“Vesāk Day” Celebration at IBC on 7th May, 2020 Sukho buddhanāṁ uppādo! Happy is the birth of all the Buddhas.

Reported by Samiksha Meshram
May 12, 2020
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The term ‘vesāk’ is derived from the Pāli word vesākhā and the Sanskrit ‘vaiśakha’. It is the name of a month in the Indian lunar calendar which usually corresponds to the month of May. The full moon day of vesāk is the most significant event throughout the Buddhist calendar. It commemorates the birth, enlightenment and the Mahāparinibbāna or the great passing away of the Buddha. Vesāk is mostly celebrated as a merit making festival but we must not lose our focus on the true significance of vesāk and the real reasons for merit making at this time. The way of celebration of this day is different among different Buddhist traditions. The Buddha showed us the way to liberate ourselves from the endless cycle of birth, life, death, rebirth i.e. the endless cycle of suffering. Therein lies the true significance of vesāk. Although he was born as a human being just like us, the Buddha’s birth was not an ordinary birth. He was able to choose the time, the country, the locality, his mother and the clan where he was born. This means that there must have been absolute clarity of mind at the time of death (the result of profound mental cultivation) to enable this kind of birth. The Buddha’s life too was no ordinary life. After 29 years of worldly life as a prince, he chose to go out to seek the truth to find the way to liberate himself and all other beings from suffering.
Firstly, it is my good fortune to be in a situation whereby I have friends from different cultural backgrounds. There is unity in diversity! It was a novel experience for me to celebrate vesāk day with my friends who come from various countries. It was also a first for me to witness the bathing ceremony of the Buddha. In the evening, all of us students decorated the shrine with lights, flowers and candles. All the saṇgha members, elder monks and students gathered together and under the guidance of Bhante Ānandājoti, the vesāk celebration commenced. Besides this, we had chanting by the members from different countries in their own languages, which brings the meaning of acceptance and shows the gratitude towards the Buddha. In IBC, everything is good. Moreover, practicing the Buddha’s teaching in a pragmatic way with mutual understanding brings happiness and peace to all. As one elderly Bhante said in his short speech, “human existence is very rare and when we have it, we must use it with good conduct and right understanding; and here in IBC, the atmosphere is very conducive to practise the dhamma.” Having the conducive atmosphere to practise the dhamma and being surrounded by the right people is rare; not everyone is given this opportunity! Last but not least, I would like to say that reciprocity brings peace to oneself and others. This is one quality we must possess while living in the community as the peace will prevail in society.