Sakadawa Day is celebrated as the day of Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death. There is great merit in taking the Eight Mahayana Precepts for 24 hours on Sakadawa Day. The precepts are taken at dawn before the local area’s sunrise. Taking these precepts for the first time requires in-person transmission from a qualified person.
To take the precepts using the relevant sections in the Jewel Heart Prayer Book:
- page 7 for the Mandala Offering
- page 11 for the Jewel Heart Prayers
- page 126 to take the Eight Mahayana Precepts.
For those who have previously received the transmission from a qualified person, the precepts can be taken on your own. This video of the Mahayana Precepts Ceremony provides a review of the process. The video does not serve the purpose of taking them for the first time.
