“Hard is it to be born a man; hard is the life of mortals. Hard is it to gain the opportunity of hearing the Sublime Truth, and hard to encounter is the arising of the Buddhas”. (The Dhammapada)
Today, Buddhists all over the world celebrate the Birth, Enlightenment and Passing away (Parinibbana) of the Buddha. Hence Buddhists call it a Thrice-Blessed Day. These events occurred on Vesak Poya Days more than 2,500 years ago in what is now India and Nepal. The Buddha is also believed to have visited Sri Lanka three times during the 45 years he spent spreading the Dhamma in the region.
This year’s Vesak day is especially significant for Sri Lanka, which is hosting the United Nations (UN) Day of Vesak celebrations for the first time, under the theme “Buddhist Teachings for Social Justice and Sustainable World Peace”. This is a great honour bestowed upon Sri Lanka and our tribute goes to all those who worked tirelessly to make it happen. It is significant that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has a deep and abiding interest in Buddhism, is participating in the main events as the Chief Guest along with President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. After all, Buddhism itself was India’s Greatest Gift to Sri Lanka. King Dharmasoka sent his son Arahat Mahinda to Sri Lanka to spread the message of Buddhism in our island, where he met King Devanampiyatissa. The rest, as they say, is history. The President of Nepal, Bidhya Devi Bhandari will participate in the closing ceremonies of the UN Day of Vesak. This is also very significant, since the Buddha was born in Nepal.
At this moment, we must remember with gratitude the true son of the soil who campaigned tirelessly at the UN to gain wider recognition for Vesak internationally – the late Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. The UN has been celebrating Vesak officially since 1999.
The original decision to make Vesak a special holiday was taken at the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) Conference held in Colombo in 1950. Today, Vesak is a holiday in most Asian countries, including the predominantly Muslim nations of Malaysia and Indonesia. There is greater awareness about Buddhism in Western countries too thanks to the large Asian Diaspora populations who engage in Vesak activities in their adopted countries. In short, Vesak is now a worldwide event and President Sirisena is expected to urge the International Community to proclaim Vesak a global holiday.
In Sri Lanka, where Vesak is celebrated every year on a grand scale, it has transcended ethnic and religious boundaries to become a national festival. Every community takes part in activities related to Vesak such as pandals and dansals. Vesak is a true indicator of religious and communal harmony.
In a way, it is the Buddhist backdrop which enabled Sri Lankans to remain calm and resilient even in the face of the cruelest forms of adversity such as the war and the tsunami. As the Buddha enunciated, hatred does not cease by hatred – it ceases by love alone. A culture inspired by Buddhism has permeated the heart of every Sri Lankan regardless of community and religion. Buddhism is a unifying force in this country and indeed, in many others.
However, many religious leaders have expressed dismay at the level of commercialization of our main national festivals, including Vesak. This could result in the danger of the original message of the festival getting lost in a torrent of commercialism. It is imperative that we get back to our roots – the temple-village-school nexus held the social fabric together in the days of yore. Crime was minimal as everyone harboured good thoughts and engaged in good deeds. We have veered away from religious and moral values to a great extent in the relentless pursuit of material wealth, which has resulted in anti-social behaviour.
Despite the belief that the Buddha Dhamma is a very complex philosophy that offers little for day-to-day life, the Dhamma in fact offers guidance for lay people to lead pious and contended lives. In fact, Singalovada is an entire Sutra dedicated for lay men and women who want to lead their lives according to Buddhist tenets. Anyone can follow these tenets to lead a happy life. The Buddha’s words are timeless and apt even 2,500 years later.
This Vesak, when international focus is on Sri Lanka, must be thought of as a turning point in our history. Sri Lanka is on the cusp of entering an era of lasting peace through a new Constitution that will enable all Sri Lankans to live in harmony, forging a truly Sri Lankan identity. Buddhism can be a guiding and uniting force, as it has always been, to show us the way forward. This is also the only way to defeat extremists on all sides who want to use religion for their own sinister ends. Religious leaders have a major role to play in defeating such ominous plans for discord and rancor. As the Buddha espoused, peace is the one option that we should pursue.
Add new comment