Tathālokā Therī

January 3, 2025

Namo Buddhāya! Dear Community, the Buddha's life with the intentional fourfold community of his disciples is well-represented here, in this special Dāna 2568 BE / 2025 CE Calendar of Buddhist Lunar Uposatha Days with English, Pāli Months & Dates.

I especially appreciate the careful research of, and well-balanced, inspiring and edifying incorporation of, important dates to women in Buddhism in this calendar, foremost, the in-person great disciples of the Buddha, the great and fully-awakened Bhikkhunī Sāvikā Arahant Therīs and the noble Upāsikā Sāvikās, together with the greats of the Mauryan Asokan era, including great Arahatī Sanghamittā Therī and her mother Vidisa Devī.

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I would like to share my thanks with anumodana and blessings to Upāsaka Dhamma Sārathi (V. Chandra Sekar & friends) for sharing this wonderful calendar with our Dhammadharini community and welcoming that it be shared with others.

Kudos! -

with appreciation to those who gave so many hours of time and care and so much of their good hearts and minds to the creation of this worthy calendar, as a tribute to the Saddhamma of the Buddha, and the noble community of disciples.

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Buddhist Year 2568 BE / Common Era 2025 CE

Calendar of Lunar Uposatha Days with English, Pāli Months & Dates - Puṇṇamī Pūjā - Pūjanīya Uposatha Divasa

Prepared and offered as Dāna to the Buddha-Dhamma-Sangha by Dhamma Asoka-Vidisa Devi Buddhist Society of Chennai, India, Email: asoka2023devi[@]yahoo[.]com

This calendar was released on the last full moon Uposatha of 2024. Information about it is available here.

If you would like a PDF copy to this Calendar for printing or other personal use, as long as that use is as Dāna, for Dāna, it is available to be shared charitably and freely given, for free download here from our Dhammadharini Monastery Google Drive.

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In January (shown above), respectfully reflecting on today's Lunar Quarter Uposatha 🌓✨ Phussa-māsaṁ Sukka Aṭṭhamī Uposatha (Paush Shukla Asthami) January 6th-7th the ✨🌼🌼🌼"Ādittapariyāya Aṭṭhamī"🌼🌼🌼✨ Anniversary of Kāssapa Brother's & 1000 Jātila Ascetics Arahathood, upon the Buddha's expounding the Teaching of the Ādittapariyāya Sutta. Offered in commemoration.

To integrate and compare with the Bhikkhuni Calendar supplement published by Dhammadharini this past year -

Mahāpajāpatī Parinibbāna Day in 2025

is in February, on the lunar quarter one week after the full moon.

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February through March 2025:

Founding Bhikkhuni Sangha’s Parinibbānas

February 2025

🌕 Feb 12-13 Beginning of Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī Therī's Final 7-day teaching

Māgha Puṇṇamī (Māgha Purnima) Magha Puja Sangha Day/Navam Poya Full Moon Uposatha

Feb 12-20 Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī Therī's Final 7-day teaching

🌗 Feb 20 Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī Therī & Founding Bhikkhunī Sangha Parinibbana Day

Phagguṇa-māsaṁ Kaṇha Pakkha Aṭṭhamī Waning Half Moon Uposatha

* Note this half moon is also Mahā Moggallana Thero’s Arahatship Day

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Feb 20th 2025 🌗✨ Vaishali, village Birpur, Mahāpajāpatī Parinibbāna place

from Nava Nalanda Mahavihara Nalanda:

"Buddhist texts mention Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī, the foster mother of the Buddha and the progenitor of the Bhikkhunī Saṅgha along with 500 Sākyan Bhikkhunīs, attained Parinibbāna on the Falgun Masam Krishna Asthamī.

"Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Deemed University, Nalanda, is commemorating the Parinibbāna of Mahāpajāpatī on 20th February 2025 in the village of Birpur (Mahāprajāpatī Gotamī Therī Parinibbāna Kśetra), the very locality where MPG attained Parinibbāna.

"Nava Nalanda Mahavihara is committed to revitalising the sacred footsteps of the Buddha and his prominent disciples: Mahāprajāpatī Gautami, Sariputta, Mahāmogallāna, Mahākassapa, and Ananda. We hope our efforts will help facilitate making these sacred traces a living heritage as they used to be in ancient times. We thank the stakeholders for their continued support." Original post.

More details and further opportunities.

Comparing with the Bhikkhuni Calendar supplement published by Dhammadharini this past year -

Great Arahatī Rāhulamātā Bimbā Yasodharā (Bhaddā Kaccānā) Therī Parinibbāna Day in 2025 is in March, on the full moon.

This is a doubly special day for her, as years earlier, it was also the time of the Buddha's return to Kapilavastu, and the time of her stream entry.

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March 2025

🌕 Mar 13-14 Rāhulamātā Bimbā Yasodharā (Bhaddā Kaccānā) Therī Parinibbāna Day

Phagguṇa Punnamī (Phālguna Purnima) Medin Poya Day Full Moon: Celebrating the Buddha's First Return to Kapilavastu

*Note this is also Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī & Suddhodana Rāja’s Stream Entry Day

*Note the following day is Rāhulamātā Bimbā Yasodharā (Bhaddā Kaccānā) Therī’s Stream Entry Day

...

Something interesting in 2025 regarding the Calendar

There are 2 Full Lunar Eclipses this year:

1. Rāhulamātā Yasodharā Bimbā (Bhaddakaccāna Therī) Parinibbāna Day

   - 🌕✨ full moon of March 13th-14th

   (Phagguṇa Punnami/Falgun Purnima/Medin Poya)

2. Bhikkhunī Sangha Founding Anniversary (International Bhikkhuni Day)

   - 🌕✨ full moon of September 6th-7th

   (Bhaddapada Punnami /Bhadrapad Purnima/Binara Poya)

...

2025 *Save the Date*: 🌕✨ March 13th -14th • Rāhulamātā Bimbā Yasodharā (Bhaddakaccānā) Therī Parinibbāna Day • Phagguṇa Puṇṇamī (Phalguna Purnima) Medin Poya Day Full Moon Uposatha

Retracing Bodhisattva Xuanzang, I’m glad to see Tripitaka Master Xuanzang included here—his role in revitalization has been so enormously important.

in July, I missed two things.

This is a matter of personal sentiment only.

(1) I am missing mention of the first two Ariya Sāvakas, stream enterers, upon the Turning of the Wheel of the Dhamma, the time of the appearance of more Noble Ones in the world, additional to the Samma Sambuddha, proving the success of his teaching for humanity, for both men and women. That is, the stream entry of Aññā Koññdāñña, and of Kāḷī of Kurarāghara.

(2) And, I am missing one week later, the teaching of the Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta, and the coming into being of the Arahant Sangha in the word; the "Anattalakkaṇa Aṭṭhamī." As the arising of the Bhikkhunī Sangha is commemorated, so too, may the arising of the Bhikkhu Sangha be as well.

With compassion, i know that the pages are only so large! - and not everything can be included.

Noting, I am less missing of the Bodhisatta's wedding and coronation day on this month! - but acknowledging they are also recorded on Āsāḷha.

Further notes....

in September, in the Pāli texts, the name of this month is also frequently recorded not only as Poṭṭhapāda, but also as Bhaddapāda.

I have a question about dates which are commemorated on the Puṇṇamī Uposatha in Sri Lanka, but in the Pāli texts and other Early Buddhist texts are recorded on the Aṭṭhamī.

For example, in November, the Dhammadūta Day, while commemorated on the full moon in Sri Lanka, is recorded as the subsequent Aṭṭhamī (🌗✨Kaṇha Aṭṭhamī Uposatha).

Likewise the Buddha's Descent from Tāvatiṁsa and Bhikkhunī Arahat Uppalavannā Therī's feat of great psychic power, while commemorated in some places on the full moon, are repeatedly recorded, likewise, on the subsequent Aṭṭhamī (🌗✨Kaṇha Aṭṭhamī Uposatha).

Noting, the 🌗✨Kaṇha Aṭṭhamī Uposatha is also known as the Kāla Aṭṭhamī in Pāli, and in English it is known variously as:

- the waning half moon

- the waning lunar quarter

- the lunar quarter of the darkening fortnight

- the half moon of the darkening fortnight

- the third lunar quarter

In December, I am interested to know the source of the birth anniversary of the great arahats Mahinda Thero and Sanghamittā Therīs's mother, the emperor Asoka's original wife, Vidisā Devī.

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Also in December, i wonder if it is suitable to include the ordination and Arahatship of Anulā Tissa Therī, Arittha Thero, and their large companies of followers in Sri Lanka, ordained by Sanghamittā Therī and her accompanying Bhikkhunī Sangha from India, and by Mahinda Thero and accompanying Bhikkhu Sangha, as this is a great part of the Asokan-era heritage.