Shakyamurni Buddha Day Coinciding with Partial Solar Eclipse

Tadyata Om Muni Muni Maha Muniye Soha

September 13, 2015 is the new moon day and it’s the Shakyamurni Buddha day according to the Tibetan calendar. On this day, the auspicious Buddha day is coinciding with a natural phenomenon as follows:-

1. Shakyamurni Buddha new moon Prayer Day. 
2. Partial solar eclipse.
3. [The maximum eclipse is at 06.55 GMT, with a magnitude of 0.788.It is visible from Southern Africa, Southern Indian ocean and Antarctica]

On this day,  the effects of  positive or negative actions are said to be multiplied by * Hundred million times during Solar and lunar eclipses according to the Vajrayana Buddhism. If you have committed a positive good action, and you will be blessed with the positive Hundred million times of positive Karma actions, but if one has committed the negative actions and it will be multiplied by Hundred million times of bad and negative action. 

The power of prayer is well known over centuries and in all different religious beliefs. According to Buddhism, the world in which we live and all that happens to us is a result of our past actions. Past harmful actions create unhappy results and skillful actions create happy results. 

           Tadyata Om Muni Muni Maha Muniye Soha

One way to purify obstacles we experience due to our past harmful action is through prayers and pujas. A puja is a special ceremony in which prayers are offered to the Buddhas to request their blessings or invoke their help. But most importantly, making prayers and offerings to the enlightened beings, and to the Sangha community generates and increases merit, our positive potential. Merit is needed to have success in all activities. 

Shakyamurni Buddha's holy sacred relics.

Pujas are performed to avert and clear the three types of obstacles which arise due to the lack of merit, which prevent us from achieving our worldly and spiritual goals. Removing these obstacles will help us to achieve happiness and good fortune in all our activities.

How to request a Puja

While some prayers are of universal benefit, there are others that help with specific problems. It is always advisable to ask a lama or other knowledgeable person for advice on what puja is suitable for one's specific situation or problem.

        Shakyamurni Buddha's holy sacred finger relic

There are three types of obstacles:

1. Affecting our  day to day life,relationships, business, and finances. 
2. Affecting mental and physical health in the form of strong emotions, confusion, and associated physical problems.
3. Obstructing the attainment of wisdom, experienced as difficulties in Dharma practice.

Pujas can be performed for various purposes:

1. To help pacify their mind, and decrease fear during the time of death.
2. To bless and guide their mind to a higher state of rebirth and liberation. 
3. To remove obstacles to mental and physical health.
4. To remove obstacles to success in all activities, be they worldly or spiritual.

Thank you for reading , may you find peace and joyfulness. With your support it helps to spread the Dharma and as well, turning the Dharma wheels to the world. 
Nagarjuna's Dedication of Merit
So nam di yi tham chay zig pa nyi

Thob nay nye pa'i dra nam pham jay nay

Kye ga na chi'i ba lab thrug pa yi

Si pa'i tso lay dro war drol war shog.

Nagarjuna's Dedication of Merit [English translation]

By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.

May we liberate migrators from the ocean of existence.           With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.