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Wesak - Buddha’s Birthday
The full moon in May marks perhaps the most significant celebration in the Buddhist calendar.
Buddha Jayanti is the celebration of the birth of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who upon his enlightenment, whilst meditating under the Bodhi Tree, transformed in consciousness and from that moment became Gautama Buddha, thus in the process of his enlightenment (god selfrealisation) Prince Siddhartha Gautama died. This is why Wesak or Vesak is the celebration of Buddha’s birth, passing and enlightenment.
Under the Bodhi Tree
Bhudda’s becoming occurred over what are known as the three-watches or phases of the night. During the first phase of the night, when his mind was calm, clear and purified, light, knowledge and insight arose within him. He saw his previous lives, at first one, then two, three... then in multiples - thirty to fifty, growing to 100, 1000 and beyond.
As he continued his practice, during the second phase of the night, he witnessed how beings die and are reborn, depending upon their Karma. How they disappear and reappear from one form to become another, moving from one plane of existence to another.
During the final phase of the night, he saw the arising and cessation of all phenomena, mental and physical. He saw how things arose, their occurrences dependent on causation and conditions, which led him to perceive the arising and cessation of suffering, and all forms of unsatisfactoriness, thus paving the way for the eradication of all taints of cravings. Upon the complete cessation of craving, his mind was completely liberated, and he attained Full Enlightenment. This realisation dawned within him, together with all psychic powers.
This wisdom and light that dawned and radiated under the Bodhi Tree is considered of great significance to human destiny. It illuminated a way by which mankind could cross, from a world of hatred, violence and fear, to a new world of light, of true love and true happiness, equating inner peace.
By Freya Savitri Sampson Custodian Eartheart
When is Wesak?
Many cultures celebrate Buddha’s birthday at slightly different times according to their tradition, April - June full moons each year, this prompted the formalisation of a date for Gautama Buddha’s birthday, a decision that was made at the first Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists (W.F.B.) held in Sri Lanka in 1950. Whilst festivals at this time in the Buddhist world are a centuries-old tradition, the resolution that was adopted at the World Conference is as follows:
‘That this Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists, while recording its appreciation of the gracious act of His Majesty, the Maharaja of Nepal in making the full-moon day of Vesak a Public Holiday in Nepal, earnestly requests the Heads of Governments of all countries in which large or small number of Buddhists are to be found, to take steps to make the full-moon day in the month of May a Public Holiday in honour of the Buddha, who is universally acclaimed as one of the greatest benefactors of Humanity.’
Prince Siddhartha Gautama it is said was born 563-483 BCE in Lumbini, Nepal. The exact date for Buddha’s Birthday is based on the Asian lunisolar calendar. In many cultures this, combines the lunar and solar components, so the date of Lunisolar calendars indicate both the moon phase and the time of the solar year, being the position of the sun in the Earth’s sky. If the sidereal year is used (sidereal calendar) instead of the solar year, then the calendar will predict the constellation near which the full moon may occur.
Vesak occurs when the Sun is in Taurus and we have either a Scorpio or Sagittarius Full Moon - considered by many to be the most powerful Full Moon of the year. The Sun’s transit through Taurus exalts the Moon. Taurus, which is ruled by Venus, who is considered the spiritual ruler of Earth. Venus is identified with Mother Mary, the World Mother. May being the month of Taurus, is therefore the month of Mary. Venus appears in the west as Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent god, who brought enlightenment to the Mayan culture and in the east she is the goddess Maya, mother of the Buddha.
Where is Wesak?
The Wesak Valley, lies at quite a high altitude in the foothills of the Western Himalayan-Tibet ranges. Surrounded by high mountains on all sides except towards the northeast, where there is a narrow opening in the mountain ranges. The valley is bottle-shaped in contour, with the neck of the bottle to the northeast, which widens considerably towards the
south. Up towards the northern end, close to the neck of the bottle, there is a huge flat rock. There are no trees or shrubs in the valley, and is covered by a type of coarse grass. In this valley, gathers Buddhist devotees, holy persons and pilgrims every year to celebrate the Buddha’s birthday.
Gautama Buddha’s Message for Humanity
At the heart of the Teachings of the Buddha is contained in the teachings of the Four Noble Truths.
The Noble Truth of Dukkha (suffering) The Origin or Cause of suffering The End or Cessation of suffering The Path which leads to the cessation of all sufferings
The First Noble Truth is the Truth of Dukkha, which has been generally translated as ‘suffering’, however it has a deeper philosophical meaning. Birth, old age, sickness and death are universal, all beings are subject to these unsatisfactoriness. Separation from beloved ones and pleasant conditions, association with unpleasant persons and conditions, and not getting what one desires - these are also sources of suffering and unsatisfactoriness. The Buddha summarises Dukkha in what is known as, ‘The Five Grasping Aggregates’.
Herein, lies the deeper philosophical meaning of Dukkha for it encompasses the whole state of being or existence. Our life / the whole process of living is perceived as a flux or changing of energy, comprised of the five aggregates.
Form/Physical process Feeling Perception Mental Formation Consciousness When we train our minds to observe the functioning of mental and physical processes, we will realise the true nature of our lives and will see how it is subject to change and unsatisfactoriness. As such, there is no real substance or entity or Self which we can cling to as ‘I’, ‘my’ or ‘mine’ (ego).
When we become aware of this truth, we naturally want to get out this state. It is at this point that we begin to seriously question ourselves about the meaning and purpose of life. This will lead us to seek the Truth with regards to the true nature of existence and the knowledge to overcome unsatisfactoriness.
From the Buddhist point of view; the purpose of life is to put an end to suffering, and all other forms of unsatisfactoriness - to realise inner peace, real happiness.
The Second Noble Truth
explains the Origin or Cause of suffering.
Tanha or craving is the universal cause of suffering. It includes not only desire for sensual pleasures, wealth and power, it also includes attachment to ideas, views, opinions, concepts, and beliefs. It is the lust for flesh, for continued existence (or eternalism) in the sensual realms of existence, as well as the realms of form and the formless realms. Conversely there is also the lust/craving for non-existence (or nihilism).
These are all forms of selfishness, desiring things for oneself (even at the expense of others).
Not realising the true nature of One’s Self, one clings to things which are impermanent, changeable, perishable. The inability to satisfy one’s desires through these things; causes disappointment and suffering. Craving/lust is a powerful ego-mind force, present in all of us. It is the root cause of our suffering. Craving is that which binds us in ‘Samsara’ - the repeated cycle of birth and death.
The Third Noble Truth points to the cessation of suffering. Where there is no craving, there is no becoming, no rebirth. Where there is no rebirth, there is no decay, no old age, no death, therefore no suffering. The eradication of craving/lust is how suffering is ended, once and for all.
The Fourth Noble Truth explains the Path or the Way which leads to the cessation of suffering. It is called the Noble Eightfold Path.
The Noble Eightfold path avoids the extremes of self-indulgence on one hand and self-torture on the other. It consists of Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.
The Noble Eightfold Path can be summarised into three stages of training; morality, mental culture and wisdom: Morality/good-conduct is the avoidance of evil, unwholesome actions, which are tainted by greed, hatred and delusion. It is the performance of good/ wholesome actions, which are free from greed, hatred and delusion, and which are motivated by unity, lovingkindness and wisdom.
The purpose of moral restraint, is to free one’s mind from remorse/guilt. The mind/ conscience that is free from guilt is calm, tranquil, and ready for concentration with awareness.
The concentrated and cultured mind, is contemplative and analytical, capable of seeing cause and effect, and the true nature of existence, thus paving the way for wisdom and insight.
Wisdom in the Buddhist context, is the realisation of the fundamental Four Noble Truths, which provide a proper sense of life purpose/direction. The message of the Buddha stands today as Immutable Truth, as it was when first enunciated. Immutable Truth can be recognised easily, as it is unaffected by time, or by the expansion of knowledge over time.
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