Some Important days in Sherpa Tradition

Some Important days in Sherpa Tradition

Sherpas follow the Tibetan calendar. People offer tsog, torma on the eighth, tenth, fifteenth, and thirtieth days of the months. Each of these days is for each form of Buddha. The eight is for Sangye Menla, the Medicine Buddha, on the tenth Guru Rinpoche returns to earth, fifteenth day is when Opame, the Buddha of infinite light, visits and the thirtieth day is the Buddha's auspicious day. Other special days, such as Saga Dawa, the fourth month, is Buddha's month. The seventh day of this month is the birth of the Buddha and the fifteenth is his enlightenment. Drugpa tse shi, fourth day of the sixth month, observes the first day Buddha taught. The 22nd day of the ninth month celebrates the return of Buddha to earth after teaching his mother in the deity's place.

Most of the rites are performed in between the first to fifteenth of the month, dawa hyarngo, and these days are considered auspicious for other ceremonies also. Religious rites are performed during this period. The remaining fifteen days from chhewa churuk to namgang (six¬teenth to twenty-ninth, or dawa marngo or waning moon) of the month are taken as inauspicious days.