The Full Moon of the Buddha - the Lord of light is spreading its beams all over the world evoking people that the `Vesak is close by’.
Vesak is glorified as a festival to revere the three most momentous phenomena of the Buddha’s life – his Birth, Enlightenment and Departure (Parinibbana).
Since the day long back (the years could be hardly calculated due to the lengthen of time period), he promised himself to attain the Buddhahood one fine day, he had been called the `Bodhi Sathva’ with the meaning of - the person (or the being) with the determination to become a Buddha.
Endowments
Since then, spending uncountable lives in many births in the Sansara, the Bodhisathva completed Paaramitha, Upa Paaramitha and Paramatta Paaramitha, the three sets of `endowments’ he had to achieve and fulfil.
There were widespread segments of capacities and capabilities the Bodhisathva had to complete in all three sections of `Paaramithas’.
If Dana (giving away or donating) was taken as an example; to complete the first part of Paaramitha, the Bodhisathva had to give away all his worldly possessions from his materialistic valuables to his servants to his own children and spouse which was the most grueling and arduous mission one could even envisage of. (refer- Vessanthara Jathakaya).
To complete Upa Paaramitha he donated his body organs. Generally, one’s body organs are extricated only `if and when’ in a state of `brain death’.
But the Bodhisathva willingly donated his body organs while alive. Following this we see many well wishers donating blood, a kidney, parts of liver and an eye.
To complete the `Paramatta Paaramitha’, he had to sacrifice his life for the benefit of some other being. In his many lives, the Bodhisathva had advanced himself before dangerous beasts and ogres to let them take his life and content their hunger with his flesh and blood.
In a nut shell, the Bodhisathva had to do a series of inconceivable and improbable sacrifices encountering and embattling extreme situations and conditions to accomplish all the `Paaramithas’ to make him eligible for the Enlightenment.
The determination and dedication he inculcated in his spirit on the day he made the promise to himself to become the Buddha sturdily persisted till his Enlightenment. Nothing could change his willpower.
After completing the three fractions of `Paaramithas’, the Bodhisathva gained the birth as a deity in Thawathinsa (Thawthisa) divine world relaxing his spirit for some time.
Preach
When the exact time period befell, the other deities arrived before him and invited him to gain the birth in the human world on the Earth to attain Enlightenment. It was the wish of all the deities to see his Enlightenment, listen and follow the Dhamma the Buddha would preach, and attain Arhath, the suprem bliss of Nirvana and end suffering of Sansara.
Even the human world was waiting to welcome the prophet. The intelligent human beings had the insight of knowledge that the Bodhisathva was arriving but didn’t know who, when and where he would be born, and how he would gain the Buddhahood and what he would preach to assist them to attain Arhath.
The Bodhisathva, accepting the invitation of the deities, foresaw five detailed factors called Pas MahaBalum to have a secured birth. They were; the time, the continent and the country he would be born, the clan of his father-to-be and the most suitable mother who would give him the birth.
He was conceived in the womb of the noble and dignified Queen Maha Maya Devi, fathering the aristrocratic noble King Suddhodana of the Shakya Clan in the Kapilavasthupura Kingdom in Dambadiva (Indian Continent), a vast area of land where billions of perceptive and intellectual people lived.
Completing the nine months Queen Maha Maya Devi was proceeding in a procession to her parents’ palace at Devdaha city, as then it was the ritual to carry out the delivery at the baby’s mother’s family home.
But on her way, she saw a beautiful Sal flower park of Lumbini, and wanted to rest a bit there. She developed delivery pains and the birth of the Bodhisathva occurred under a shelter of blossom of Sal flowers.
Deities
It was the Vesak Full Moon Poya Day. The nature was blooming and flourishing, and the deities of the whole universe were rejoicing in happiness to welcome the birth of the blessed one. It seemed it was the day time, and the Bodhisathva’s birth ensued many miracles.
He was named as `Siddhartha’ with the meaning of the `worthy person who does all the virtue to the world’. Gauthama was his father’s surname.
So since then he has been called `Siddhartha Gauthama’, even after his enlightenment and till today.
Prince Siddhartha Gauthama was the heir next-in-line to the throne of his father King Suddhodana. He grew up with full of love and passion on opulent and splendid luxury which was almost akin to a `divine life’.
He had the best education and mastered all the theoretical and physical studies a layman or a prince should acquire during that time.
He got married to the most beautiful, distinguished, obedient and loving Princes Yashodara at the age of 16 years. They had a doting and amicable married life and had a healthy baby son, prince Rahula.
When he was 29 years of age, amid all the physical and materialistic fulfilment of life, Siddhartha Gauthama’s insight of his spirit began to evoke, provoking him to think the sorrow and dark side of life.
Till then he was having the luxurious life which was called Kaama sukallikanu yogaya. He realised he couldn’t find the real happiness in the world as not being could be immortal, and live without becoming old and falling sick. He decided to explore the truth of the world and the way to end sorrow, and gave up his lay life, departed from the palace and became a clergyman (Abhinishkramanaya).
Ascetic Siddhartha Gauthama went to two renowned teachers famed in India during that time, mastered their teaching in a brief of time, but learnt it was not what he was seeking for.
Hence he decided to choose the heuristic exploration by his own self. Since he had experienced the lush, he resolved to adopt the hard way giving severe torture to his physical body by evading food, water and even barring his breath. On many occasions he fainted. So even the deities who were guarding and watching him mistook that the Ascetic was dead. This was called Attakilamathanu yogaya.
Gradually, Ascetic Bodhisathva realised neither two extremes – the luxury nor torture were providing an answer to him. So then he started the `middle path’ neither to embrace too much of comforts nor severe discomforts. He began to regain his physical strength which enabled him to meditate without distress.
He meditated (AanaPaanaSathiBhavana) by being conscious and observing at his breath mindfully.
The Acetic Bodhisathva turned 35 years. It was another Vesak Full Moon Poya Day. He was meditating under a Asathu Bo tree at the area called Gaya. The sky was full of stars around the full moon shinning like diamonds.
The whole of nature seemed ready to see and was patiently waiting for the most magnificiant wonder yet to be happened. The Bodhisathvagradually realised the truth of the life, the world and the Sansara.
The suffering and sorrow of beings, due to the three evils that they have been fervently embracing – craving for sensual desires, anger and vengeance, and blindly adopting mythical beliefs.
Once one realises this truth, he tries to apprehend the trio, he/she could gradually reach the supreme bliss of Nirvana.
The Bodhisathva enlightened himself and became the Samma Sambuddha through his own exploration and excavation.
Siddhartha Gauthama Buddha spent 45 years (till he was 80 years) preaching both to the people and deities showing the right path (the middle path), teaching the three evils in them that caused them suffering, persuading them to practise suitable meditation while following virtuous discipline, generosity, living in harmony and peace, and shedding unconditional loving kindness and compassion to all beings and the nature.
The Buddha’s teaching is called Dhamma and his disciples are called Sangha. The Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha are considered and venerated as the most valuable jewels in the universe.
Buddhism is neither a religion nor a philosophy, but a code of ethics for any being to follow and end suffering and sorrow. Hence Buddhism is not restricted to one particular group, community or clan, but opened for each and every human being on the earth and even the universe.
Siddhartha Gauthama Buddha passed away (Parinibbana) at the age of 80 years on another Vesak Full Moon Poya Day under a Sal tree at Upavattana Sal park in Kusinara city.
The Buddha’s word of the Dhamma was spread all over India and all the neighbouring countires including the Middle East. But along with the changes of the time and invasions and enmity, Buddhism was diminished from many lands.
However, the essence of Dhamma is being rejuvenated in the world as the present Western world is progressively realising the reality and the truth of the world and embracing Buddhism, amidst the craving for power, revenge, sensual desires, heinous desires for destructions, mythical beliefs and even suffering with the Covid plague.
The Buddha showed the path for harmless joy and peace.
Hope the world would realise and grasp the most valuable jewel – the Dhamma and end their suffering soon. May the whole world embrace peace, love, harmony, humanity and joy on this Vesak!