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Buddha Purnima or
Buddha Jayanti is the birth anniversary of the Buddha. It is widely
celebrated on a full moon night. Buddha Purinma is important festival to Buddhists.
Buddha was born in B.C. 560 and died at the
age of eighty in B.C. 480.
Buddhism, went on to become a very popular religion in the subsequent
centuries and even went abroad. Today (2000), in its various derivatives, it
is practiced by more people outside of India than within. Buddha's birthday
(Buddha Jayanti) is observed in India as a national holiday.According to Buddhist legend, his wife
Yashodhara, his first disciple Ananda, his charioteer Channa, and the horse
Kantaka on which he renounced his kingdom to 'find some answers to life',
were all born on this sacred day. |
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Even, the tree, called Bodhi tree, under which he
attained nirvana was also believed to have been created on this day. And it was
on this day Buddha chose to preach his first sermon at Varanasi, or, Benaras, in
India. It is only in the Theravada countries, the three events are all observed
together on Vesak, the full moon day of the sixth lunar month Vesakha. This
falls in the month of April-May.
The Buddha who is the founder of the Buddhist
religion is called Buddha Shakyamuni. "Shakya" is the name of the royal family
into which he was born, and "Muni" means "Able One." Buddha Skakyamuni was born
as a royal prince in 624 BC in a place called Lumbini, which was originally in
northern India but is now part of Nepal. His mother's name was Queen Mayadevi
and his father's name was King Shuddhodana.
In general, 'Buddha' means 'Awakened One', someone who has awakened from the
sleep of ignorance and sees things as they really are. A Buddha is a person who
is completely free from all faults and mental obstructions.
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