Losar festival (Tibetan New Year) - Towards a calmer life
Updated Feb 10, 2021 | 10:35 IST
The Tibetan celebration is spread across the neighbouring nations of Nepal and Bhutan and each following one's own customs.
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Akdsatthda ca bhummatthd, deva ndgd mahiddhikd,
Pufifiantam anutnoditva, ciram rakkhantu sdsanam.
May the beings of the sky [or of space] and of the Earth, Devas and Nagas [i.e., gods and serpent-spirits] of great power,
After having shared in the merit [of this pija], Long protect the Sacred Doctrine.
An Oral Prayer led by Theravada Buddhist Followers
The Losar festival which I came to know through my pursuit of the Buddhist concept of mindfulness when I was curating the Buddhist section at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh. I could think of nothing more appropriated and significant than the Buddhist concept of mindfulness. In these pandemic times more than ever with the ephemerality of life, to be in the moment, became the best way of living life to its fullest. However, in Buddhism, mindfulness has a multitude of meanings which are neatly illustrated by Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist monk Bhante Henepola Gunaratana as eight noble truths non-judgmental observation, universal acceptance, impartial watchfulness, non-conceptual awareness, present-moment awareness, non-egotistic alertness, awareness of change, and participatory observation.