Vesak

Vesak (Pali: Vesākha; Sanskrit: vaiśākha), also known as Buddha Jayanti, Buddha Purnima, Visak Bochea and Buddha Day, is a holiday traditionally observed by Buddhists in South Asia and Southeast Asia, as well as in Tibet and Mongolia. It is among the most important Buddhist festivals. The festival commemorates the birth, enlightenment (Pali: Nibbāna, Sanskrit: Nirvāṇa), and death (Parinirvāna) of Gautama Buddha in Theravada, Tibetan Buddhism, and Navayana.
The name Vesak is derived from the Pali term vesākha or Sanskrit vaiśākha for the lunar month of Vaisakha, which is considered the month of Buddha's birth. In Mahayana Buddhist traditions, the holiday is known by its Sanskrit name (Vaiśākha) and derived variants of it.
In the East Asian tradition, a celebration of Buddha's Birthday typically occurs around the traditional timing of Vesak, while the Buddha's awakening and death are celebrated as separate holidays that occur at other times in the calendar as Bodhi Day and Nibbāna Day. In the South Asian tradition, where Vesak is celebrated on the full moon day of the Vaisakha month, the Vesak day marks the birth, enlightenment, and the ultimate death of the Buddha.
Although Buddhist festivals have centuries-old tradition, the first conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists held in Sri Lanka in 1950 formalized the decision to celebrate Vesak as the Buddha's birthday across multiple Buddhist countries. The resolution that was adopted at the World Conference reads as follows:
On Vesak Day, Buddhists all over the world commemorate events of significance to Buddhists of all traditions: The birth, enlightenment and the death of Buddha Gautama. As Buddhism spread from India it was assimilated into many foreign cultures, and consequently Vesak is celebrated in many different ways all over the world. In India, Vaishakh Purnima day is also known as Buddha Jayanti day and has been traditionally accepted as Buddha's birth day.
In 2000, the United Nations (UN) resolved to internationally observe the day of Vesak at its headquarters and offices.
The month of May usually has one full moon, but as there are 29.5 days between full moons, occasionally there are two. If there are two full moons during the month of May, some countries (including Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Malaysia) celebrate Vesak on the first full moon, while others (Thailand, Singapore) celebrate the holiday on the full moon of 4th lunar month. The difference also manifests in the observance of other Buddhist holidays, which are traditionally observed at the local full moon.
On Vesak, devout Buddhists and followers alike assemble in their various temples before dawn for the ceremonial and honorable hoisting of the Buddhist flag and the singing of hymns in praise of the holy triple gem: The Buddha, The Dharma (his teachings), and The Sangha (his disciples). Devotees may bring simple offerings of flowers, candles and joss-sticks to lay at the feet of their teacher. These symbolic offerings are to remind followers that just as the beautiful flowers would wither away after a short while, and the candles and joss-sticks would soon burn out, so too is life subject to decay and destruction. Devotees are enjoined to make a special effort to refrain from killing of any kind. They are encouraged to partake only of vegetarian food for the day. In some countries, notably Sri Lanka, two days are set aside for the celebration of Vesak, and all liquor shops and slaughter houses are closed by government decree during the two days.
Also birds, insects and animals are released by the thousands in what is known as life release to give freedom to those who are in captivity, imprisoned, or tortured against their will. (The practice, however, is banned in some countries such as Singapore, as the released animals are unable to survive long-term or may adversely impact the local ecosystem if they do.)
Some devout Buddhists will wear simple white clothing and spend the whole day in temples with renewed determination to observe the eight precepts.
Devout Buddhists undertake to lead a noble life according to the teaching by making daily affirmations to observe the Five Precepts. However, on special days, notably new moon and full moon days, they observe the eight precepts to train themselves to practice morality, simplicity, and humility.
Some temples also display a small statue of the Buddha in front of the altar in a small basin decorated with flowers, and filled with water or sweet tea for devotees to pour over the statue. This is symbolic of the cleansing of a practitioner's bad karma, and to reenact the events following the Buddha's birth, when devas and spirits made heavenly offerings to him.
Devotees are expected to listen to talks given by monks. On this day, monks will recite verses uttered by the Buddha twenty-five centuries ago to invoke peace and happiness for the government and the people. Buddhists are reminded to live in harmony with people of other faiths and to respect the beliefs of other people as the Buddha taught.
Celebrating Vesak also means making special efforts to bring happiness to the unfortunate like the aged, the disabled, and the sick. To this day, Buddhists will distribute gifts in the form of cash, or volunteering in various charitable homes throughout the country. Vesak is also a time for great joy and happiness, expressed not by pandering to one's appetites, but by concentrating on useful activities such as decorating and illuminating temples, or painting and creating exquisite scenes from the life of the Buddha for public dissemination. Devout Buddhists also vie with one another to provide refreshments and vegetarian food to followers who visit the temple to pay homage to the Enlightened One.
According to tradition the Buddha instructed followers how to pay him homage. Just before he died, he saw his faithful attendant Ananda, weeping. The Buddha advised him not to weep, instead to understand the universal law that all compounded things (including even his own body) must disintegrate. He advised everyone not to cry over the disintegration of the physical body but to regard his teachings (The Dharma) as their teacher from then on, because only the truth of the Dhamma is eternal, and not subject to the law of change. He also stressed that the way to pay homage to him was not merely by offering flowers, incense, and lights, but by truly and sincerely striving to follow his teachings.
The exact date of Vesak is based on Asian lunisolar calendars and is primarily celebrated in Vaisakha, a month of both the Buddhist and Hindu calendars, hence the name Vesak. In Nepal, which is considered the birth-country of Buddha, it is celebrated on the full moon day of the Vaisakha month of the Hindu calendar, and is traditionally called Buddha Purnima, Purnima meaning the full moon day in Sanskrit. In Theravada countries following the Buddhist calendar, it falls on Uposatha Day, the full moon typically in the 5th or 6th lunar month.
Nowadays, in Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Malaysia, Vesak/Buddha Purnima is celebrated on the day of the first full moon in May in the Gregorian calendar.
For countries using the lunisolar calendar, the date for Vesak or Buddha's Birthday varies from year to year in the Gregorian calendar, but usually falls in April or May; in leap years it may be celebrated in June. In Bhutan it is celebrated on the 15th day of the fourth month of the Bhutanese lunar calendar. In Thailand, Laos, Singapore and Indonesia, Vesak is celebrated on the fourteenth or fifteenth day of the fourth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. In China, Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines, Buddha's Birthday is celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. In Japan, Buddha's Birthday is observed on the same date but in the Gregorian calendar, i.e. 8 April.
In Myanmar, Buddha's Birthday is celebrated as Full Moon of Kasun and is a public holiday. It is celebrated by watering the Bodhi tree and chanting. In large pagodas, music and dance is also performed as part of the celebrations.
In the following table, year 2021 date as per the Buddhist calendar
In Thailand, where Vesak Day is known as Visakha Buja Day (Visakha Puja Day), Buddhists usually make merits by going to temples, vowing to keep the Buddhists precepts, offering food to monks, listening to Dhamma Talks and practicing Vipassana meditation in the temples.
The Vixakha Bouxa festival is the Lao version of the Thai Visakha Puja, which it closely resembles. It commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha, which are all said to have happened on the same date. It is held around the month of May or Vesak, based on the lunar calendar. Celebrations include dances, poems, parades, processions, deep meditation, theatrical performances, and puppet shows.
One part of the Vixakha Bouxa festival is called Boun Bang Fay, or Rocket Festival. As this occurs during the hottest and driest season of the year, large homemade rockets are launched into the sky in an attempt to convince the celestial beings to send down rain. Traditionally, Buddhist monks made the rockets out of hollow bamboo tubes filled with gunpowder (among other things). Nowadays, lay people make the bang fai more like fireworks and hold competitions for the highest, fastest and most colorful rockets. The event takes place on both sides of the Mekhong River border between Thailand and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, and sometimes teams from the neighbouring countries will compete against each other. Tourists travel long distances to witness this now popular event.
This significant and traditional holy day is observed throughout Indonesia, where it is known as Waisak Day. At Borobudur, thousands of Buddhist monks will join to repeat mantras and meditate as they circuit the temple in a ritual called "Pradaksina". This is a form of tribute to the temple. Monks celebrate the special day by bottling holy water (which symbolises humility) and transporting flames (which symbolize light and enlightenment) from location to location. The monks also take part in the "Pindapata" ritual, where they receive charity from the people of Indonesia. Waisak Day in Indonesia has been celebrated as a national public holiday every year since 1983.
Celebrated by Buddhists to mark three momentous events in Buddha's life – his birth, enlightenment, and his departure from the human world, the Wesak celebration in Malaysia begins at dawn when devotees gather at Buddhist temples nationwide to meditate on the Eight Precepts. Donations – giving food to the needy and offerings of incense and joss sticks – and prayers are carried out. The sutras are chanted in unison by monks in saffron robes. The celebration is highlighted by a candle procession. Wesak Day in Malaysia is a national public holiday.
In Myanmar (Burma), Vesak is known as the Full Moon Day of Kason (ကဆုန်လပြည့် ဗုဒ္ဓနေ့), which is the second month in the traditional Burmese calendar. The date is a public gazetted holiday. Buddhist devotees typically celebrate by offering alms to Buddhist monks, adhering to a more stringent set of Buddhist precepts, practicing meditation, and freeing fish and birds from captivity.
Throughout the country, the date is also marked by a traditional festival called the Nyaungye-thun or "Bodhi tree water pouring festival" (ညောင်ရေသွန်းပွဲ [my]), whereby devotees visit pagodas or monasteries (kyaung) to pour scented water to sacred Bodhi Trees using clay pots, to ensure the trees, which hold great significance in Buddhism, do not die during the peak of summer.
This tradition dates back to the pre-colonial era and continues to take place at major pagodas such as the Shwekyetyet and Shwekyetkya Pagodas in the former royal capital of Amarapura. A Konbaung era court poet, Letwe Thondara composed a complete set of yadu poems describing this festival in Meza Hill, near Katha, where he had been exiled by King Hsinbyushin.
In the Philippines, the date of Vesak (known as Araw ni Bisyak, Kaarawan ni Buddha, Araw ni Buddha or Adlaw sa Buddha) follows the Chinese lunar calendar. Like China and Japan, Filipinos also bathe statues on this day.
In Singapore, Vesak Day was made a public holiday in 1955 after many public petitions, replacing Whit Monday. In the early decades of the 20th century, Vesak Day was associated with the Ceylonese community, which then celebrated it along with their National Day in a two-day event. After World War II, there was a movement to make Vesak Day a public holiday, with the Singapore Buddhist Association leading the petitions.
In Vietnam, Vesak is also known as Phật Đản. From 1958 to 1975, Vesak was a national public holiday in South Vietnam. It was a public festival with floats, and lantern parades on the streets. Under the President Ngô Đình Diệm, a member of Vietnam's Catholic minority, South Vietnamese Buddhists were not allowed to celebrate Vesak, and faced many other restrictions.
On 8 May 1963, the day of Vesak in Vietnam, more than 3000 Vietnamese Buddhists were protesting President Diệm's ban on the Buddhist flag in the city of Huế. Tensions rose throughout the day, and as protesters gathered around a government radio station, the Vietnamese army and police were called in to disperse the crowd. Soon after, the army started to shoot and throw grenades into the crowd. Nine were killed, and four were seriously injured. These events are considered to be the beginning of Vietnam's Buddhist crisis, which culminated in a governmental coup and the assassination of President Diệm. Successive South Vietnamese Governments recognized Vesak as a public holiday and allowed the celebrations to go on.
However, after the Fall of Saigon, the day was no longer a public holiday. Since the 2000s, the festival has witnessed a revival across the country. The Vesak Celebration is officially held by the Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha every year and it aggregated international delegates for great events in 2008, 2014, 2019 (the 16th United Nations Day of Vesak Celebration).
Vesak, commonly known in Nepal as "Buddha Jayanti" is widely celebrated all across the country, predominantly, Lumbini – the birthplace of Buddha, and Swayambhu – the holy temple for Buddhists, also known as "the Monkey Temple". The main door of Swayambhu is opened only on this very day, therefore, people from all over Kathmandu valley are stimulated by the event. Thousands of pilgrims from various parts of the world come together to celebrate Buddha's birthday at his birthplace, Lumbini. In Nepal, Buddha is worshipped by all religious groups, therefore "Buddha Jayanti" is marked by a public holiday. People donate foods and clothes to the needy and also provide financial aid to monasteries and schools where Buddhism is taught and practised.
Vesak is celebrated as a religious and a cultural festival in Sri Lanka on the full moon of the lunar month of Vesak (usually in the Gregorian month of May), for about one week, and this festival is often celebrated by people of different religions in Sri Lanka. During this week, the selling of alcohol and fresh meat is usually prohibited, with slaughter houses also being closed. Celebrations include religious and alms-giving activities. Electrically lit pandals called thoranas are erected in locations mainly in Colombo, Kandy, Galle and elsewhere, most sponsored by donors, religious societies and welfare groups. Each pandal illustrates a story from the Jataka tales. Pandols (Thoranas) are electrically lit in almost all parts of the country, over 300 can be found all around the country every year.
In addition, colorful lanterns called "Vesak kuudu" are hung along streets and in front of homes. They signify the light of the Buddha, Dharma and the Sangha. Food stalls set up by Buddhist devotees called "dansälas" provide free food, ice-cream and drinks to passersby. Groups of people from community organizations, businesses and government departments sing bhakti gee (Buddhist devotional songs). Colombo experiences a massive influx of people from all parts of the country during this week.
In India, the full moon day of the Vaisakha month of the Hindu calendar is celebrated as Buddha Purnima. The festival is commonly known as Buddha Purnima, as Purnima means full moon day in Sanskrit and Hindi languages. It is also called Buddha Jayanti, with Jayanti meaning birthday in Sanskrit. The festival is a public holiday in India.
Vesak Day is an important festival for all Bengali Buddhists. In Bangladesh, it is celebrated in Chittagong, Dhaka, and other Buddhist regions in the country. In the Bangla language, it is known as Buddho Purnima. It is also a public holiday in Bangladesh.
In Japan, Vesak or hanamatsuri (花祭) is also known as Kanbutsue (灌仏会), Gōtan'e (降誕会)), Busshōue (仏生会), Yokubutsue (浴仏会), Ryūge'e (龍華会) and Hanaeshiki (花会式). It is not a public holiday. It is based on a legend that nine dragons appeared in the sky on the Buddha's birthday and poured amṛta over him.
It used to be celebrated on the 8th day of the 4th month in the Chinese calendar based on one of the legends that proclaims the day as Buddha's birthday. At present, the celebration is observed on 8 April of the Solar Calendar since the government of Meiji Japan adopted the western solar calendar as the official calendar. Since the 8th day of the 4th month in the lunar calendar commonly falls in May of the current solar calendar, it is now celebrated about a month earlier.
In Japan, Vesak celebrations include pouring amacha (甘茶), a sweet tea made from Hydrangea macrophylla, on statues. In Buddhist religious sites such as temples and viharas, more involved ceremonies are conducted for lay Buddhists, priests, and monks and nuns.
In South Korea the birthday of Buddha is celebrated on the 8th day of the 4th month in the Korean lunar calendar (as well as in Hong Kong, Macau) and is an official holiday. This day is called 석가탄신일 (Seokga tansinil), meaning "Buddha's birthday" or 부처님 오신 날 (Bucheonim osin nal) meaning "the day when the Buddha came". It has now grown into one of the nation's biggest cultural festivals. Lotus lanterns cover the entire temple throughout the month which are often flooded down the street. On the day of Buddha's birth, many temples provide free meals and tea to all visitors. The breakfast and lunch provided are often sanchae bibimbap.
Yeondeunghoe (연등회) is a lantern-lighting festival in Korea celebrating the Buddha's Birthday. It is inscribed in UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List from 2020 and enlisted as South Korean Intangible Cultural Property from 2012.
An annual event known as Vesak: Buddha's Birthday is celebrated in Toronto in its three major three Buddhist temples, that represent the three main branches of Buddhism. Held at Mississauga Celebration Square, it features a number of Buddhist-themed events and activities, as well as cultural acts from Asia, including China, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
Vesak in Ottawa: Buddha's Birthday is celebrated in Ottawa. In May 2012, Visita Leelaratna organized a memorable occasion, Vesak, in Ottawa, the capital city of Canada. In commemoration of the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and passing away, the event aims to bring together various Buddhist groups around the world. The commemoration has grown over the years, incorporating noteworthy occasions such as the unveiling of the International Buddhist flag at Ottawa's City Hall and official proclamations from regional authorities. With speeches from prominent people, artistic performances, and community initiatives aimed at fostering peace and understanding, the Vesak in Ottawa event has expanded throughout the years. The first official Buddhist road sign in the world and Canada was started in Ottawa by Visita Leelaratna, the founder of Buddhist Embassy®️
The celebration of Vesak or Buddha's Birthday in the United States differs among different Buddhist communities, depending on their ethnicity and nationality.
In Maui, Hawaii the community is usually invited to celebrate Vesak Day (the birth of Buddha) on the full moon of Vaisakha at Chua Tu Hanh Buddhist Temple in Kahului, where there is guided sitting meditation and dharma talk by a Zen master; which is followed by the bathing ceremony of the baby Buddha and a joyful meal to end the evening. The state of Hawaii has officially recognized April 8 of each year as "Buddha Day", which celebrates the birth of Gautama Buddha.
In the Bay Area of California, the Japanese celebration on April 8 has also been significant for several decades. In 1968 the first circumambulation of Mt. Tamalpais to celebrate Buddha's Birthday was conducted. Starting in 1969 at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Hana-Matsuri (花ーまつり - flower festival) was celebrated each spring. Dressed in formal black robes, the roughly 70 monks and students form a formal procession to the Horse Pasture with the leader periodically ringing a small, clear bell. A temporary stone altar was built under a huge oak tree in a gorgeous field of green grass and abundant wildflowers; a small statue of a baby Buddha was placed upon it in a metal basin. Then each person, in turn, approaches the altar, and ladle one thin-lipped bamboo dipperful of sweet green tea over the statue, bow, and walk to one side.
New York celebrates the International Lotus Lantern Parade, an annual event held at Union Square Park. The event celebrates the Buddha's birthday and Yeon Deung Hoe (연등회,燃燈會), a Korean lantern celebration that is held during Vesak. The festival features a number of Buddhist themed events and is started off by numerous Buddhist centers of Japanese, Korean and Sri Lankan origins for example.
On 15 December 1999 the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 54/115, entitled 'International recognition of the Day of Vesak at United Nations Headquarters and other United Nations offices'. The proposal to declare Vesak as an international public holiday was tabled at the United Nations General Assembly by Sri Lanka. The resolution internationally recognized the Day of Vesak to acknowledge the contributions that The Buddha and Buddhism have made for over two and a half millennia. It also called for annual commemoration of the day at the United Nations Headquarters, in New York, UNESCO and other United Nations offices around the world.
International celebrations since 2000 included the first Vesak celebration in the United Nations (New York) on May 15, 2000. Thirty-four countries were represented. The Day of Vesak is an official holiday for the United Nations offices in many of the countries in Southeast Asia.
Thailand has hosted an international Vesak summit 11 times, Vietnam 3 times, and Sri Lanka once.
There are multiple local renditions of the Vesak festival name, varying by local language, including: