Rabjung (རབ་བྱུང་)

As Bhutanese with unique identity it is very important that we must know and follow Rabjung a sexagenary cycle. Rabjung is a “host year” count determined by using sixty-year cycle based on Bhutanese astrology. It is similar to Century of the gorgerins calendar where the later has 100-year cycle.

What is this sixty-year cycle? Well accordingly to Bhutanese astrology, there are 12 animal signs: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.

Each year is allocated with different animal sign but in serial order of the animals listed above.  For example this year the animal sign is Pig; next year it is Rat and then Ox and so forth.

Further, each of this animal sign is combined with an element.

There are five elements; earth, fire, water, wood, and iron. So, 12 animals sign with 5 elements become sixty. Once 1 cycle (60 yeas) is completed, than the system is again repeated in a same fashion, the only difference is the change of Rabjung year.

Determination of a Rabjung year.

I have stated above the system of determining Rabjung, which you all are familiar by now (hope so). As stated it take 60 years for one Rabjung year. 

Now how to determine Rabjung year. Please refer the table given below:

Element	Year	60 yrs cycle	Top Rabjung/ Below all figure Gogerian Calender year
			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Fire	Rabbit	1	1027	1087	1147	1207	1267	1327	1387	1447	1507
Earth	Dragon	2	1028	1088	1148	1208	1268	1328	1388	1448	1508
Earth	Snake	3	1029	1089	1149	1209	1269	1329	1389	1449	1509
Iron	Horse	4	1030	1090	1150	1210	1270	1330	1390	1450	1510
Iron	Sheep	5	1031	1091	1151	1211	1271	1331	1391	1451	1511
Water	Monkey	6	1032	1092	1152	1212	1272	1332	1392	1452	1512
Water	Rooster	7	1033	1093	1153	1213	1273	1333	1393	1453	1513
wood	Dog	8	1034	1094	1154	1214	1274	1334	1394	1454	1514
wood	Pig	9	1035	1095	1155	1215	1275	1335	1395	1455	1515
Fire	Rat	10	1036	1096	1156	1216	1276	1336	1396	1456	1516
Fire	Ox	11	1037	1097	1157	1217	1277	1337	1397	1457	1517
Earth	Tiger	12	1038	1098	1158	1218	1278	1338	1398	1458	1518
Earth	Rabbit	13	1039	1099	1159	1219	1279	1339	1399	1459	1519
Iron	Dragon	14	1040	1100	1160	1220	1280	1340	1400	1460	1520
Iron	Snake	15	1041	1101	1161	1221	1281	1341	1401	1461	1521
Water	Horse	16	1042	1102	1162	1222	1282	1342	1402	1462	1522
Water	Sheep	17	1043	1103	1163	1223	1283	1343	1403	1463	1523
wood	Monkey	18	1044	1104	1164	1224	1284	1344	1404	1464	1524
wood	Rooster	19	1045	1105	1165	1225	1285	1345	1405	1465	1525
Fire	Dog	20	1046	1106	1166	1226	1286	1346	1406	1466	1526
Fire	Pig	21	1047	1107	1167	1227	1287	1347	1407	1467	1527
Earth	Rat	22	1048	1108	1168	1228	1288	1348	1408	1468	1528
Earth	Ox	23	1049	1109	1169	1229	1289	1349	1409	1469	1529
Iron	Tiger	24	1050	1110	1170	1230	1290	1350	1410	1470	1530
Iron	Rabbit	25	1051	1111	1171	1231	1291	1351	1411	1471	1531
Water	Dragon	26	1052	1112	1172	1232	1292	1352	1412	1472	1532
Water	Snake	27	1053	1113	1173	1233	1293	1353	1413	1473	1533
wood	Horse	28	1054	1114	1174	1234	1294	1354	1414	1474	1534
wood	Sheep	29	1055	1115	1175	1235	1295	1355	1415	1475	1535
Fire	Monkey	30	1056	1116	1176	1236	1296	1356	1416	1476	1536
Fire	Rooster	31	1057	1117	1177	1237	1297	1357	1417	1477	1537
Earth	Dog	32	1058	1118	1178	1238	1298	1358	1418	1478	1538
Earth	Pig	33	1059	1119	1179	1239	1299	1359	1419	1479	1539
Iron	Rat	34	1060	1120	1180	1240	1300	1360	1420	1480	1540
Iron	Ox	35	1061	1121	1181	1241	1301	1361	1421	1481	1541
Water	Tiger	36	1062	1122	1182	1242	1302	1362	1422	1482	1542
Water	Rabbit	37	1063	1123	1183	1243	1303	1363	1423	1483	1543
wood	Dragon	38	1064	1124	1184	1244	1304	1364	1424	1484	1544
wood	Snake	39	1065	1125	1185	1245	1305	1365	1425	1485	1545
Fire	Horse	40	1066	1126	1186	1246	1306	1366	1426	1486	1546
Fire	Sheep	41	1067	1127	1187	1247	1307	1367	1427	1487	1547
Earth	Monkey	42	1068	1128	1188	1248	1308	1368	1428	1488	1548
Earth	Rooster	43	1069	1129	1189	1249	1309	1369	1429	1489	1549
Iron	Dog	44	1070	1130	1190	1250	1310	1370	1430	1490	1550
Iron	Pig	45	1071	1131	1191	1251	1311	1371	1431	1491	1551
Water	Rat	46	1072	1132	1192	1252	1312	1372	1432	1492	1552
Water	Ox	47	1073	1133	1193	1253	1313	1373	1433	1493	1553
wood	Tiger	48	1074	1134	1194	1254	1314	1374	1434	1494	1554
wood	Rabbit	49	1075	1135	1195	1255	1315	1375	1435	1495	1555
Fire	Dragon	50	1076	1136	1196	1256	1316	1376	1436	1496	1556
Fire	Snake	51	1077	1137	1197	1257	1317	1377	1437	1497	1557
Earth	Horse	52	1078	1138	1198	1258	1318	1378	1438	1498	1558
Earth	Sheep	53	1079	1139	1199	1259	1319	1379	1439	1499	1559
Iron	Monkey	54	1080	1140	1200	1260	1320	1380	1440	1500	1560
Iron	Rooster	55	1081	1141	1201	1261	1321	1381	1441	1501	1561
Water	Dog	56	1082	1142	1202	1262	1322	1382	1442	1502	1562
Water	Pig	57	1083	1143	1203	1263	1323	1383	1443	1503	1563
wood	Rat	58	1084	1144	1204	1264	1324	1384	1444	1504	1564
wood	Ox	59	1085	1145	1205	1265	1325	1385	1445	1505	1565
Fire	Tiger	60	1086	1146	1206	1266	1326	1386	1446	1506	1566
Element	Year	60 yrs cycle	Top Rabjung/ Below all figure Gogerian Calender year
			10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17
Fire	Rabbit	1	1567	1627	1687	1747	1807	1867	1927	1987
Earth	Dragon	2	1568	1628	1688	1748	1808	1868	1928	1988
Earth	Snake	3	1569	1629	1689	1749	1809	1869	1929	1989
Iron	Horse	4	1570	1630	1690	1750	1810	1870	1930	1990
Iron	Sheep	5	1571	1631	1691	1751	1811	1871	1931	1991
Water	Monkey	6	1572	1632	1692	1752	1812	1872	1932	1992
Water	Rooster	7	1573	1633	1693	1753	1813	1873	1933	1993
wood	Dog	8	1574	1634	1694	1754	1814	1874	1934	1994
wood	Pig	9	1575	1635	1695	1755	1815	1875	1935	1995
Fire	Rat	10	1576	1636	1696	1756	1816	1876	1936	1996
Fire	Ox	11	1577	1637	1697	1757	1817	1877	1937	1997
Earth	Tiger	12	1578	1638	1698	1758	1818	1878	1938	1998
Earth	Rabbit	13	1579	1639	1699	1759	1819	1879	1939	1999
Iron	Dragon	14	1580	1640	1700	1760	1820	1880	1940	2000
Iron	Snake	15	1581	1641	1701	1761	1821	1881	1941	2001
Water	Horse	16	1582	1642	1702	1762	1822	1882	1942	2002
Water	Sheep	17	1583	1643	1703	1763	1823	1883	1943	2003
wood	Monkey	18	1584	1644	1704	1764	1824	1884	1944	2004
wood	Rooster	19	1585	1645	1705	1765	1825	1885	1945	2005
Fire	Dog	20	1586	1646	1706	1766	1826	1886	1946	2006
Fire	Pig	21	1587	1647	1707	1767	1827	1887	1947	2007
Earth	Rat	22	1588	1648	1708	1768	1828	1888	1948	2008
Earth	Ox	23	1589	1649	1709	1769	1829	1889	1949	2009
Iron	Tiger	24	1590	1650	1710	1770	1830	1890	1950	2010
Iron	Rabbit	25	1591	1651	1711	1771	1831	1891	1951	2011
Water	Dragon	26	1592	1652	1712	1772	1832	1892	1952	2012
Water	Snake	27	1593	1653	1713	1773	1833	1893	1953	2013
wood	Horse	28	1594	1654	1714	1774	1834	1894	1954	2014
wood	Sheep	29	1595	1655	1715	1775	1835	1895	1955	2015
Fire	Monkey	30	1596	1656	1716	1776	1836	1896	1956	2016
Fire	Rooster	31	1597	1657	1717	1777	1837	1897	1957	2017
Earth	Dog	32	1598	1658	1718	1778	1838	1898	1958	2018
Earth	Pig	33	1599	1659	1719	1779	1839	1899	1959	2019
Iron	Rat	34	1600	1660	1720	1780	1840	1900	1960	2020
Iron	Ox	35	1601	1661	1721	1781	1841	1901	1961	2021
Water	Tiger	36	1602	1662	1722	1782	1842	1902	1962	2022
Water	Rabbit	37	1603	1663	1723	1783	1843	1903	1963	2023
wood	Dragon	38	1604	1664	1724	1784	1844	1904	1964	2024
wood	Snake	39	1605	1665	1725	1785	1845	1905	1965	2025
Fire	Horse	40	1606	1666	1726	1786	1846	1906	1966	2026
Fire	Sheep	41	1607	1667	1727	1787	1847	1907	1967	2027
Earth	Monkey	42	1608	1668	1728	1788	1848	1908	1968	2028
Earth	Rooster	43	1609	1669	1729	1789	1849	1909	1969	2029
Iron	Dog	44	1610	1670	1730	1790	1850	1910	1970	2030
Iron	Pig	45	1611	1671	1731	1791	1851	1911	1971	2031
Water	Rat	46	1612	1672	1732	1792	1852	1912	1972	2032
Water	Ox	47	1613	1673	1733	1793	1853	1913	1973	2033
wood	Tiger	48	1614	1674	1734	1794	1854	1914	1974	2034
wood	Rabbit	49	1615	1675	1735	1795	1855	1915	1975	2035
Fire	Dragon	50	1616	1676	1736	1796	1856	1916	1976	2036
Fire	Snake	51	1617	1677	1737	1797	1857	1917	1977	2037
Earth	Horse	52	1618	1678	1738	1798	1858	1918	1978	2038
Earth	Sheep	53	1619	1679	1739	1799	1859	1919	1979	2039
Iron	Monkey	54	1620	1680	1740	1800	1860	1920	1980	2040
Iron	Rooster	55	1621	1681	1741	1801	1861	1921	1981	2041
Water	Dog	56	1622	1682	1742	1802	1862	1922	1982	2042
Water	Pig	57	1623	1683	1743	1803	1863	1923	1983	2043
wood	Rat	58	1624	1684	1744	1804	1864	1924	1984	2044
wood	Ox	59	1625	1685	1745	1805	1865	1925	1985	2045
Fire	Tiger	60	1626	1686	1746	1806	1866	1926	1986	2046

Locate year 2019 in the table. Once you get this figure you have to see two figure one on top vertical and other on the horizontal in the yellow colored row and column.

Result:

On top row the figure is 17

On the Horizontal the figure is 33

Combining this two figure you get Rabjung Year. So this year the Rabjung year is 1733. Now do some practice and find your birth Rabjung year.

In the table you will see the first Sexagenary cycle starting on 1027 A.D. So this is the Rabjung dating system instituted by Lotsawa Dawa Özer in Tibet.

Hope you have learnt the Rabjung system.