Buddha Jayanti Observed at Sherpa Kyidug Monastery in New York
May 12, 2025: New York, USA — On the sacred occasion of Buddha Purnima, hundreds of devotees from across the Tri-State region gathered at the Sherpa Kyidug Monastery to commemorate the threefold sanctity of the day: the birth, enlightenment, and Mahāparinirvāṇa of Śākyamuni Buddha, the awakened teacher whose wisdom continues to illumine the path of liberation for sentient beings across centuries and continents.
The event commenced in an atmosphere of solemn reverence, as monastics and lay practitioners alike assembled with the shared aspiration of cultivating inner peace and extending compassion to all sentient life. Presiding over the ceremony were distinguished members of the ordained Sangha, including Venerable Lama, Ven. LamaTulku, Dr. Yula Sherpa, and Khenpo Ngawang Chhundup, who jointly led the congregation in the chanting of sacred prayers and invocations dedicated to universal harmony and the cessation of suffering.
Despite the observance occurring on a weekday, the monastery welcomed a substantial gathering of faithful participants, underscoring the enduring significance of this day in the spiritual calendar of the Himalayan Buddhist diaspora. The program spanned from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, encompassing ritual, reflection, and doctrinal instruction.
A central highlight of the day was the Dharma discourse offered by Dr. Yula Sherpa, who delivered a lucid and insightful teaching in Nepali on the Pañcaśīla—the Five Precepts that constitute the moral foundation of lay Buddhist practice. Emphasizing the transformative potential of ethical discipline (śīla), Dr. Sherpa articulated the relevance of these precepts as guiding principles for ethical living, societal harmony, and spiritual cultivation. Complementing this teaching, Lopen Gyurme Chhodrak addressed the assembly in Tibetan, expounding on the essence of Buddha Dharma with philosophical depth and eloquence. His exposition offered profound reflections on the interdependence of all phenomena (pratītyasamutpāda), the impermanent nature of conditioned existence (anitya), and the compassionate path of the bodhisattva.
The gathering at Sherpa Kyidug was not merely a ceremonial observance but a profound reaffirmation of the timeless relevance of the Buddha’s teachings in the contemporary world. Rooted in the Himalayan tradition yet open to global currents of thought, Sherpa Kyidug America continues to serve as a living sanctuary of Dharma, fostering spiritual continuity, ethical awareness, and communal solidarity. As the chants subsided and the sacred space gradually returned to silence, one could sense the quiet resolve among those present to carry forward the Buddha’s message of wisdom, compassion, and non-harming in their daily lives, and to dedicate all merit thus accumulated to the awakening of all beings.
