Sri Lanka Celebrates Buddha's Life With Vesak 2009
International Buddhist Festival Honors Buddhism's Prince Siddhartha
May 13, 2009
For Sri Lanka, a nation which has been practicing Theravada Buddhism since the second century BC, each full moon or Poya day is sacred, and is declared a national holiday, to allow Buddhist devotees to make merit, either by chanting pirith, lighting candles, or taking lotus flower, incense sticks or fruit offerings to the temple.
Merit Making Activities During Vesak Full Moon Buddha Day 2009
Vesak Full Moon Day marks the first month on the Buddhist calendar. Called Buddha Day, it is the most significant Buddhist festival, commemorating the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death, all in one day.
According to the Venerable Mahinda, three events took place during the night of the Buddha's attainment of enlightenment. The Buddha saw his past lives flash through, followed by a vision of death and rebirth of beings that depended on their karma, and finally, he experienced freedom from want.
To honor this most holy event in the history of Buddhism, Sri Lanka hosted the International Buddhist Festival, which saw tens of thousands of Buddhist devotees descend on the capital city of Colombo, to witness or join activities at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), at Bauddhaloka Mawatha.
Sri Lankan devotees, as a form of merit making, put up stalls, called dansalas, where any hungry or thirsty passerby could partake of free food and drink. Sandwich and tea, rice and vegetable curry, fruits, soft drinks and king coconut water dansalas welcomed visitors, keeping them energized and hydrated. Temples teemed with Buddhist devotees dressed in white, participating in processions and prayers.
Vesak Day is also the time when animals get a reprieve from slaughter. Birds and insects are ceremonially released. Alcohol is not served or sold. Only vegetarian food is eaten by devotees, but many would go on a fast, pausing only for a drink of herbal tea.
The Buddha's Life via Jataka Tales on Vesak Toranas
As customary for this celebration, Vesak lanterns and banners adorned homes, schools, commercial establishments, streets and temples. Multicolored toranas were set up in street corners. These giant toranas tell stories, through paintings, of the past life of the Buddha.
Coming from early Buddhist texts, the stories are popularly known as the Jataka Tales. At night, by the light of the full moon, Buddhist monks would recite a series of Jataka Tales to their avid listeners. Jataka Tales are filled with moral lessons that serve as guidance or instructions coming from the Buddha, on how Buddhist devotees should lead their lives.
Plans for Vesak 2011
Preparations are already underway for Vesak 2011. Whilst this year had Buddhist devotees competing in a short film exhibition and e-Vesak card design contests, Vesak 2011 organizers are gearing up for a grander project, the production of an epic movie on the Buddha.
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