Fixed date festivals (solar calendar):
Parinirvana Day 15 February
Triratna Sangha Day 6 April (the anniversary of the founding of the FWBO in 1967) - the
50th anniversary of the Triratna Buddhist Community is in 2017
Triratna Order Day 7 April (the anniversary of the founding of the WBO in 1968) – the 50th
anniversary of the founding of the Triratna Buddhist Order is in 2018
Sangharakshita’s birthday 26 August (b. 1925)
Sangharakshita’s death anniversary 30 October
The lunar calendar festivals are calculated according to the first full moon (in the UK) of May, July,
and November. Padmasambhava Day is calculated according to the tenth day of the lunar month
starting in September. CE years are given as there is no general agreement between the different
traditions on the counting of Buddhist years, but in 1957 the 2500th Buddha Jayanti was celebrated
internationally and we therefore calculate the Buddhist year by adding 543 to the CE year. There
may be some variation from (and between) Indian, Burmese, Sri Lankan, and Tibetan (etc) festival
dates, because their calendars vary and some are not fixed more than a couple of years in
advance, and because the full moon sometimes occurs in Asia the day after the UK because of the
time difference. (For example, in 2002 the lunar month of Vaishakha fell in April in India, but in
Burma it was in May.) Bhante therefore decided that we should always simply choose the first full
moon of the relevant (western) month. This will occasionally conflict with the supposed statement in
the scriptures that there were two lunar months between the Buddha’s Enlightenment (Buddha Day)
and his first teaching (Dharma or Dharmachakra Day) although if anyone knows where this is
actually stated I would be interested to know.
Compiled by ShantaviraD.F.Astrol.S
Parinirvana Day 15 February
Triratna Sangha Day 6 April (the anniversary of the founding of the FWBO in 1967) - the
50th anniversary of the Triratna Buddhist Community is in 2017
Triratna Order Day 7 April (the anniversary of the founding of the WBO in 1968) – the 50th
anniversary of the founding of the Triratna Buddhist Order is in 2018
Sangharakshita’s birthday 26 August (b. 1925)
Sangharakshita’s death anniversary 30 October
The lunar calendar festivals are calculated according to the first full moon (in the UK) of May, July,
and November. Padmasambhava Day is calculated according to the tenth day of the lunar month
starting in September. CE years are given as there is no general agreement between the different
traditions on the counting of Buddhist years, but in 1957 the 2500th Buddha Jayanti was celebrated
internationally and we therefore calculate the Buddhist year by adding 543 to the CE year. There
may be some variation from (and between) Indian, Burmese, Sri Lankan, and Tibetan (etc) festival
dates, because their calendars vary and some are not fixed more than a couple of years in
advance, and because the full moon sometimes occurs in Asia the day after the UK because of the
time difference. (For example, in 2002 the lunar month of Vaishakha fell in April in India, but in
Burma it was in May.) Bhante therefore decided that we should always simply choose the first full
moon of the relevant (western) month. This will occasionally conflict with the supposed statement in
the scriptures that there were two lunar months between the Buddha’s Enlightenment (Buddha Day)
and his first teaching (Dharma or Dharmachakra Day) although if anyone knows where this is
actually stated I would be interested to know.
Compiled by ShantaviraD.F.Astrol.S
