Buddhist New Year Festival: Universal Goodwill is Spiritual message of Losar
The Buddhist Losar or New Year festival is being celebrated on December 15 this year mainly at homes due to COVID pandemic restrictions.
“Ancient ceremonies represent the struggle between good and evil...symbolised by fiery procession and chanting prayers ...to cleanse the bad karma...and chase away the evil spirits,” inform Druck Padma Karpo School in Ladakh on their facebook.
Here is a reproduction of my earlier write up which explains the spiritual message of the festival.
Losar festival’s spiritual message is that of goodwill, In Buddhism ‘Metta’ is used for as goodwill in the form of an attitude of happiness or loving kindness as a result of one’s own skillful pro-actions and self-reliance.
Losar is celebrated as a New Year in Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh and some other states of India where Tibetan Buddhism is practiced. It is a three-day festival that is marked by prayers, rituals, ceremonies, hanging prayer flags, sacred and folk dancing and festivities.
General greetings on Losar are: ‘Lo Sar Bey Tashi Delek’ means ‘I wish you prosperity and good will’.
Losar is most widely celebrated festival among the followers of Tibetan Buddhism and represents a time for all things to be purified and renewed.
During the month before Losar, the followers draw eight auspicious symbols on walls of their houses with white powder. In monasteries, the several protector deities are honored with devotional rituals on Losar.
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