Buddha Day 2012

The 4th June this year is Visakha Puja or 'Buddha Day,' when Thai Buddhists commemorate the birth, enlightenment and passing away of the historical Buddha. It is the most special day in the Buddhist calendar, and is usually marked with big celebrations all over the kingdom. This year has been declared the 2,600th anniversary of the Buddha's birth, and the festival will be especially exuberant across Thailand. Thais are renowned party animals, and are also keen on 'making merit' by visiting temples and giving lots of stuff to monks, so combine this with the 26 century tag and it's gonna be a 'mega-puja' this year! 

Visakha Puja is not marked on the same day in different countries, however, so in Taiwan it occurred on 28th April, Sri Lanka 5th May, India 6th May, Korea 28th May. For once, Thailand is late for the party! In Sri Lanka, part of the celebrations involve the use of bright lights, illuminating Buddha statues and temples across the island. In an interesting article on the Buddhist Channel website, Daya Dissanayake of the Sri Lankan newspaper The Nation questions this practice. He writes that it is a damaging burden on the environment to use so much electricity on Buddha Day. He argues that Buddhists would do well to illuminate the inner self rather than the outer surroundings. The original article can be read here: Should we 'celebrate' Vesak?

Now, Daya Dissanayake may have a good point or two here. Should Buddhists damage the environment in ecologically damaging behavior when marking the life of the Buddha? Surely, visiting a temple during the day and reducing the use of electricity is a good idea, if possible? And, his suggestion that Buddhists meditate rather than celebrate is another fine idea, isn't it? Not appreciating crowds, and the crowds will be enormous today, this Buddhist is not going to frequent a temple or city park on Buddha Day. Rather, a simple ceremony at home affront a Buddha image with the family will suffice. And a spot of mediating, of course. 

Now, it's not being suggested here that people shouldn't go the temple today, and everyone has the right to mark Buddha Day how they like, as long as it's at least halfway legal! But, Daya Dissanayake's ideas are certainly worth considering. So, if you're celebrating Buddha Day today, I hope you have a good time, and that you do so with mindfulness. As a follow-up to this reflection, it would be interesting to read of how you celebrate Visakha Puja this year, whether in Thailand or elsewhere, so please leave a comment below…and may you be happy!

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammasambuddha

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammasambuddha

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammasambuddha