BUDDHA PURNIMA

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Context

Buddha Purnima 2023 is celebrated on May 5th to commemorate the 2585th birth anniversary of Lord Buddha, also known as Mahatma Buddha.

Details

• Buddha Purnima is also known as Buddha Jayanti.
• Buddha Purnima falls on full moon day in the month of Vaishakh. In the year 2023, it is going to be celebrated on May 5, 2023.
• The exact date of his birth and death is unknown, but it is believed he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gaya and taught Dharma at Sarnath.
• Buddhists visit these pilgrimage sites, especially Bodh Gaya, to offer prayers.

The Story

• Lord Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha but he was always around with full of luxuries and materialistic pleasures.
• The head of the Shakya clan, Suddhodana, was his father, while his mother Maya was a Koliyan princess.
• Once, he came across an old man, a sick man and a corpse.
• He wanted to search the reasons of the sufferings.
• He left his home at the age of 29 to find the answers of all the sufferings.
• After then he investigated teachings and later he went to deep meditation and woke up at the age of 35 with all the answers and then became the Mahatma Buddha. He preached all the people how to lead their life spiritually. He encouraged them to walk on a path of spirituality.
• According to Buddhist text, it is believed that Gautam Buddha was born in 563 BCE in Lumbini, which is situated in Nepal and he died at the age of 80 at Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh in 483 BCE.
• This day is also celebrated as Vesak and this was the day when he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya, he first taught the Dharma at Sarnath and in Khushinagar he left his body so there are three major pilgrimage sites of Lord Buddha.
• For Buddhists, the most important pilgrimage site related to the life of Gautama Buddha is Bodh Gaya.

Teachings of Buddha

• Lord Buddha, the epitome of compassion has shown us the path of enlightenment, tolerance and virtue.
• His simple and effective preaching inspires us to follow the path of love, truth and non-violence.
• The life of Mahatma Buddha is the best example of self-control and discipline.

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1921980