Part1)༄།ཆོས་འཁོར་དུས་ཆེན༽ Buddha Shakyamuni’s Teaching Day

Chokhor Duchen (ཆོས་འཁོར་དུས་ཆེན) is one of the four major annual holy days in Tibetan Buddhism. It celebrates the Turning of the Wheel of Dharma—marking the moment Buddha Shakyamuni gave his very first sermon after attaining enlightenment.🪔☸️☯️☸️☸️☸️☸️ What Makes Chokhor Duchen Special? The Historical Event: Seven weeks after reaching enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, Buddha Shakyamuni traveled to Sarnath (Deer Park near Varanasi). There, he delivered his first teaching to his five former ascetic companions, setting forth the Four Noble Truths. Timing: It takes place on the 4th day of the 6th Tibetan month (usually falling in July or August). Karmic Multiplication: According to Tibetan tradition, the karmic effects of any positive or negative actions performed on this day are multiplied 100 million times (Tenjur). Traditional Practices on This Day 1. Pilgrimage (Kora): Devotees circumambulate holy sites, stupas, and monasteries while reciting mantras. 2. Offerings: Lighting butter lamps, offering incense, and donating food or robes to the monastic sangha. 3. Recitation & Meditation: Reading the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Law) and practicing quiet contemplation. 4. Saving Lives (Tsethar): Releasing animals meant for slaughter as an act of compassion.