shashur monastery

08/06/2026

08/06/2026

. 🌸🙏 TASHI DELEK! 🙏🌸

🌸🙏JULLEY!🙏🌸

📢 ANNOUNCEMENT 📢

🙏 SHASHUR TSECHU 2026 🙏

Shashur Monastery warmly invites all devotees, local residents, and visitors to attend the sacred Shashur Tsechu.

Experience the vibrant Cham Mask Dances, traditional Buddhist rituals, prayers, and blessings performed by the monks for peace, prosperity, and the well-being of all sentient beings.

📍 Venue: Shashur Monastery, Lahaul, Himachal Pradesh
📅 Date: 24 June 2026
🕘 Time: 9:00 AM onwards

Join us in celebrating the rich spiritual and cultural heritage of the Himalayas.

🌸 May this auspicious gathering bring happiness, harmony, and blessings to all.

Everyone is warmly welcome.

16/05/2026

𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐚 𝐃𝐚𝐰𝐚: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐦 (17th May to 15th June 2026)

Saga Dawa is one of the holiest months for Buddhists around the world. It is the fourth lunar month in the Bhutanese calendar and is believed to mark the birth, enlightenment and parinirvana of Buddha Sakyamuni.

The most important day of this sacred month is Duchen Nga Zom, the full moon day on 31st May 2026. According to Buddhist teachings, this day remembers five great events in the Buddha’s life:

• His conception
• His birth
• His victory over Mara (evil forces)
• His enlightenment
• His parinirvana

Saga Dawa is known as the “Month of Merits” because good actions done during this time are believed to bring much greater positive karma. At the same time, harmful actions are also believed to have stronger negative effects.

The Buddha taught that merit comes mainly through:

• Generosity – helping others without expecting anything back

• Ethical living – avoiding harmful actions and living honestly

• Meditation and mindfulness – training the mind toward wisdom and peace

During this month, many people try to become kinder, more compassionate and more mindful in daily life. Even small acts of goodness are considered very meaningful.

Common practices during Saga Dawa include:

• Avoiding meat and following vegetarianism
• Offering food and support to monasteries and monks
• Reciting prayers and mantras
• Visiting monasteries and sacred places
• Lighting butter lamps and incense
• Saving animals from slaughter
• Helping the poor and needy
• Practicing kindness and compassion toward all beings

In Bhutan, the sale of meat is suspended during this sacred month as an act of compassion and protection for animals.

Saga Dawa reminds us to live with compassion, mindfulness and love for all beings. It is a special time to reflect on our actions, purify negative thoughts and strengthen positive qualities in our lives.

May this sacred month bring peace, happiness, wisdom and blessings to all sentient beings.

Phub Dorji Wang

“🆃🅰🆂🅷🅸 🅳🅴🅻🅴🅺!”

"As Bodhicitta is so precious, May those without it now create it, May those who have it not destroy it, And may it ever grow and flourish."

06/05/2026

𝓗𝓾𝓷𝓭𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓶𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓐𝓶𝓲𝓽𝓪𝓫𝓱𝓪 𝓑𝓾𝓭𝓭𝓱𝓪 𝓡𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷

Tentative program for May 17, 2026, at Naro Hall, Druk Amitabha Mountain DGK Nunnery, with Amitabha Buddha initiation by the Gyalwang Drukpa.

To join in person, please register here:
https://forms.gle/xpnc3npnr24ZS6Zg9

For virtual participation, please register here: https://forms.gle/7VzJLsw9ASHWyti57

08/12/2025

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐃𝐨 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡?

In many places, people believe that if a cat crosses the road before them, it brings bad luck. Some even stop and wait for someone else to cross first. But where does this belief come from, and what does Buddhism say about it?

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺?

This idea is not Buddhist. It comes from old folk traditions where nighttime animals—especially cats—were linked with uncertainty and omens. Over time, the superstition was simply passed down through families.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁?

Buddhism teaches that:

• Animals do not create bad luck.

• Karma comes from our own actions, not from a cat walking in front of us.

• Fear and superstition are created by the mind, not by animals.

A cat crossing the road is just a sentient being trying to find food or a safe place. It has nothing to do with your fortune.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲

The real problem is not the cat but the belief we attach to it. When we feel fear, we weaken our own confidence.

Buddhism advises us to transform the moment into compassion:

“𝙈𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚, 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢.”

That single thought creates more merit than any superstition can remove.

In short
• The superstition is cultural, not spiritual.

• A cat cannot harm your karma.

• Your reaction matters more than the event.

• Compassion creates good fortune, not fear.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 — 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Phub Dorji Wang

༈ བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་མཆོག་རིན་པོ་ཆེ། །
𝙱𝚘𝚍𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚊, 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚖𝚎:
མ་སྐྱེས་པ་རྣམས་སྐྱེས་པ་དང༌། །
𝙼𝚊𝚢 𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚖 𝚒𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚗;
སྐྱེས་པ་ཉམས་པ་མེད་པ་ཡང༌། །
𝙼𝚊𝚢 𝚒𝚝 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚎𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚗;
གོང་ནས་གོང་དུ་འཕེལ་བར་ཤོག །
𝙼𝚊𝚢 𝚒𝚝 𝚐𝚘 𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚏𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛!

02/12/2025

𝘽𝙝𝙪𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝘼𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮!
(Bhutanese Astrology Series 1)

𝐋𝐨-𝐊𝐡𝐚𝐤 — 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞-𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫

The year when your birth animal sign returns in the calendar cycle.

In 2026, people born in the 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 year fall under Lo-Khak.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗟𝗼-𝗞𝗵𝗮𝗸 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁?

In Tibetan and Bhutanese astrology, when the year animal matches your birth animal, the two identical forces collide rather than support each other.

Instead of reinforcement, the energy “turns inward” and creates a self-strike, increasing the likelihood of:

* Instability in life
* Illness or low vitality
* Accidents and obstacles
* Emotional turbulence
* Setbacks in work and relationships

This is why Lo-Khak is considered the most serious inauspicious year cycle.

𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁

* For Men:

The year before the Lo-Khak year (called Nang-Khak) is more difficult than the Lo-Khak year itself.

* For Women:

The year after the Lo-Khak year (called Chi-Khak) brings more obstacles.

𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗼-𝗞𝗵𝗮𝗸 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝘀

Lo-Khak recurs every 12 years, or when your age turn to the following ages:

𝟭𝟯, 𝟮𝟱, 𝟯𝟳, 𝟰𝟵, 𝟲𝟭, 𝟳𝟯, 𝟴𝟱, 𝟵𝟳

These are major turning points where health, fortune, and mental stability require extra attention.

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗩𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗼-𝗞𝗵𝗮𝗸

Within the Lo-Khak year there are six months where the month animal has strong karmic conflict with your birth sign. These months are traditionally considered the periods of:

* Highest obstacle
* Increased misfortune
* Need for special caution and prayers
(Exact months depend on the birth sign + traditional month-animal cycle.)

𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲

During a Lo-Khak year, one should:

* Engage more in prayers and protective practices (Guru Rinpoche prayers, Tara, Mahakala, Riwo Sangchö, life-release)

* Avoid major risks — travel, dangerous work, reckless activities

* Postpone major surgeries, if medically safe to do so

* Stay grounded emotionally, avoid big conflicts

* Be mindful of finances, avoid unnecessary loans or speculative investments

* Receive regular blessings (lung, wang, sojong, chab-dro)

* Perform protective rituals
* Lhabsang
* Chab-söl
* Nagma/Nagpo rituals
* Astrological remedial practices
* Annual “Lha-gam”, “Lu-gam”, or “Nay-gam” according to your element/animal if recommended

In essence:

Lo-Khak does not predict disaster — it simply means the energy of the year is not smooth for you. With awareness, prayer, and carefulness, people can pass through Lo-Khak safely and even grow spiritually.

Phub Dorji Wang

༈ བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་མཆོག་རིན་པོ་ཆེ། །
𝙱𝚘𝚍𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚊, 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚖𝚎:
མ་སྐྱེས་པ་རྣམས་སྐྱེས་པ་དང༌། །
𝙼𝚊𝚢 𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚖 𝚒𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚗;
སྐྱེས་པ་ཉམས་པ་མེད་པ་ཡང༌། །
𝙼𝚊𝚢 𝚒𝚝 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚎𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚗;
གོང་ནས་གོང་དུ་འཕེལ་བར་ཤོག །
𝙼𝚊𝚢 𝚒𝚝 𝚐𝚘 𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚏𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛!



Note: to be continued…..

06/11/2025