Buddha Jayanti 2018

“To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one’s own in the midst of abundance.” – Buddha.

The Buddha Jayanti celebration is done in order to celebrate the birth of Lord Buddha. The most sacred festival of Buddhists, Buddha Jayanti 2018 is being celebrated on 22 May.

History Of Buddha Jayanti/Purnima:

Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment and nirvana on the same day on which he was born; therefore the death anniversary of Buddha falls on the same day. Buddha Purnima 2018 has immense significance for the followers of his preaching, Buddha’s lessons of kindness and non- violence has facilitated to heal a large segment of the society.

The Buddha Purnima is celebrated with enormous religious enthusiasm in different regions of India such as Gaya, Sarnath, Varanasi; as well as globally such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka etc. Large masses of Buddhists exercise prayers and religious rituals at Buddhist temples on this auspicious occasion.

Facts About Buddha Jayanti:

1. Buddha gained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, on buddha purnima festival the devotees offer prayers at this tree at the Bodh Gaya temple. Furthermore, the tree is decorated with flowers and lamps and milk as well as water is offered to the roots of the holy tree
2. In several parts of the world, people worship the statue of baby Buddha. Placed in a tub of water and beautifully decorated; this symbolizes new beginning and letting go of past mistakes
3. Buddha is considered to be the ninth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who is regarded as the protector of the universe. Thus, he is also worshipped as Lord Vishnu in several parts of India
4. Buddhism has different communion, not all preachers’ offers prayers at his idol. Some worship the “Dharma chakra”. This wheel signifies eight paths to achieve enlightenment. They are- Right faith, right action, right livelihood, right Mindfulness, right endeavour, right intention, right speech and right meditation
5. The followers of Buddha in different countries celebrate this occasion on different days; any of the two dates interpreted by the Buddhist calendar, since there are two full moons in May

Buddha’s teachings continue to motivate as well as inspire masses to lead a better way of life. Let’s embrace and nurture his ideologies to unleash the fear we hold within and explore our vulnerabilities. As he has rightly pointed out “No one saves us but ourselves, no one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”

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