Vesak: The Festival of Light

Vesak is the major religious and cultural festival celebrated by the Buddhists all the world. It celebrated to commemorate the three most important milestones in the life of Lord Buddha. They are the birth of Prince Siddhartha, enlightenment and Parinibbana of Gautama Buddha. 

Prince Siddhartha Gautama was born on Vesak full moon poya day while his mother, Queen Mahamaya was travelling from Kapilavastu to her father's kingdom to deliver her first baby. On the way, she gave the birth to a baby boy Siduhath under a Sal tree in the garden of Lumbini. Many ascetics predicted that he would become either a great king or a holy man who would change the universe showing the correct path to the world. 

Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment on Vesak full moon poya day under a Bodhi tree in BuddhaGaya  in India. He obtained Buddhahood after forty-nine days meditation.

The Buddh's panirvana or demise is also remembered on Vesak full moon poya day. He passed away at the age of eighty in a grove of Sal trees in Kushinagar, India. 

Many religious activities are organized during the Vesak season. Most of the Buddhists observe sil in temples and spend the Vesak poya day engaging meritorious deeds. Visiting temple with all the family members on Vesak poya day wearing white dresses is  a significant feature of the Buddhist culture. There they offer flowers, light oil lamps, burn incense, conduct bodhi pooja, offer milk rice and Gila pasa (tea, fruit juice, herbal drink) etc and observe pansil or the five precepts. Most of the temples get filled with devotees and listen to the Dhamma sermons preached by monks. 

Buddhists give prominence to Dāna, sula, bhāvanā on Vesak poya day. Meditation programmes are a compulsory religious activity conducted during the sil campaigns. The devotees maintain self-discipline and control their behaviour more than the other days when they observe sil. They carefully mind on what they say, what they do and what they think. This is called control of word, body and mind. Dāna or almsgiving also done to offer food and beverages to monks and the devotees. Not only in temples, but also roadside stalls distribute free refreshments to passers-by as a sign of sharing joy and peace with people. 

Buddhists celebrate Vesak festively. Old and young altogether in families prepare decorations in the days preceding Vesak in their houses. Vesak lanterns, oil lamps, paper buckets are lit in the houses, offices, government and private places. Electrically lit Vesak panels are also erected in main cities and towns at public places in Srilanka during Vesak season. 

Srilanka plans to hold the state vesak festival 2019 at Telwatte Purana Rathpath Raja Maha Viharaya. Buddhists, Christians, Islamists, Hindus all are ready to celebrate Vesak this time altogether symbolizing national harmony and peace.

📷 courtesy: pinterest, dailymirror