February 8 | 29th day of the 12th Tibetan month
10:00 Short fire puja
This is the day for burning old Lungtas, old Namkhas, Kyed-pa Zhi-dan T-shirts, etc.
11:00 Vajrasattva practice combined with the 25 spaces of Samantabhadra
19:00 dinner with Gutug soup. register!
In the Tibetan tradition, people eats soup together in the evening. Each person receives a dumpling in the soup containing a symbolic filling that serves as a prediction for the past and for the new year. People will have fun discovering the meaning of the symbols hidden in the dumplings. You can read and get inspired by reading this article by Dr. Phuntsog Wangmo about different preparations for the auspicious ceremonies of the New Year.
February 9 | last day of the Water Hare year
10:00 Practice of Purification of the Six Lokas
18:00 Short Ganapuja, with thanks and dedication for all those who have contributed directly or indirectly and who have collaborated with the Dzogchen Community of Merigar
February 10 LOSAR! First day of the Wood Dragon year
6:00 “Star water”
Another Tibetan tradition is to leave a bucket of water outside the house exposed to the stars. In the morning before the last stars disappear, at about 6 o'clock, we wash the five parts of the body: the face, the hands, and the feet. It is believed that the power of stars reflected in water can help eliminate diseases and other impediments that a person may have.
11:00 Practice of Mandarava (in webcast from Dzamling Gar)
12:00 Astrological interpretation of the Wood Dragon Year with Punthsog Wangmo (in webcast from Dzamling Gar)
to follow: Auspicious rite to start the new year with lots of Luck, Happiness, Health and Prosperity with Migmar Tsering; followed by lunch (Casa Gialla)
17:30 Ganapuja with Namkha and Lungta authentication (also in webcast from Merigar)
followed by the fundraising draw "8 December" (webcast from Merigar)
February 12 | Third day of the Wood Dragon year
8:30 Practice of Sang and Serkyem, followed by prayer flag hanging every morning until the next full moon
Our Master has given us many tips on how to harmonize and strengthen our energy and condition. One of these tools is to make, authenticate and hang prayer flags, or Lungta, expecially when the New Year comes.
Prayer flags bring fortune and prosperity both to the place where they are hung and to the people who participate to the various phases of preparing them, or who sponsor this activity. There are different ways of dealing with the prayer flags, such as cutting, sewing and hanging them or contributing in the cost of the material and the printing.
It is possible to help Merigar with a donation of 8,5 euros for each set of five flags of the five colors you would like to sponsor. As usual we will hang the prayer flags at Merigar starting from the third day after Losar.
Contributions can be sent to The Dzogchen Community of Merigar:
For further information please contact Merigar office segreteria@merigar.it.
We also remind you that on the Merigar website you will find a page dedicated to the flags, their history and the particular instructions that our Master has given us on various topics, in particular on the symbolism of the flags and on how it is more appropriate to sew and hang them.
You can also find a lot of information in the book The practice of the Lungtas and the purification practice of Jogur, available as ebook or book
