Significant Buddhist Practice

Wesak

Wesak is an annual celebration of the birth and, in most Buddhist traditions, enlightenment and death of Buddha. It is the most important event in the Buddhist calendar. The festival is seen as a time of new beginnings and a renewed search for enlightenment by many Buddhists.

The name Wesak comes from the month in which these events occurred in the life of Buddha. The festival is also known as Vesak, Visakha, Vesaka Puja or Buddha Day.

The celebration of Wesak is a chance to remember the story of how the Buddha gained Enlightenment, and to reflect on what it might mean for an individual Buddhists’ Enlightenment.

When

Wesak takes place in the second month of the Buddhist calendar. The exact date varies according to the various lunar calendars used in different traditions/countries. The date varies from year to year in the Western Gregorian calendar but usually falls in May on the first full moon.

It is an annual holiday observed by practicing Buddhists in many Asian countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Vietnam, and also Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. In 1950 at the Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists, held in Sri Lanka, it was agreed by all member nations that they would celebrate the Wesak festival at the same time annually.

History

Just before he died, Buddha saw his faithful attendant Ananda, weeping. The Buddha advised him not to weep, but to understand the universal law that all earthy things (including even his own body) must disintegrate. He advised everyone to pay attention to his teachings (The Dharma) because only the Dharma truth is eternal and not subject to the law of change.

He asked of his followers not to merely make offerings of flowers etc to pay homage to him but to truly and sincerely strive to follow his teachings. Wesak is an opportunity for Buddhist to reiterate their determination to lead noble lives, to develop their minds, to practice loving-kindness and to bring peace and harmony to humanity.

The celebration of Wesak and the expression ofBuddhist beliefs

Wesak is celebrated in various ways around the world. In Thailand caged birds are released, reflecting the belief that compassion is important. It is an act of symbolic liberation, or giving freedom to those in captivity. In Australia many Buddhists celebrate by holding festivals and retreats.

The universal rituals of Wesak Festival are demonstrations of the commitment of Buddhist adherents to their faith and the concepts of renewal and rebirth.

The Wesak Festival starts at dawn. A devout Buddhists and followers assemble in their various temples before dawn for the ceremonialhoisting of the Buddhist flag and the singing of hymns in praise of the holy triple gem: The Buddha, The Dharma (his teachings), and The Sangha (his disciples). As part of this dawn celebration devotees are encouraged to bring simple offerings of flowers, candles and joss-sticks to be laid at the feet of their teacher. These symbolic offerings are to remind followers that all life is subject to decay and destruction.

This is followed by the bathing of the Buddha ceremony. This ceremonyreflects the importance to Buddhists of purifying their minds of greed, anger and selfishness. It reminds adherents to follow the Noble Eightfold Path. Monks pour water over the Buddha statue’s shoulders.

Throughout the festival devotees are encouraged to make a special effort to refrain from killing of any kind and eat vegetarian food for the day. In some countries like Sri Lanka all liquor and slaughter houses are closed for the two days. This is keeping with the First Precept. Some devout Buddhists will wear a simple white dress (keeping with the Eighth Precept) and spend the whole day in temples with renewed determination to follow the Ten Precepts to train themselves to practice morality, simplicity and humility.

Celebrating Wesak is also a charitable time. Buddhists are also encouraged to give donations to their local temples and those who are less fortunate. Buddhist make gifts of cash and alike to various charities, making every effort to bring happiness to the unfortunate like the aged, the handicapped and the sick.

Chanting and praying are an important part of Wesak. Buddhist are expected to listen to monks recite verses uttered by the Buddha twenty-five centuries ago, to invoke peace and happiness for the Government and the people. Buddhists are reminded to live harmoniously with people, being respectful of others’ faiths and beliefs as the Buddha had taught.

Gifts are taken to an altar to be offered to the Buddha statues. This shows respect and gratitude to the Buddha for his life and teachings. The temple is often decorated with many lights at this time. These lights symbolise the enlightenment of the Buddha.

Celebrations can be loud and festive with large groups coming together and enjoying vegetarian banquets. However they can also be the opposite. They can be a time of contemplation and meditation. This can involve a large number of people or individuals alone. Silent processions of people may end the festival.

Buddhists believe that Buddha himself gave instructions on how he wanted followers to pay homage to him. It was not through material offerings but rather reaffirming one’s commitment and desire to following his teachings based on the basic principles of purity of the mind, truth and kindness. It is this belief upon which the entire purpose, function and enactment of the Wesak Festival is based.

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Significance for the individual and community

Individual

Wesak provides a time to think about what enlightenment means for the individual, and their path to further enlightenment. It is an opportunity for them to reaffirm and express theirwillingness to live their life according to the teachings and principles of Buddha. It also is a time to generate good karma by engaging in merit-making activities such as gift-giving. It is also a time to be reminded of the history and traditions of Buddhism. The festival encourages kindness to fellow humans and for Buddhists to focus on bringing peace to all humanity.

Community

Meeting together with other Buddhists in temples renews a sense of community and relationships as well as making spiritual and cultural connections. It is also a time that Buddhists collectively work towards bringing about happiness to others and creates an atmosphere of harmony.

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