Lunar New Year Message 2022

As we inch into the Year of the Water Tiger, I wanted to send my warmest greetings and wishes to all Dharma friends reading this message. At the same time, I thought I might share a few more anecdotes on the significance of the Lunar New Year and how we as human beings may wish to navigate our lives as our environmental conditions change with each lunar year in light of different planetary influences.

In many Asian traditions which celebrate the Lunar New Year, New Year’s eve, or the last day of the 12th (or in some years, the 13th) lunar month, is particularly significant, especially as we transit from midnight of the present year i.e. Ox, into the new year i.e. Tiger. In both Tibetan and Chinese culture, we hear of very similar practices, including the heading to temples after midnight to offer incense (we would make smoke offerings (Tib: Sangsol) to the Enlightened Ones and celestial beings), the wearing of new clothes in the new year to symbolically leave behind any negative from the year before to welcome the new, and the practice of avoiding arguments on the 1st day of the New Year, and showing respect to one’s parents and elders. The same practices are adopted in the monasteries till this day – a special puja begins during the night of New Year’s Eve, to gather momentum for positive conditions which are to continue into the New Year, after which we perform Sangsol, pay respects to our learned Masters and importantly, hoist prayer flags (Tib: Lungta).

Leaving aside cultural aspects, we believe that many of these practices came from the teachings and admonitions of the Buddha who left behind helpful advice on how to best equip oneself with positive conditions in the year to come, so as to increase one’s prospects of success and ride out any difficulties that the coming year may present. Allow me to say a few words about this.

As we have learnt before, one’s life karmic blueprint is generally fixed by reference to the time and date of one’s birth, reckoned also by considering the date of one’s parents’ births. The force of one’s karma, whether positive or negative, is a great determinant of the extent of one’s successes and experiences in this life. However, that is not to say that one’s lot can’t be improved, or that it is all set in stone. In the practice of Buddhist Astrology, Astrological readings require us to ascertain the 5 aspects of personal vitality, namely (i) Life Energy (Tib:srog, Chi: 命) , (ii) Health (Tib: Lus, Chi:身), (iii) Power （Tib: dbang-thang, Chi：权）； (iv) Luck （Tib: rlung-rta, Chi：运）and (v) Life Essence （Chi：魂）.(i) essentially allows us to ascertain the length and quality of one’s life, (ii) allows us to see what are the conditions for that individual’s general health throughout his or her life, (iii) allows us to see if that individual has the conditions to have “power” or “authority” over others, which can be very important for success in his or her business or corporate career, (iv) refers to a relatively variable component – this is what we always refer to as “auspicious conditions” or luck which is quite independent of one’s karmic imprint, and finally (v) refers to the life essence that, if sufficiently balanced, gives one the feeling of contentment and put simply, feeling of “comfort in one’s own skin”.

It is in the above context that the Centre’s activities carried out during/ around the time of the Lunar New Year are planned. Dharma friends may recall our Naga Vase Offering Ritual carried out on 24 January 2022, which involved some of the rituals ordinarily performed over New Year, including smoke offerings (Tib: Sangsol) and hoisting of prayer flags (Tib: Lungta) on Pulau Ubin. Our upcoming Chinese New Year Pujas on 31 January 2022 which will involve invocation of the wealth deities of White Mahakala and Yellow Dzhambala, will also be followed Sangsol (though not Lungta given the constraints of space). I wanted to say that the practice of the flying of prayer flags or Lungta is particularly significant as it intended to protect the 5 aspects outlined above, especially as we move into the new year – the Lungta or “wind horse” practice involves the hoisting of prayer flags of 5 different colours, each of which represents not only the 5 Buddha families but also the 5 categories of personal vitality or harmony that must be kept in balance in order for one to maximise conditions for success.

I will elaborate upon these when our season of Dharma talks resumes on Sat, 19 February 2022, and when I will speak more about the practice of hoisting prayer flags or Lungta.

May you all enjoy good health, prosperity and happiness in the Year of the Water Tiger!

Geshe Lama Konchok