Monthly 100,000 Feast Offerings (Tsok Bum)

Information last updated: February 9, 2021

Dear Sangha brothers and sisters,

Welcome to the main landing page for the series of seven tsok bum that we are hosting through the end of this Tibetan calendar year. 

In accordance with Phakchok Rinpoche’s guidance, we began this series on July 29th, the Guru Rinpoche day of the sixth lunar month. We will be completing the series of seven tsok bum, or 100,000 feast offerings, on the seven remaining Guru Rinpoche days of this Tibetan lunar calendar year.

Phakchok Rinpoche believes that the tremendous magnetizing power of these tsok bum will be particularly effective in this period of global pandemic and unrest. Tsok is a profound Vajrayana practice of offering that swiftly gathers the accumulations of merit and wisdom and simultaneously purifies our obscurations. Bum means that the offering will be accumulated 100,000 times, which will be accomplished by our sangha in Nepal and around the world.

We will be accumulating a different practice from the Chokling Tersar on each of the upcoming Guru Rinpoche days at the sacred site of the Asura Cave. Here, in the area of Nepal now known as Pharping, Guru Rinpoche had stayed in retreat at the lower cave of Yangleshö, in the summer months, and at the upper cave of Asura, in the winter months. At the Asura cave, Guru Rinpoche combined the practice of Yangdak Heruka, a wrathful form of Buddha’s wisdom mind, with the practice of Vajrakilaya, a deity associated with the Buddha’s enlightened activity and renowned for the removal of obstacles to awakening. Subsequently, Guru Rinpoche manifested the attainment of the siddhi of Mahamudra.

Phakchok Rinpoche will commence each gathering offering from the main shrine room at Asura cave along with the three-year retreatants, who are practicing there. The feast offerings will be arranged directly in front of Guru Rinpoche’s practice cave. Simultaneously monks, nuns, and lay practitioners in Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan will participate in the accumulation of the 100,000 tsok offerings.   

So that everyone who wishes to can practice together in this great vajra net of accumulating merit, the gathering offerings will be live-streamed. We invite everyone to participate in this chain of mantra resounding throughout the globe. This will be a unique opportunity to represent your country and dedicate the accumulation of merit to reduce the negative impact of the pandemic and unrest in your area.

The practices will take place from 8am until 11am Nepali time.

Every month, we will be providing practitioners with the necessary texts as well as explanations for the visualization of each deity. We will provide links to both the live streaming and a recorded version of the recitation to support your practice. As further details emerge we will share them with our mailing list and on the Samye Institute website and Facebook page.

We look forward to participating with you in this auspicious global accumulation of merit! Please remember this inspiring verse from The Vajra Net (Rdo rje drwa ba):

Amongst the accumulations of merit, gaṇacakra is supreme.
All one’s wishes for this life will be accomplished,
Negative forces and obstacles will be pacified.
In the next, in the realm of the victorious vidyādharas,
One will reach the level of Samantabhadra.

Tsok Bum Series

The program is as follows, along with links for more details. The texts for these practices will all be shared by our in-house translation group Lhasey Lotsawa.

July 29 – Sixth Lunar Month

Lamé Tukdrup Barché Künsel
(The Guru’s Heart Practice, Dispeller of All Obstacles)

Specific information and introduction can be found here.

Required texts are available here.

August 28 – Seventh Lunar Month

Tukdrup Sampa Lhündrup
(The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Wishes Guru Heart Practice)

Specific information and introduction can be found here.

Required texts are available here.

September 26 – Eighth Lunar Month

Guru Tsokyé Nyingtik
(The Lake-Born Guru’s Heart Essence)

Specific information and introduction can be found here.

Required texts are available here.

October 26 – Ninth Lunar Month

Guru Dorjé Draktsel
(Guru Powerful Vajra Wrath)

Specific information and introduction can be found here.

Required texts are available here.

November 24 – Tenth Lunar Month

Tukdrup Gongpa Kündü
(The Heart Practice of the Embodiment of All Realization)

Specific information and introduction can be found here.

Required texts are available here.

December 24 – Eleventh Lunar Month

Phurba
(Vajrakīlaya)

Specific information and introduction can be found here.

Required texts are available here.

January 23 – Twelfth Lunar Month

Pema Khandro
(Kurukulle)

Specific information and introduction can be found here.

Required texts are available here.

February 22 – First Lunar Month

Tsa Sum
(Three Roots)

Specific information and introduction can be found here.

February 26 -First Lunar Month

Lama Norlha Wealth Puja
(Additional Global Sangha Accumulation of Merit Event)

Specific information and introduction can be found here.

February 27 – First Lunar Month

Riwo Sangcho
(Additional Global Sangha Accumulation of Merit Event)

Specific Information and introduction can be found here.

Make an Offering

If you would like to join in the merit by making an offering, please click here.

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