Buddha Purnima 2023: Date, History, Significance, Story & more.

Buddha Purnima Quick Facts

History of Buddha Purnima

Buddha Purnima is one of the important festivals of Buddhism, which is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Gautam Buddha. It is celebrated annually all over the world with special religious and cultural events. Buddha Jayanti is celebrated with special religious and meditative activities that are initiated by the followers of Buddhism.

The history of Buddha Purnima is related to the birth of Gautam Buddha. Buddha Purnima is celebrated mainly in Budhanagar (Lumbini Municipality) Nepal, as Lumbini is believed to be the birthplace of Buddha around the world. Buddha was born around 563 BCE in Lumbini, a small village in the state of Nepal. His father's name was Shuddhodhan and mother's name was Maya Devi. He decided to lead a temperate and spiritual life and dedicated his life to the liberation of the world through asceticism and discipline. His biography includes several important events, including his Mahaparinirvana (death). His disciples composed directories and essays in depth of his life, preaching and teachings. These written works served to preserve his conversations, truths and greatness. Buddhism developed on the basis of his teachings and the Dharma Marga.

Buddha Purnima is also celebrated in various countries where Buddhist community is present. On this day, people visit their birthplace, temples and sites and offer chadars and worship them. Dharma discourses and meritorious activities are also usually organized by religious and meditation organizations. Buddha Purnima is a major festival celebrated by the followers of Buddha Dharma and provides an opportunity for meditation and worship remembering his teachings.

Story of Buddha Purnima

Angulimala and Buddha: This story is about a dacoit named Angulimala, who was very violent and evil. The Buddha explained to him and calmed his mind and inspired him to follow the Dharma. Angulimala turned his life around and became a righteous monk.

Sujatha's Prayer: This story is about a young woman, Sujatha, who was in search of thoughtfulness and self-restraint. He asked a priest how to get self-control. Buddha preached to her and Sujata attained self-enlightenment.

The Teachings of Angulimala: Based on a key incident between the Buddha and Angulimala. Angulimala had given up his former tyrannical and violent life, but he had to face the wrath of the people. The Buddha took Angulimala's strength as a test and introduced him to his manifested celibacy. Angulimala asked how he was to forgive the deeds of his tyrannical and violently spent days. Buddha showed him the path of kindness, forgiveness and love and inspired him to accept the teachings of Buddha Dharma.

Significance of Buddha Purnima

The importance of celebrating Buddha Purnima is extremely important for the followers of Buddhism. It is a religious and cultural occasion when people remember the life, teachings and greatness of Buddha. Following are some important reasons to celebrate it:

Dharma Remembrance: By celebrating Buddha Purnima, people remember important principles, teachings and paths of Buddha Dharma. It reminds them about the importance of righteousness, spontaneity, compassion, discipline and truth.

Message of goodwill and humanity: By celebrating Buddha Purnima, people understand the importance of humanity, goodwill and harmony. The Buddha spoke of the importance of love and respect for all human beings and propagated the principle of universal brotherhood.

Peace of mind and meditation: Buddha Purnima is an occasion when people focus on meditation and righteousness. On this day, meditation sessions are organized by religious organizations and people are inspired to follow the teachings of Buddha. It provides them a way to attain mental peace, stability and concentration for a period of time.

Social Service: While celebrating Buddha Purnima, people understand the importance of social service and help the minorities, poor and disabled people as per the teachings of Buddha. It is a means of following service ideals and promoting harmony in the society.

How to celebrate Buddha Purnima

During Buddha Purnima, people visit Buddha temples and listen to religious discourses. They also participate in meditation and meritorious activities, the main objective of which is to understand the Buddha's teachings and apply them in their lives. On the occasion of this day people make donations to the monks and follow various rituals of charity. This day is a special day of worship and worship of Lord Buddha and people organize virtuous activities.

Apart from this, special food is also arranged on Buddha Purnima, which usually includes vegetarian food items. People give and share food to others. Thus, Buddha Purnima is a major religious and cultural festival celebrated with meditation and worship by the followers of Buddhism. It is an important occasion when people remember the messages of the Buddha and take a pledge to put them into practice in their lives.

Tradition and customs of Buddha Purnima

On Buddha Purnima, devotees start their day by cleaning their homes, taking a bath and sprinkling Gangajal around the house. They also light a candle and decorate their homes with flowers, make swastikas with turmeric, roli or kumkum in front of the entrance, and light a candle and pour milk near the Bodhi tree. Additionally people donate food and clothes to the needy.

More info about Buddha Purnima

The outline of Buddha Purnima has changed over time. Earlier, it was mainly celebrated by religious organizations, but now it is a widely celebrated international cultural and religious festival celebrated in many countries. Social service programmes, religious discourses, meditation and religious seminars are organized during the Jayanti. It is a medium of service to mankind and of widely propagating the messages of the Buddha. The trend of celebrating it at the international level has increased. On this occasion, people gather from different countries and participate in religious activities organized by monks and religious organizations. With this, people of different countries communicate with each other and increase their mutual harmony. With the advent of internet and social media, people have started celebrating the occasion of Buddha Purnima through virtual mediums. It helps people to access various spiritual and religious content and provides a medium for people to spread ideology among themselves.

List of major festivals: