Download Vesak is an annual holiday observed by practicing Buddhists in

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.
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The celebration of Wesak and the expression of Buddhist 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 ceremonial hoisting 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 ceremony
reflects 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.
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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.
Complete the following table
Practice
Belief
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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 their willingness 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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