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