Who is Gautam Buddha?

Prince Siddhartha Gautama was born to King Suddhodana a royal family of Nepal. The Buddha was exceptionally intelligent and compassionate in his growing years. It was predicted that Buddha would become a great king or a spiritual leader. Siddhartha’s parents wanted him to be a powerful ruler for their kingdom and surrounded him with every kind of pleasure. They tried to stop him from seeing the unsatisfactory nature of the world. At the age of 29, Siddhartha went on a rare outing, he saw someone sick, a weak old person, and a dead person. Siddhartha was very upset to see that old age, sickness, and death would come to everyone. At the end of the trip, Siddhartha met a monk who was sitting in deep ablutions. Siddhartha realized that perfection is within the mind itself not in the outside world. The Buddha decided to relinquish all his royal responsibilities and his family to realize full enlightenment.

Over the next six years, Buddha met many talented meditation teachers, who showed him the mind’s ability but not mind itself. The Buddha decided to remain in meditation until he knew the true nature of mind. After spending six days and nights in Bodhgaya, he reached enlightenment on the full moon morning of May, a week before he turned thirty-five and he became Buddha, the Awakened One. After awakening himself of worldly knowledge, the Buddha returned to his people and engaged himself in the service of people.

Lord Buddha is an example of mankind and the religion of Buddhism is based on Buddha’s teachings and wisdom that he gifted to people to overcome the sad and negative aspect of life.

How is the festival celebrated?

On the day of the festival, the idol of the Buddha is worship; devotees visit the Buddhist temple, recite Buddhist scriptures, and participate in religious discussions and group meditations.  Buddha Purnima is celebrated in various Buddhist sites of India such as Sikkim, Ladakh, Darjeeling, and Arunachal Pradesh. The most popular celebration of the festival is at the Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya where special prayers are held under the Bodhi tree, where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment.  The festival celebrated in Sarnath, a place near Varanasi is also very famous where a large fair is organized. Buddhists pay special attention to Buddha’s teachings on Buddha Jayanti. They give money, food, or goods to the poor, elderly, and those who are sick.

Significance of BodhGaya:

There is saying by Gautam Buddha “The past is already gone, the future is not yet here. There’s only one moment for you to live.”