Believers began the Day of Buddha Shakyamuni's Birth, Enlightenment and passing into Mahaparinirvana by taking vows

Today is the most important day for all Buddhists — the Day of Buddha Shakyamuni's Birth, Enlightenment and passing into Mahaparinirvana, which believers began at the Central Khurul by taking the one-day Mahayana vows.

With the first rays of the sun, kneeling before the Great Teacher — Buddha Shakyamuni — each person offered up a prayerful request:

“I take these vows not for the sake of my own comfort or rewards, but in order to purify the mind, accumulate merit, and ultimately attain Enlightenment — so as to be able to help all living beings free themselves from suffering.”

The vows were bestowed by the venerable Geshe Lobsang Changchub, who explained in great detail to all those present the importance and significance of this day, what a blessing it is to make the decision on such a sacred day to refrain from non-virtuous actions, and what a joy it is to create the causes for the world to become kinder and suffering to become less.

Geshe Changchub advised everyone to perform as many good deeds as possible today, to show compassion and mercy and, of course, to observe the vows taken to the very end. And there are, let us recall, eight of them in all, and each one carries a profound meaning and helps to purify the mind of obscurations.

Today the program of festivities on the occasion of the celebration of the Day of Buddha Shakyamuni's Birth, Enlightenment and passing into Mahaparinirvana is very full: at 9.00 a solemn prayer service will take place, at 15.00 the Shajin Lama of Kalmykia Geshe Tenzin Choydak will give a lecture for everyone on the fundamentals of Buddhism, and at 17.00 the traditional hanging of the large thangka of Buddha Shakyamuni on the facade of the khurul will take place. And throughout the day, until 19.00, everyone at the Central Khurul will have the opportunity to venerate and contemplate the sacred relics of the Buddha.