Choekhor Duchen honors the day that the Buddha Shakyamuni first taught the four noble truths in Sarnath, India, and first turned the wheel of the dharma. (In Tibetan, choe refers to the dharma, khor means circle, and duchen means a special day. ) It is also called drukpa tse shi, which means the 4th day of the 6th month of the Tibetan calendar. On this day, Tibetan monasteries and nunneries commonly hold major prayers. Lay Tibetans visit the monasteries, donate to the sangha, make prostrations, light butter lamp offerings, and take similar wholesome actions to honor the day with making good karma.

The Four Noble Truths taught by the Buddha are:
1. The truth of suffering.
2. The truth of the cause of suffering.
3. The truth of the cessation of suffering.
4. The truth of the path to the cessation of suffering.