The Believers of Kalmykia Began the Sacred Month of Urs Sar with Taking Vows

It is not yet 7:00 in the morning. Believers have already gathered in the prayer hall of the Central Khurul. For each of them today is an important day, for today the sacred month of Urs Sar has begun. It is also called “the month of hundredfold multiplication,” that is, any virtuous or non-virtuous action is multiplied manyfold…

Every year the believers of Kalmykia greet Urs Sar by taking vows: they give up alcohol, smoking, and the eating of meat, fish, and eggs — each person set the period of abstinence for themselves. The vow-taking ceremony was conducted by the Shajin Lama of Kalmykia, Geshe Tenzin Choydak. He spoke in great detail about Urs Sar itself, about how important it is for a person to learn love and compassion toward all living beings, and about how necessary it is in such a sacred month to live according to the precepts of the Great Buddha. “In any deed, motivation is always important. It is easier to ‘keep’ the vows one has taken when one knows the true reason for observing these rules of moral discipline. And the truth lies only in ensuring that no living being ever suffers,” Geshe Tenzin Choydak emphasized.

It is very heartening to see how the number of those taking the vow grows every year, and among them are a great many young people. For the more people adhere to the Teaching of the Buddha, perform virtuous deeds, and accumulate merit, the more this will create the causes for our well-being, both collective and individual.