Happy Birthday
It is thought:
Siddhartha-Gautama-Shaka....AKA...... the Buddha which in Sanskrit means ´the enlightened one´was born today around 563 BC. As a youth, Siddhartha, lived a life sheltered in luxury. At the age of 29 he left the palace that was his home. For the first time he saw at first hand the poverty, suffering and death of the common people. From that moment on he dedicated his life to the pursuit of enlightenment´.
At the age of 35 he achieved enlightenment becoming a Buddha. The next 45 years he spent travelling and teaching Buddhas Dharmas - way of life patterned after his own.
FromAmerica to Japan Buddhist temples alike construct a platform that is covered with flowers. On the platform an image of theinfant Buddha is placed in a tub filled with licoricetea. The members of the temple then take part in pouring this tea over the Buddha to signify bathing him. They then drink some of this sweet tea themselves, this is an act of purification to try and accomplish Buddha qualities within their own spirit.
namaste
Oakapple (
RE: Happy Birthday Buddha
Thank you Oakapple for starting this thread. This month is special to Hindus and Buddhists alike.
Tomorrow 15 April, is the start of thesacred month of Vesak.
Acalendar showing Hindumonths and important dates is here.
[link= http://www.bangalinet.com/bengalicalendar.htm ] http://www.bangalinet.com/bengalicalendar.htm [/link]
Today is the last day of the month of Chaitra.
Tomorrow starts Baisakh, the Month in which Rabindranath Thakur and Gautama Tathagata (the Buddha) was born.
Buddha Purnima is marked there too. It falls on the 18 Vesak, or 2 May this year. More info from:
[link= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesak ] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesak [/link]
Shubha Nababarsha (auspicious New Year) to one and all.
Prashna