Celebrating Budhdhapurninma

Celebration of Buddhapurnima has been covered facebook and other social media.Mark Jukerberg and his interviews in BBC channel and other news about various political movements make the facebook engaged in celebration of news only but provides solid information too.Buddha Jayanti is the birth day of Lord Gautam Budhha.  Budhha’s original name was SidharthaGautam. Siddhartha Gautam was born about 543 BC in Kapilvastu of Nepal. Siddhartha was son of King Suddhodhan Gautam and queen Maya Devi. Buddha was born in garden of Sal trees (Shorea robusta), situated in the beautiful and peaceful Lumbini zone in Rupandehi district of Nepal. 

UNESCO has listed Lumbini, Nepal as a world heritage site and birthplace of Gautama Buddha. 

Buddha was born on full moon day, he achieved nirvana in the same day and left this world on the same day of Baishakh Sukla Purnima. This day is celebrated as Budhha Purnima all over the world. Gautam Buddha means Awakened One and he is also goes by the name Shakyamuni.It is said in the Buddhist scriptures that when Buddha was born he took seven steps (on his each step, it is said that a lotus flower appeared for him to stand on) immediately after his birth, raised a finger in the air saying he was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and that this will be his final birth. After his birth he and his mother bathed in the nearby Pushkarni Pond.

Buddha Purnima festival is celebrated to mark the birth of Lord Buddha. Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti is celebrated with traditional religious fervor. Buddha Purnima falls on the full moon day in the Hindu month of Vaisakh (April/May). Lord Buddha was born on the Full Moon day in the month of Vaisakh in 563 BC. Here, it is interesting to note that Buddha achieved enlightenment and nirvana (salvation) on the same day (the Full Moon day). Thus, Buddha Purnima also marks the death anniversary of Gautam Buddha. Sarnath holds an important place in Buddhism as Gautam Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath. On the occasion of Buddha Jayanti, a large fair is held at Sarnath and the relics of the Buddha are taken out for public display in a procession.

Buddha Jayanti is one of the significant festivals of Nepal and in Buddhism. This day is celebrated all over the world especially in south-east Asia where there are people who follow the teachings of Gautam Buddha like India, Burma, China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Vietnam and Tibet. Buddha Jayanti is known by various other names such as Swanyapunhi in Nepal Bhasa, Buddha Purnima or Baisakha Purnima in India, Vesak in Sri Lanka, Puspa Purnima in Bangladesh, Visakha Bucha in Thailand and Full Moon Day of Kason in Burma.

Though Gautama Buddha is known to live a very modest and simple life many people does not know that he was born as a prince of the Shakya Clan in Nepal. His father, Suddhodhana was the chief of the Shakya Clan in India while his mother Queen Maha Maya was known to be the princess of Koli. He was born in Lubini under a sal tree in a garden. Though he was born as a prince but turned to Budha religion. He found its path was more important than to rule and the wealth. He was married to Yasodhara and even had a son named Rahula. After leaving for his religious quest he realized that marital wealth is not the ultimate goal of anyone’s life.

Leaving his kingdom and loved ones behind, Siddhartha became a wandering monk. He cut off his hair to show that he had renounced the worldly lifestyle and called himself Gautama. He wore ragged robes and wandered from place to place. In his search for truth, he studied with the wisest teachers of his day. None of them knew how to end suffering, so he continued the search on his own. 

For six years he practiced severe asceticism thinking this would lead him to enlightenment. He sat in meditation and ate only roots, leaves and fruit. At times he ate nothing. He could endure more hardships than anyone else, but this did not take him anywhere. He thought, "Neither my life of luxury in the palace nor my life as an ascetic in the forest is the way to freedom. Overdoing things can not lead to happiness. " He began to eat nourishing food again and regained his strength. 

On a full-moon day in May, he sat under the Bodhi tree in deep meditation and said. "I will not leave this spot until I find an end to suffering." During the night, he was visited by Mara, the evil one, who tried to tempt him away from his virtuous path. First he sent his beautiful daughters to lure Gautama into pleasure. Next he sent bolts of lightning, wind and heavy rain. Last he sent his demonic armies with weapons and flaming rocks. One by one, Gautama met the armies and defeated them with his virtue.As the struggle ended, he realized the cause of suffering and how to remove it. He had gained the most supreme wisdom and understood things as they truly are. He became the Buddha, 'The Awakened One'. From then on, he was called Shakyamuni Buddha.

After his enlightenment, he went to the Deer Park near the holy city of Benares and shared his new understanding with five holy men. They understood immediately and became his disciples. This marked the beginning of the Buddhist community. 

For the next forty-five years, the Buddha and his disciples went from place to place in India spreading the Dharma, his teachings. Their compassion knew no bounds, they helped everyone along the way, beggars, kings and slave girls. At night, they would sleep where they were; when hungry they would ask for a little food. 

Whenever the Buddha went, he won the hearts of the people because he dealt with their true feelings. He advised them not to accept his words on blind faith, but to decide for themselves whether his teachings are right or wrong, then follow them. He encouraged everyone to have compassion for each other and develop their own virtue, "You should do your own work, for I can teach only the way." 

He never became angry or impatient or spoke harshly to anyone, not even to those who opposed him. He always taught in such a way that everyone could understand. Each person thought the Buddha was speaking especially for him. The Buddha told his followers to help each other on the Way. Following is a story of the Buddha living as an example to his disciples. 

Once the Buddha and Ananda visited a monastery where a monk was suffering from a contagious disease. The poor man lay in a mess with no one looking after him. The Buddha himself washed the sick monk and placed him on a new bed. Afterwards, he admonished the other monks. "Monks, you have neither mother nor father to look after you. If you do not look after each other, who will look after you? Whoever serves the sick and suffering, serves me." 

Shakyamuni Buddha passed away around 486 BC at the age of eighty. Although he has left the world, the spirit of his kindness and compassion remains.The Buddha realized that that he was not the first to become a Buddha. "There have been many Buddhas before me and will be many Buddhas in the future," The Buddha recalled to his disciples. "All living beings have the Buddha nature and can become Buddhas." For this reason, he taught the way to Buddhahood. 

The two main goals of Buddhism are getting to know ourselves and learning the Buddha's teachings. To know who we are, we need to understand that we have two natures. One is called our ordinary nature, which is made up of unpleasant feelings such as fear, anger, and jealousy. The other is our true nature, the part of us that is pure, wise, and perfect. In Buddhism, it is called the Buddha nature. The only difference between us and the Buddha is that we have not awakened to our true nature.

On this day devotees preach the teachings of Lord Buddha, decorate Buddha’s idol with flowers, chant Buddhist scriptures, eat vegetarian food and donate food, money and clothes to people. Each country celebrate the birth of Buddha in a different way, here’s a peek at the major celebrations around the world.

Known as the birthplace of Lord Buddha, the festival holds a special importance in India. Buddhist devotees from around the world visit the cities of Gaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar. Sarnath is the place where the lord gave his first sermon, a huge procession and a fair is organised. Followers are also seen donning white clothes holding prayers and chanting Buddhist scriptures. Buddha’s statue is also offered fruits, sweets and candles.

People here celebrate the day by wearing white dress and eating only vegetarian food. Kheer, sweet rice porridge, has a special significance on the day. It recalls the story of a maiden named Sujata who offered Buddha a bowl of milk porridge who she perceived to be a holy man. Lord ate the porridge and bathed in the river Neranjara. He then threw the bowl in the river and said that if the it goes upstream I am successful in becoming a Buddha and if goes down I am not. And as expected the bowl went upstream staying in the middle of the river. During the celebration people also recite the story of the lord who followed asceticism to attain enlightenment

 

Kavre with Dolalghat ,Indrawati,Sunkoshi, and Bhotekoshi

 For me Kavre district in Bagmati zone  means Kavre  with Dolalghat ,Indrawati,Sunkoshi, and Bhotekoshi, which are great potential in tourism industry . We begin our journey from Koteswar,the deluxe bus was  with comfortable seats for passengers and  I loved the early morning time to travel to Kavre District from Kathmandu.It takes 38 minutes to travel from Kathmandu to Kavre. Approximate driving distance between Kathmandu and Kavre is 32 kms or 19.9 miles or 17.3 nautical miles . Travel time refers to the time taken if the distance is covered by a car. Kavre district is culturally rich with historical places like Dhulikhel, Panauti, Banepa and Chandeni Mandan.Koshipari (i.e. east of Dolalghat/Sunkoshi River) has very good prospect in tourism field. There are lots of adventurous places.

Dhulikhel is the major tourist spot of Kavre district and is famous for natural as well as historical reasons. Dhulikhel's is the administrative centre of Kavre district and is located a a distance of 30 km from Kathmandu and 4 km from Banepa. Located on a hilltop surrounded by lush greenery, the place has become a major tourist attraction. The proximity to both natural beauty and historic town has added to Dhulikhel's charm. Altitude ranges from1600 to 1700m and the place is far from the pollution and crowd. Dhulikhel's main attractions are the view of rows of snow-capped peaks. Devithan hillock renowned for viewing sunrise and sunset, historic Newar settlement and the artistic temples of the town.

Dhulikhel provides an imcomparable view of the Himalayan ranges, more than other tourist places. Dhulikhel is getting increasingly popular for picnics, gatherings, seminars and other programs. A large number of people, visit "Dhulikhel" in the weekends. Some stay overnight while others return at the end of the day. Due to the proximity to the city and good road connection. Dhulikhel is being viewed as an ideal retreat for the Kathmanduiters. Tourist on the way to Tibet also spend their night in Dhulikhel during the tourst season. The best time of year to visit Dhulikhel is in the autumn and winter seasons. There are many luxurious hotels and lodges operating in Dhulikhel connecting Kathmandu to the eastern Terai. Likewise, the Kodari Highway connects to the Chinese border 85 km to the North. The road distance to Kavre's Namobuddha is 15 km while Nagarkot could be reached after a 5-6 hour long hike. Once can also reach Namobuddha in 2-3 hours on foot taking a shortcut trails. 

Likewise Kailashnath Mahadev Statue  is the world's tallest Shiva statue. It is situated in Sanga, on the border of the Bhaktapur and Kavrepalanchwok districts in Nepal, about 20 km from Kathmandu. The statue is 144 feet (44 m) in height, and was made using copper, zinc, concrete, and steel.One love to travel there with family and enjoy the scenery .Travel is the ideal place to test yourself. It pushes people to their limits and gets them outside their comfort zone. You’ll discover how resourceful you are when you’re exposed to new places, people and experiences. 

We kept on traveling in same deluxe up to Dolalghat Kavre Market and from there we reached to Sunkoshi River where we began ritual with priests and lama.Sun Koshi in Nepali means “River of gold”. This name might have stuck with this river because small quantities of gold is panned from its sand. The rapids in this river, except for few cases, gradually become more complex. Hence, it is suitable for the first time rafters and for those who want to brush up their rafting/kayaking skills. The river itself starts from Tibetan border, passes through high mountains and valleys down, to the plains of Nepal and into the mighty Ganges in India.Dad with others started hymns there and we finished the ritual and returned back to hotel at the centre of Dolalghat market .

I took Nepali veg thali of Dal bhat tarkari.Dal Bhat  is traditionally served with vegetable tarkari (a mix of seasonal vegetables) and also known as Dal bhat tarkari. Along with this they also have yoghurt or a curry made of chicken, goat meat or fish and a small portion of chutney or pickle (achar). The Dal is cooked with tomatoes, onion, chili, garlic and ginger in addition to lentils or beans. It also contains herbs and spices such as coriander, garam masala, cumin seeds and turmeric. The recipe of Dal bhat can vary from locality,and family.After eating I travelled the local market on foot with friends on bus and we returned to Kathmandu in evening .

Mohini Ekadashi

Mom has been visiting Shiva Temple of Kirtipur Shivanagar to celebrate Ekdasi..If the tenth day completes just 96 minutes before sunrise, then that day is celebrated as Ekādaśī. If the tenth day is incomplete at 96 minutes before sunrise, but still continues to be Dashimi sometime during that day, then the Ekādaśī fast is performed on the following day. 

We fast on Ekadasi in order to minimize the demands of the body so we can engage more of our time in the service of the Lord by chanting or performing some other devotional service. The best thing to do on these fasting days is to remember the pastimes of Krishna and to hear His Holy name being sung and chanted. In the book "Nectar of Devotion" Srila Prabhupada tells us the purpose of Ekadasi is to increase our love for Krishna. On the day of Ekadasi we should plan to chant more rounds and read more devotional literature. If possible we should spend more time with devotees at the temple.

Today ,the day of Mohini Ekadashi .According to Panchang,Mohini Ekadashi is observed on the ekadashi (11th day) during the Shukla Paksha (the bright fortnight of moon) in the Hindu month of ‘Vaisakha’ that falls during the months of April-May, according to the Gregorian calendar. This ekadashi is observed by all Hinduism followers as it helps in washing away all the sins committed by a person, including those from his/her previous births. 

In Hindu mythology, Mohini is the name given to the disguised form of Lord Vishnu and since the lord appeared in this form on the ekadashi tithi, the day began to be celebrated as ‘Mohini Ekadashi’ from then onwards. This Ekadashi is celebrated in the month of ‘Vaisakha’ in Northern India and adjoining regions, however according to the Tamil calendar, it falls during the month of ‘Chithirai’, in the ‘Jyestho’ month of the Bengali calendar and in the Malayalam calendar Mohini Ekadashi falls during the month of ‘Edava’. Hindu devotees observe this ekadashi to seek divine blessings for living a happy and prosperous life.

When Yudhishthir questioned Lord Krishna about the most important Ekadashi, he replied that this Vrat was performed by Lord Ram in Treta Yug. When Lord Ram was separated from Devi Sita, he was advised by sage Vasistha to perform this Vrat. Performing the Vrat helped Lord Ram to overcome every obstacle. He brought back Sita after killing Ravana.

A famous story that depicts the importance of Mohini Ekadashi was told by Sage Vasistha to Lord Rama. King Dyutimana who belonged to Chandra Vansh, was ruling The beautiful city of Bhadravati was situated on the banks of River Saraswati. Dhanapala, a devotee of Lord Vishnu, was very pious and kind-hearted. He was a Vaishya and worked for the welfare of the people all the time. He had five sons - Samana, Dyutimana, Medhavi, Sukriti, and Dhrustabuddhi. 

The youngest son, Dhrustabuddhi was very wicked and involved in sinful activities. He neither cared for his family nor the society. He misused his father’s name and money. Fed up by his vices, Dhanapala threw him out of his house. Soon he was done away with all the money and ornaments that he had. He had to become a thief. Several times he was caught by the king’s men and then released. The king thought of punishing him. He decided to thrown him out of the city.

Dhrustabuddhi had to leave the kingdom and had no place to go. He went into a jungle. He wandered like a hunter in the forests for many years. One day he met Rishi Kaundinya. It was the month of Vaisakha, and the sage was returning to his ashram after taking a bath in the holy river Ganges. Suddenly, a drop of water from the sage’s clothes fell on Dhrustabuddhi. He bowed before Rishi Kaundinya and asked him to relieve him of all the sins that he had committed. He was advised to follow Mohini Ekadashi Vrat. He obeyed Rishi’s instructions and observed the Vrat with dedication. His sins were pardoned, and he attained a divine body. It is believed that after his death he was taken to the abode of Lord Vishnu by Garuda, his divine carrier.

Special ‘Mandaps’ is prepared with idols of Lord Vishnu. Devotees worship the lord with sandalwood, sesame seeds, colorful flowers and fruits. Offering Tulsi leaves is very propitious as it is dear to Lord Vishnu. On Mohini Ekadashi day in some regions, Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu is also worshipped.

Mom and granny always love Ekadashi.Even in Puranas we find many stories relating to the importance of fasting on this particular day. This day comes when waning or waxing moon is in its 11th day of its 15 days cycle. Why importance is given to eleventh day and why not to tenth day or ninth day? There is a reason behind this.

Astrologically moon revolves around earth at the rate of 12 degrees per every 24 hours. This period of 12 degree travel is called a tithi in  Panchang Language.  Moon when at 180 degrees away from Sun forms Full moon day and when conjoint with Sun forms New moon day. During these two cycles we have already seen many instances where new moon and full moon shows its impact and gravitational and magnetic pull of sea tides and human minds. As human body consist of 80 per cent water, it is always under the influence of moon. This is the reason behind moon being treated as mind controller in Indian Astrology.

It is known that Sun and Moon do not always exert same influence on Earth.  On 11th day of each cycle moon forms trine with earth or sun. From this day moon’s influence on liquids in our body and mind starts rising. As long as important organs such as brain, digestive system function properly our body will never get any disease. All diseases start with indigestion. But from this 11th day our body gets into the  gravitational  and magnetic pull of moon heavily and our digestive system doesn't secrete proper fluids that will help us digest our food.

I love Ekdashi and the communication about such topic has been the motivational factor to relate our daily life with festive mood of the every month,moon and nature for spiritual significance of Poornima, Spiritual significance of Amavasya,and Spiritual significance of Basant Panchami  like Ekdashi festival etc.The fast on Ekadashi also helps the transmutation of chemicals in the body into subtler factors like ectoplasmic stuff of the mind (i.e. chitta or mindstuff) so that the ectoplasmic stuff associates with the still higher spheres.  

If the science of meditation is practised by the aspirant, fasting does not only mean not eating anything, it also means not drinking any thing in the stricter sense. The meaning of fast, i.e. 'upavasa' spiritually means staying with divine ideas, i. e. living closer to the Supreme Conscious Being. This can be done only by shunning the activities of the sensory and motor organs (indriyas) extroversally and dwelling instead on the various aspects (bhaava) of the Supreme Consciousness or the Supreme Lord.  By not eating and drinking on Ekadashi days along with dwelling on the divine (bhagavata-bhaava), it will certainty help an aspirant to keep himself or herself perfect physiologically and psychologically and thereby help attain the ultimate spiritual purpose of life.