Visakha Puja

Visakha Bucha is a very important day in Buddhist tradition as it marks the birth of Prince Siddhatha Gotama who Became Buddha thirty five years after his birth, and died at the age of 80 years old after expounding His excellent teachings to the sensual world for 45 years.

All three of these events happened on the 15th day of the waxing moon in the 6th lunar month, which is the day of the full moon. Throughout Thailand people and all the Buddhist people will be heading to temples to take part in ceremonies and give flowers, incense, and other gifts to pay respect to the greatest teacher Buddha.

At temples many people will gather and circle the great pagoda three times before giving their respects. The great pagoda at Wat Phra That Phanome was built eight years after Buddha’s death and houses his collar bone which is revered as a holy relic. The following history of Visakha Bucha is courtesy of the Royal thai consulate general in Vancouver. 

Vesak usually falls in May. In the case of a year with an extra eighth lunar month. Vesak puja day is a thrice-blessed day for all Buddhists as it commemorates the birth of Buddha, his attaining Enlightenment and his passing away into Nirvana. It is the most hallowed of Buddhist festivals, almost a Christmas, Easier and Whitsun rolled into one as it commemorates the birth of the Buddha, his enlightenment and his death. Buddhists commemorate the important events that took place in the life of Lord Buddha on this Vesak Full Moon Poya Day.

First comes the birth of Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini in Nepal which took place under the arbor of Sat trees where queen Mahamaya gave birth to him. The second event was Siddharta Gautam's supreme attainment as the Buddha, the Enlightened One. The third event was Lord Buddha's Parinibbana over 2500 years ago at Kusinagar. In the Vesak week we find many activities conducted by the Buddhists devotees such as devotional song campaigns, almsgiving, lighting of Vesak lanterns etc. Many wats are filled with Atasil devotees and pilgrims all over Thailand to mark this great event. In temples Buddhists worship, offer flowers, light lamps and burn incense. These traditional observances, in essence, have their value in satisfying the religious and emotional needs of the people. On this holy day the Dana plays an important role. Every devotee gives alms. This is a sign of sharing with joy and peace with people. The Vesak Pandal depicting various Jathaka stories with paintings are erected all over Sri Lanka. They are illuminated and presented beautifully.

The Buddha taught mutual loving-kindness and forbearance for the sake of peace and happiness in society. Since these principles are shared by the United Nations Charter, the United Nations declared that Visakha Puja was a day of universal significance, and directed that observances be held, as appropriate, at the United Nations Headquarters and other United Nations offices in May each year. Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana said that the Buddha’s teachings provide all of the virtues necessary for discovering the Dhamma and preaching it throughout the world for the sake of peace, happiness, and welfare of both the individual and the world as a whole. Major topics of discussion at the conference included Buddhist Approach to the Environmental Crisis, Buddhist Approach to the Economic Crisis, and Buddhist Approach to Political Conflict and Peace Development opening ceremony of the International Buddhist Conference on the United Nations Day of Vesak 2009.

The Buddha's Birth

The Buddha was born into a royal warrior clan in the Lumbini. In the morning of the Vesak full moon day, 80 years before the Buddhist Era. He was named Siddhattha five days after his birth.

 

The Enlightenment of Buddha

While sitting under the Bodhi tree, he found his answer and attained the enlightenment at the age of 35 years at Uruvelasenanigama subdistrict, Magadha state, (nowadays, located in the area of Buddha Kaya, Bihar State, India), on Wednesday, the Vesak full moon day, the zodiac of the cock, forty five years before the Buddhist Era.

The Nibbana

The Buddha passed away on Tuesday, the Vesak full moon day in the zodiac year of the small snake under the two Sal trees in the Sala Grove of the Mallas in Kusinara, the capital of the Malla state, (nowadays located in Kusinagara of Uttrarapradesa, India) at the age of eighty years.

 

He is born. He attained fully enlightenment. And finally at the age of 80, He passed away. Each year, Buddhists throughout the world gather together to perform the worship to recollect the wisdom, purity and compassion of the Buddha On this Vesak full moon day.

Gratitude is the principle that Buddhists should cultivate in their mind on the Day of Vesak to recollect the birth of the Buddha, who was born for the benefit of the many and out of compassion for the world. Gratitude is appreciation of those who have done something for us. Acts of gratitude show how thankful we are for what we have received.

One who initially does something for another is, in Pali, called pubbakari, "the first-doer". Pubbakaris include, for example, parents and teachers. Children owe their parents gratitude for many things, for example, for bringing them into the world; for looking after them until they are grown up; for providing them with education, training and teaching them to refrain from that which is bad and establishing them in that which is good; for helping them to find suitable spouses and for giving them their inheritance.

Grateful children, in turn, behave well, bring good a reputation to the family, look after their parents, help them with their work, and perform meritorious deeds in their memory once their parents have passed away. Students should be grateful towards their teachers because their teachers impart knowledge to them, train and instruct them to be good citizens, teach the arts and sciences without exception, introduce them to other people and look after them. 

On their part, students, in appreciation of their teachers' kindness, study hard, honour them, show respect to them and do not forget their counsel. Being grateful is a mark of being a good person. It is a positive contribution to the achievement of happiness in family and society. This is because the parents themselves fulfill their responsibility first; the children, in return, honour their own duty.

The teacher first imparts knowledge of the arts and sciences and students, on their part, will repay the teacher by studying hard and showing respect. Apart from the relationships between parent and child, teacher and student, the good quality of gratitude can be employed between ruler and the ruled, employer and the employee, among friends and among all persons, thus encompassing all of humanity. So to show Buddhist gratitude we must practice the excellent teachings that He has left for us.