Sagadawa

Sagadawa is the full moon of the 4th month of the lunar calendar. This is the day that the Buddha was born, gained enlightenment and passed away. In a culture where the next life is considered as important as the present, people give close attention to investing in their future, that is their future life. Sagadawa is that special month that is believed to bring even more merit than usual, an opportunity for religious minded Buddhists to acquire a good stock of positive acts for their karma account. A large number of Norlha employees devote the entire 4th month to performing various acts of merit.

Some become vegetarians for the month, others give alms to the poor and still others circumambulate or prostrate around the local monasteries. The 15th of the lunar calendar, the full moon, is a holiday for the Norlha employees. All the villagers assemble at the monastery for the unfurling of the large thangka (kyigu) on the hill across from the monastery and line up to receive blessings from a visiting Geshe (a degree awarded to monks on the completion of their dialectical studies) from nearby Labrang Monastery. Sagadawa is also a day where beggars from near and far flock around the larger monasteries to collect alms. Norlha wishes everyone a happy Sagadawa and good wishes for this life and the next.