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| (Photo Courtesy Pema Jamtsho) |
Blessed Rainy Day is drawn from Buddhism and locally known as Thrue-Bab. It is truly a Bhutanese festival and no other parts of the world celebrates.
It is said that, at the beginning of time, the universe was evolving and the sun, the moon and a planet named Rikhi also called (Thruelkar) were formed simultaneously with other solar systems. Planet Rikhi is said to be composed of water crystal jewel (Norbu Chushel). It is situated at half the height of Mount Meru ( Rirab Lhuenpo), which is the center of the universe according to Buddhism. And it is believed that in a year, there are six months of daylight and six months of darkness on that planet. The planet Rikhi makes one round of mount Rirab Lhuenpo in a year.
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| (Mount Meru) |
Billions of years ago there existed a Buddha called Dipenkara. One day he passed away. Later, a statue of Buddha Dipenkara (Sangay Marmayzey) was newly constructed at half height of Rirab Lhuenpo by the King of the Nagas (Luu Gyel Tsugna Rinchen) as a symbol of worship. As soon as the construction was completed a rain of ambrosia (Dhueetsi) fell upon the statue from the Rikhi Star as an offering of the King of Devas (Lhai Gyelp Tshangpa and Jajin).
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| (Sangay Nampar Nangdzay) |
It is said that the crown of this huge statue of Buddha Nampar Nangdzay (Vairocana) is composed of the same material as that of planet Rikhi. As it passes by the orbit, planet Rikhi coincides with the crown of the statue once a year. The planet takes seven days to pass by the crown of the cosmic Buddha. During these seven days, blessed and pure rain is said to fall on earth from the confluence of the Buddha’s crown and the planet. The ambrosia had had all curing medical values. Thus all the worldly elements and compounds are believed to have got their medical properties from the legendary star.
For seven days, the Buddhas and Boddhisatvas bless the rain into pure elixir of life and good luck. The rain on that day is believed to be so holy that taking shower in its water would clean all the negativity and defilement in a person’s life. This day is marked as Blessed Rainy Day in Bhutan.
Blessed Rainy Day is a holiday in Bhutan and also marking the end of the monsoon. On this day all natural water resources in the country are considered to be sanctifying and citizens are encouraged to take an outdoor bath to be cleansed of "bad deeds, obstructions and defilements" and accumulated bad karma.
In Bhutan knowingly or unknowingly the day is usually celebrated with different varieties of meat feast. While we all take this opportunity to remove our obscurations by taking holy bath externally, internally we are stuffing in animal’s dead body by feasting on animals' meat and more varieties.
The very purpose of observing the religious day that has potential to remove negativities, obviously, if feasted on animal’s meat is totally defeated. Remember, this is in sharp contrast between animal being killed with unbearable pain and consuming its meat with joyfulness on the very holy day where one get an opportunity to remove the past accumulated sins.
Think very carefully and stop consumption of meat on the holy day. Don't be a part of committing heinous crime indirectly to the innocent animals on the auspicious day.
Be vegetarian on Thrubab Day and Tashi Delek
WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY BLESSED RAINY DAY
