08/05/2017
🙏Visakha Bucha Day commemorates what are considered the three major events in the life of Buddha: his birth, his enlightenment, and his death. All three events are believed to have occurred on the full moon of the sixth month in the lunar-based Thai calendar. This generally puts the holiday in May on the Gregorian calendar, though sometimes it lands in June.
🙏Buddha was born in India some 2,500 years ago as a rich prince, but he left that life of luxury to seek out wisdom from the wise hermits who lived in woodlands scattered throughout the region at the time. He felt disappointed, however, and instead meditated under a Bodhi tree. There, he is believed to have attained enlightenment at the age of 35 and to have formulated the basic tenets of Buddhism. Later, at age 80, he died. Buddhists believe he then entered the state of “nirvana” and escaped all suffering, death, and reincarnation.
🙏In Thailand, Visakha Bucha Day is a time when the devout visit local temples to “make merit,” by giving donations and engaging in various rituals. While there, they also listen to sermons on Buddha’s teachings, meditate, recommit themselves to follow the five, or in some cases eight, precepts of Buddhism, and offer food to temple workers.
🙏After sunset, candle-lit processions take place at major temples throughout the country. The devout Buddhists walk three times around the principle chapel clockwise , each clasping three incense sticks, a lighted candle and lotus buds. The air is filled with burning incense and smoke from the candles as the faithful complete this most sacred of Buddhist celebrations.
