What is Vesak Day?
Vesak Day, the holiest day in Buddhism, sees the full moon of the month of May, and celebrates the birth, enlightenment (or awakening), and death of the Buddha (known as parinirvana in Pali). It is a celebration that is an expression of gratitude for the legacy that the Buddha left behind — Buddhism — and it can also be a propelling force for us to do good for ourselves and others. Vesak Day is also known by other names, e.g. Buddha Jayanti, Buddha Purnima, and Buddha Day in India, or Visakha Buja Day in Thailand.
Who was the Buddha?
The word “Buddha” means “the Enlightened One” or “the Awakened One.” It is not a proper name but a title given to one who has attained enlightenment, which was what happened to Siddhatha Gotama, who lived more than 25 centuries ago. Siddhatha was born on the full moon day in the month of May in modern-day Nepal as a prince to a royal family of the Sakyan Kingdom, at the foot of the Himalayas. Siddhattha’s father was King Suddhodana, and his mother was Queen Maya. Siddhattha married princess Yasodhara or Bimbadevi or Gopa, his cousin of the same age, who bore him a son, Rahula, at the age of 29.
Since childhood, Siddhattha was very compassionate and clever. He studied the subjects necessary to become a good ruler. In addition, he learned major scriptures in Brahmanism/Hinduism, informing himself of topics such as the Four Vedas, the Six Vedangas, and the Upanishads. He was particularly fascinated with the doctrines of samsara (rebirth or reincarnation), moksha (liberation from the cycle of birth and death), and Atman (self) in the Upanishads. Despite his father’s desire for him to be attached to the world and satisfied with the enjoyment of sensual pleasures, Siddhatha was preoccupied with a desire to solve the problem of samsara, asking: How can one liberate oneself from the cycle of birth or rebirth, which involves death again and again, and how can one help other people to be free from samsara?
Enthusiastically, at the age of 29, Siddhattha asked for his wife’s and father’s permission to leave his family and the palace. He told his wife, “… Though I will be gone, though I will be far away from you, my love for you will remain the same. I will never stop loving you… And when I have found the Way, the answer to his question, I will return to you and to our child.” He also promised his father, “I will never abandon you. I am only asking you to let me go away for a time. When I have found the Way, I will return.” Siddhattha then left his family and became a wandering religious mendicant (Pali: paribbajaka) to find the Way. After six years of studies, including an experiment in the forest inspired by Brahmani ascetism – which he had hypothesized was key – Siddhattha realized that asceticism was not the answer. He gave up ascetic practices, intending for a rational, simple life of moderation instead.
On the night of the full moon in the month of May, forty-five years before the Buddhist Era, Siddhattha, sitting under a peepal tree, underwent great progress in his search, and an omniscient illumination came over him. That night, under the tree, he achieved enlightenment, finally understanding the origins of suffering and rebirth, and how to end it. He said, as quoted in Dr. Hermann Oldenberg’s Buddha: His Life, his Doctrine, His Order, “When I apprehended this, and when I beheld this, my soul was released from the evil of desire, released from the evil of earthly existence, released from the evil of error, released from the evil of ignorance. In the released awoke the knowledge of release: extinct is re-birth, finished the sacred course, duty done, no more shall I return to this world; this I knew.”
For the next forty-five years of his life, from the ages of 35 to 80, the Buddha would travel from place to place to teach all who would listen. He organized his followers, who similarly renounced the material world, to form the Sangha.
At the age of 80, however, the Buddha fell ill while on his way to Kusinara (modern-day Kushinagar), capital of the ancient Malla State. In his deathbed under two Sal trees in the Sal Grove of the Mallas, he told his disciples that they would not be left without “the Teacher”: “The Doctrine and Discipline I have taught you, that shall be your teacher when I am gone… Behold now, monks, I exhort you. Subject to decay are all component things. Work out your salvation with diligence.” He passed away on the day of the full moon in the month of May.
What was the Buddha’s Legacy?
The Buddha’s teachings are his legacy. They are called Dhamma in Pali (Dharma in Sanskrit) and translate to the truth of things – the way things are. It also refers to the teachings that illuminate that truth, detailing the path leading to the direct experience of it.
Examples of the Buddha’s teachings include:
- The Five Precepts
- The Discourse on Prosperity and Happiness (Mangala Sutta in Pali),
- Kamma
- The Four Noble Truths
- The Noble Eightfold Path
- Meditation (you may read how to meditate on Thailandfoundation.or.th here as well).
Following his teachings, believers may find the essence of Buddhism, which is to abandon non-virtuous deeds, to cultivate virtuous deeds, and to purify the mind. One must not be enslaved by negative thoughts and maintain a peaceful and happy mind. (The BBC’s article here, and the scholarly treatise Buddhadhamma: The Law of Natures and Their Benefits to Life by Bhikkhu P.A. Payutto provide easily understandable texts for further reading on Buddhism.)
Celebrating Vesak Day
Vesak Day celebrations may vary in countries. Some Buddhists in India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam may light candles and put up decorations, while Japanese and Chinese Buddhists may bathe a statue of the Buddha in scented water.
In Thailand, where Vesak Day is known as Visakha Buja Day, Buddhists usually make merit by going to temples, vowing to keep the layman’s precepts, offering food to monks, and listening to Dhamma Talks. And in the afternoon or evening, they may again go to temples to join a procession filled with flowers, incense sticks, and candles, walking around the chapel.
However, celebrating Visakha Bucha Day also means making special efforts to bring happiness to the unfortunate and the needy, for instance the aged, the handicapped, and the sick. To this day, Buddhists will distribute gifts in cash and kind to various charitable homes throughout the country.
(photo credit: https://bit.ly/3MR3PmU)
On Vesak Day this year, I would like to invite readers to join around 500 million Buddhists across the globe in celebrating the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death. By walking on the path to happiness for ourselves as well as for others, practicing compassion for ourselves as well as for others, forgiving ourselves as well as others, we may find a peaceful co-existence with people of different faiths — tolerance and welcome being essential for peace. In this way, we truly celebrate Vesak Day. The Buddha ensures that we can do this; he said, “He is able who think he is able”.
Major references:
- Ajahn Jayasaro. Without and Within: Questions and Answers on the Teachings of Theravada Buddhism. Amarin printing and publishing Plc. 2014.
- Harris, Ian Ph.D. The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Buddhism. HH Hermes House.
Author: Paitoon Songkaeo, Ph.D.
9 May 2022
