All about Buddha Purnima
The festival of ‘Buddha Purnima’ or ‘Buddha Jayanti’, popularly called as ‘Vesak’, is dedicated to Lord Buddha and is observed by Buddhists all over the world. This day is marked as the most important day as three significant events, the birth anniversary, enlightenment (‘Nirvana’) and death anniversary of Buddha had occurred on the same day. It falls on the full moon day (‘Poornima’) in the month of May according to the Gregorian calendar. Lord Buddha has achieved enlighten on the occasion of Buddha Purnima and after that, this day is celebrated as a festival by the Buddhists all over the world. Lord Buddha gave the ‘Dharma Chakra’ or wheel to King Ashoka who made it his country’s emblem. On the day of Vesak, the ‘Dharma Wheel’ is often seen and worshipped. It represents Buddha’s teachings on the path of enlightenment. The eight spokes in the wheel symbolize the noble eightfold path of Buddhism which says: Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Conduct, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right concentration. Lord Buddha has made the people to understand the real meaning of life and the balance between simplicity and luxury. The preaching of Lord Buddha is extremely helpful for everyone and they can help a lot to get a complete peace of mind. Lord Buddha has also preached that all the sufferings in the life of an individual are because of his own desires that keep him attached to these things and results in problems and hardships of life. If someone wants to attain mental peace so as to live a stable life then, he can follow the preaching of Lord Buddha that could help him to live the life with harmony and satisfaction. Peace and harmony could be established in the entire world if people try to understand the real meaning of life that is described in the teachings of Lord Buddha.
What is the history of Lord Buddha?
This is the famous story of a prince born with a golden spoon, Prince Siddhartha, son of King Shoddhodhan. The prince was kept untouched from the harsh realities of life by his father. He was made to stay inside the premise of his fort by his father so as to keep him away from the tragedies of life. One day, the prince insisted his chariot driver to take him to the visit of the kingdom. That day, the king came to know about the unsolved problems of life like old age, sickness and death. He then went into deep confusion and to know about the real meaning of life, he left his wife, child, his fort and went in search of the ‘Truth’ to become an ascetic. After years of meditation, he finally found enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree and attained ‘Nirvana’. He then became Lord Buddha or ‘The Enlighten one’ and gave his teachings to his devotees who spread it in every corner of the world. These teachings helped the people to overcome from their sufferings as they came to know the real secret of happiness and success in life.
How do people celebrate Buddha Purnima?
To celebrate the auspicious occasion of Buddha Purnima, devotees visit the temples of Buddha to listen to the spiritual talks given by monks. Ancient verses from the Holy Scriptures are recited in the temples. Small statues of Buddha in baby form are placed inside basins filled with water and decorated with fresh flowers inside the temples. Followers visit these temples and pour water on the statues to symbolize a pure and a new beginning in their lives. Devotees travel to the holy city of Bodh Gaya from all over the world, from countries such as Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Singapore, Myanmar, Bhutan etc. The famous Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya is decorated with colorful flags and flowers at a grand scale on this day. People from all over the world used to visit the temple and celebrate this auspicious occasion by remembering the teachings of Lord Buddha. The teachings of Lord Buddha are remembered by the devotees on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. The day of Buddha Purnima is very auspicious and has a special significance not only for the Buddhists but for other people as well. On this day, Religious discourses, prayer meets, sermons on the life of Gautama Buddha are recited by the followers of Buddhism. The statue of Lord Buddha is worshipped and Buddhist scriptures are recited continuously by the followers.
What are the rituals one has to follow on the occasion of ‘Buddha Purnima’?
- The Bodhi tree (where Buddha attained ‘Nirvana’) is revered or worshipped. The branches of the tree are decorated with garlands and colored flags.
- Devotees light numerous lamps or ‘Diyas’ around the tree to symbolize the enlightenment. Buddha received.
- Milk and scented water is sprinkled on the roots of the sacred tree.
- Devotees and monk recite prayers and sermons on the life of Buddha in the various temples. They recite Buddhist scriptures and meditate all day long.
- People offer incense sticks, flowers, candles and fruits to the idol of Lord Buddha.
- The Buddhists or the followers of Buddha bathe and wear only white clothes on this auspicious day. They gather in their ‘Viharas’ for paying their respects to the Buddha.
- Devotees give alms to the Buddhist monks.
- Birds and other caged animals are caught and freed this day to respect Buddha.
- Fruits and clothes are distributed among the poor and sick people as an act of charity.
- Devotees abstain themselves from eating non vegetarian food this day.
- Devotees recite and imbibe the sacred ‘Five Principles’ or the ‘Panchsheel’ in their lives. These principles are: (Not to take life, Not to steal, Not to lie, Not to consume liquor or any other intoxicants and Not to commit Adultery).