The origin, the meaning of Buddha's Birthday and the rituals are indispensable on this day

Buddha's Birthday is a three important holidays in the year of Buddhists, this is the day to commemorate the Buddha's birth. Since 1999, the Buddha's birthday of April 15 (lunar calendar) has been recognized by the United Nations as the world cultural and spiritual festival day. During the festival, most Buddhists often do things like do not kill, just eat vegetarian, release things like snails, pigeons, eels . And do volunteer work to help people.

1. The official holiday of Buddha's Birthday

Besides Vu Lan and Thanh Dao ceremonies, it is impossible not to mention the Buddha's birthday, which is the three biggest holidays of the year of Buddhists.

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Before 1959, most countries in East Asia often held this Buddha's birthday on April 8 of the lunar calendar. But on May 25 to June 8, 1950 at the first World Buddhist Congress, in Colombo (Sri Lanka), there were 26 participating member countries giving their opinions and unifying the international Buddha's birthday. is the full moon day of the fourth lunar month every year (April 15).

And starting in 1999, the Buddha's birthday of April 15 (lunar calendar) was recognized by the United Nations as the spiritual and cultural festival of the world and of all humanity. Buddha's Birthday is one of the three constitutive ceremonies that the United Nations calls Vesak (Buddha's Birthday, Buddha's Enlightenment and Buddha's Nirvana).

2. Origins, meanings and rituals often done on Buddha's birthday

Source

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Shakyamuni Buddha was born Prince Siddhartha, the family of Co Dam, and the Shakyamuni family. He is said to be born on the lunar calendar of the fourth lunar month in 624 BC (according to the explanation of the Southern tradition), on the 8th of the fourth lunar month (according to the interpretation of the Chinese tradition) at the Garden of Lumbini - where between Ca La Ve and Devadaha in Nepal.

Therefore, the Buddha's Birthday ceremony is held every year, on the fifteenth day of the fourth month, in the Buddhist countries to celebrate the Buddha's birth.

Meaning

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Like other important festivals, Buddha's Birthday is the day when Buddhists celebrate the birthday of the patriarch, the Buddha's birthday is also an opportunity for Buddhists to review the life of the Buddha to encourage them. the energy of the Buddha on the path of cultivation.

It is an opportunity for Buddhists to express their devotion to the masterful master and full of virtue. The glorification of the Buddha, once again boldly on the river of mindful reverence and submissiveness of the believer, does not allow Buddha's image to fade in his mind.

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It is an opportunity for Buddhists to affirm the value of Buddha and their religious stance towards everyone. From that, it shows the spiritual and ideal values ​​that a person pursues throughout his life.

On holidays, Buddhists often honor the Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma, Sangha (in the form of offering offerings, giving flowers, listening to sermons), and practicing vegetarianism and keeping the Five Precepts, the four immeasurable minds ( compassionate compassion, practice of giving and charity work, giving gifts, money to the weak in the community.

Rituals often do

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In the world as well as in Vietnam, Buddha's Birthday is always held very solemnly. In addition to holding a formal ceremony on the fourth day of the fourth month, the church everywhere organizes parades, ceremonies, flowers on the river, and lectures on Buddhism for Buddhists, alternating It is the cultural performances, lanterns to celebrate the long ceremony .

Besides doing things like flower lanterns and art performances, the Buddhists on this day are absolutely not killing, everyone is vegetarian, clean the house as well as redecorate the place of Buddha worship to be beautiful and most solemn. Buddhists can also go to the temple to help the monks do the merit, listen to lectures on life, ask their conscience about their actions to help the soul be pure.

At the temples, Buddhists often set up a large platform, decorated with flower cars. However, all of these things are done so as not to cost much, not to waste, all expressed by the sincerity of the Buddha's morality.