asked formally, the calculations take into account the number of words in the question and the number of people in the room at the time the question was asked.

Buddhist approach to astrology Arrow down Arrow up

The interpretation of a particular period, both in general and for a particular person, can be influenced by many variables, so something in the interpretation will always be wrong. Not all factors are equally important. In each case, only some variables are considered, and some of them override others. Thus, if the journey can be started on the ninth, nineteenth, or twenty-ninth, and the empowering Kalachakra empowerment can be given on a full moon, then the inauspiciousness of other factors is not so important.

The purpose of this system is not to paralyze people with prejudice. On the contrary, it offers something similar to a weather forecast. If we know that some day may not be so auspicious, we can apply special protective measures by performing ceremonies, acting kindly, carefully, and so on, to overcome or avoid problems. It's like we take an umbrella with us if we hear that it might rain.

Buddhism does not view astrology in terms of the influence of celestial bodies - independent entities completely unrelated to the mental current of each individual - but rather as a reflection of the consequences of our past impulsive behavior, or karma. A horoscope is thus almost like a map to read the aspects of our karma. One of the overarching results of our impulsive actions in past lives will be the reflection of our karmic situation in the astronomical and astrological configuration of our birth. Therefore, astrological and astronomical information can give some idea of ​​the consequences that may arise due to our previous impulsive actions if we do not turn to protective means to change the situation. Thus, it helps us to know how to deal with any difficulty. In addition, the almanac points to the comprehensive results jointly brought about by the actions a large number people who will also be experienced together.

There is nothing fatalistic about the Buddhist worldview. The current situation arose from causes and conditions. If we carefully "read" the situation, we can act in such a way as to create other reasons and conditions for its improvement already in this life, for the benefit of ourselves and others. This does not mean that we need to make offerings or sacrifices to the various deities of the celestial bodies in order to appease them and prevent harm, but rather to change our own state mind and behaviour.

When a person is advised to make a statue or image of a particular Buddha-figure to prolong life, it may seem to many that this is done in order to gain the favor of the meditation image. This is an illiterate delusion. The most effective is the very state of mind that has arisen at the same time. If it is fear or selfishness, the effect will be minimal. To prolong our lives and improve health and material well-being, much more effective are specific meditation practices that are done with the motivation to be able to benefit others.