Shakyamuni Buddha Puja for SAKA DAWA (Buddha’s Birthday)
(HYBRID) Join us on Saka Dawa in a joyful ceremony celebrating Lord Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and parinirvana. This offering puja is a beautiful practice, sung in English, with praises to the Buddha, copious offerings, and delicious chai tea. We also bathe the Baby Buddha statue to heal the sufferings of the world, and make many praises and aspirational prayers for your own Dharma journey.
This is the holiest day on the Buddhist calendar, and a deeply moving and uplifting event. The power of everything we do on this day is greatly magnified, so it is a great day for spiritual activity and re-setting the direction of your life.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche emphasises how the Shakyamuni Puja is so important, as a practice that purifies the obstacles and accumulates the necessary conditions – the merits – that are done in order to receive blessings, and for the mind to enter into the graduated path. All the major steps on path to enlightenment are included in this ceremony, as it is based around the 7-limb practice.
“If one accumulates merit by depending on these powerful objects, then it is so easy, and with small hardships one is able to collect great merit. This is the highest method.”
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Everyone will have the opportunity to make special prayers for sick family members, for the success of projects and endeavours, the removal of obstacles, and the flourishing of Dharma and the resources for a meaningful life.
For those of you joining from Zoom, you will enjoy a detailed screenshare illustrating many of the prayers, and will also have the opportunity to share your dedications either in person or into the chat.
“My wish is that when one does this practice, one performs the offerings as extensively as possible. This is important because it all becomes the cause of success – to be able to practice, to spread the Dharma and to have all the necessary conditions.”
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
If you bring offerings to the puja, please make sure they are commercially wrapped, as most of the offering we distribute the to the needy at a later date.
Event Details
Donate to the Puja
Donations made on holy days on the Buddhist calendar are especially powerful. Your contribution here will go towards altar offerings and holy objects.
*If you can’t make it to puja but still want to be involved, please email us in your dedication so we can read it at the puja.
What You Will Need
Download the Texts:
If you are joining us online, please download these texts to follow along.
Calling the Guru From Afar
Shakyamuni Buddha Puja
What to bring:
– Offerings for the altar (preferably commercially packaged). They will be offered to the needy at a later date
– Your ritual implements if you have them. We also have some in the gompa to use
Join Event on Zoom
This is a hybrid event, held both in-person in the gompa and online on Zoom. Zoom meeting starts 10 minutes before event start time.
More Pujas and Ceremonies Coming Up…
Guru Puja (in English)
Medicine Buddha Puja
Guru Bhumtsok Brisbane 2026
