The Tibetan Buddhism holds various rituals
every year. Such religious rites are called Fahui (the Buddhist
Ceremony), which gradually becomes the traditional custom of the local
society.
The scales and contents of Buddhist
ceremonies vary because of the differences among the Tibetan Buddhism regions.
The Labrang Monastery, located in Gansu Province, is one of
the most important centers of the Tibetan Buddhism. It holds 7 large-scale
Buddhist ceremonies every year, including the most ceremonious Grand Prayer
Ceremony in the first month of Tibetan calendar and the Dunbairiza Buddhism
Ceremony on the seventh month. Most disciples come from Gansu Province, Qinghai Province, Sichuan Province, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous
Region and other places to take part in the two ceremonies, which become the
grand annual festivals held by the monastery.
The Tibetan Buddhist ceremonies include: the
Grand Prayer Ceremony, also called Maolanmu Ceremony, which consists of the Free
Captive Animals Festival on the 8th of the first month, the
Sunbathing Buddha Festival on the 13th of the first month, the Cham
Dance on the 14th of the first month, the Butter Sculpture Display on
the 15th of the first month and the Carrying Maitreya Around the
Temple on the 16th of the first month. The 5th day of the
second month is the day when grandmaster Jiamuyang I (the founder of the
monastery) died, so the day is called as the Good Day Meeting. The
8th day of the second month is the Serichang. The Time-Wheel Vajra
Prayer Ceremony is held on the 15th of the third month. The
Niangnai Festival (also called as the April Meeting) is held in the
fourth month. The 8th day of the seventh month is the Mila Dharma
Persuasion Meeting, and the subsequent festivals are the Calamity Averting
Meeting and the Butter Lamp Festival, etc.