Buddha Jayanti
Considered
to be the ninth avatar of Vishnu. Buddha Jayanti or Buddha Purnima is marked
as the most important day, commomerating the three most significant events
in the life of Gautama Buddha that occurred on the same day. His birth,
enlightenment and death (nirvana), all happened in the month of Vaishak, on
a full moon night in April/May. Thus, this makes the day - called Buddha
Purnima Festival or Buddha Jayanti Festival- all the more sacred for
Buddhists.
Buddha Purnima festival will be celebrated on Tuesday, 20th May 2008.
His Divine Life
Gautama was born as Siddhartha in the Kshatria caste of the Shakya clan in
566 B.C. in Kalpataru, now Lumbini in present day Nepal. Popular legends
represent him as the son of a great king, brought up amidst the luxuries of
a palace. As he grew into manhood, Siddhartha was caught by the sufferings
of the world (old age, disease and death being important of them), left his
riches to become an ascetic and sought higher truth. After years of study,
meditation and sacrifice, he is known to have found the Nirvana and became
the Buddha or the completely enlightened.
His
Teachings
Buddhism is one of the most ancient and highly philosophical Indian
tradition. "Buddha" means "Awakened One", someone who
has awakened from the sleep of ignorance and sees things as they actually
are. Buddhism, is Buddha's teachings and the inner experiences or
realizations of these teachings. Buddha have eighty-four thousand teachings.
All these teachings and the inner realizations of them constitute Buddhism.
Rituals
The day falls in the Vaishaka month of the Indian calendar. Prayers,
sermons and non-stop recitations of Buddhist scriptures resonate in
monasteries, religious halls and homes. In monasteries in Sikkim, monks hold
day-long readings of the scriptures before the Buddha's statue. The lay
people listen to these recitals, and also give gifts to the monks and the
statue.
The statue of Buddha, in fact, receives special attention everywhere, with
people offering it incense, flowers, candles and fruits. The Banyan tree -
called the Bodhi tree for its part in Buddha's enlightenment - also receives
a fair share of garlands and coloured flags adorn it. People also sprinkle
milk and scented waters on its roots and light rows of lamps around it.
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