Kalu Rinpoche's Anniversary

In today's post comes notice from Kagyu Thubten Choling Monastery in New York:

"On the full moon of May 9th, Kagyu Thubten Choling Monastery with Lama Norlha Rinpoche will be remembering our Root Lama, Dorje Chang Kalu Rinpoche's Parinirvana Day -- the day he left this life for the Pure realms. We will be honoring this extraordinary event on May 9 instead of May 8 due to the auspiciousness of this date. We will be offering a full Tong Chu (the ceremony of offering 1,000 saffron water bowls, 1,000 butter lamps, incense and flowers), along with the chanting of the Aspiration practice (Monlam Choga) which was compiled by Kalu Rinpoche himself. Lama Norlha Rinpoche has remarked that there is no better way to remember and venerate our Precious Root Lama."

To my certain memory, Kalu Rinpoche passed away at Sonada at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10, 1989, which was the 5th day of the delayed, or second third month (there were two third months that year), a Horse day. As to May 8th and 9th this year, Friday, May 8, 2009 is Vesak in the Theravada tradition, and the 9th, is the lunar 15th, coinciding with Buddha teaching the Kalachakra. However, according to this year's Rigpa calendar, the 20th anniversary of Kalu Rinpoche's parinirvana is listed as Saturday, May 2nd, the 8th day of the third Tibetan month.