Funday Times

Vesak – the thrice blessed day
Vesak commemorates the Birth, Enlightenment and the Passing away of the Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Every year, Vesak is celebrated on the full moon Poya day in the month of May. This year Vesak Pura Pasalikvaka Poya falls on Tuesday, 4 May.

The Buddha lived in North India, over 2500 years ago. Gotama was his family name – thus he is referred to as Gotama (Gautama) Buddha. His personal name was Siddartha. He was known by that name until he attained Enlightenment and became the Buddha. His father, King Suddhodana ruled from Kapilavastu on the Nepalese border of India. Queen Mahamaya was his mother.

It is believed that Queen Mahamaya had an unusual dream prior to the birth of Prince Siddartha. She dreamt that she was lifted by the ‘devas’ through the Himalayas to a lake where she was bathed, dressed in fine clothes, perfumed and showered with flowers and taken to a palace on a sacred hill. After she was laid upon a couch, a white elephant carrying a lotus entered her womb. The astrologers predicted the dream as one which indicated that the queen was giving birth to a son who would either become a great emperor (Chakravarti) or a Buddha.

When it was time to deliver the baby, Queen Mahamaya traveled in a royal procession from Kapilavastu to her parental home in keeping with the custom of the day. On the way, she gave birth to the prince in the Lumbini grove under the shadow of a flowering Sal tree. Legend states that the infant prince stood up and took seven steps and at each spot he kept his feet, a lotus bloomed. Three hundred and sixteen years after the event, Emperor Asoka erected a stone pillar at the spot where Prince Siddartha was born in Lumbini, situated 100 miles from Varanasi (Benares).

The young prince grew up in luxury and at 16, married Princess Yasodara. Though he was provided with all comforts, he saw much sorrow and suffering around him. When he was 29, on the day his son, Rahula was born, he left home and family not to return till he had succeeded in his search for salvation. For six years, he met a number of religious leaders and philosophers but did not succeed in achieving what he had in mind.

One day, in the month of Vesak, while seated under a Peepul tree, he saw the truth and attained Enlightenment. The spot in Buddhagaya, situated on the banks of river Neranjana, 125km from Patna, is the most venerated place of worship by Buddhists the world over.

He was then 35 years old. For 45 years thereafter, the Buddha walked from place to place teaching and preaching. He traveled far and wide on a single mission – to make the people realize the truth of life and to guide them to lead good lives.

At 80, again on a full moon day of Vesak, the Buddha passed away in Kushinara under a Sal tree, surrounded by monks and laymen. He had by then been of great service to humanity and those who had listened to His sermons and followed His path were well on the way to be liberated by attaining the supreme bliss of ‘Nibbana’ .

Uncle DeeCee

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