(Vesak Day) as an International Day on December 15, 1999. This brings lots of joy to worldwide Buddhists including Thais and the Thai Goverment. Regarding this, the public sector,Sangha and people have unanimously held the Buddhist Promotion Week in the Vesak festival throughout the contry...

        (Vesak) is an International Day of the United Nations. In 1999, the United Nations as the World Organization performing various activities accepted by the worldwide population has unanimously resolved to declare the

 
Historycal Background

        The Buddha was a king by birth. His clan name was Gotama.He was born in the Sakya Kingdom,eighty year before the Buddhist Era,                         

                                             

Activity to be observed

   Activities to be observed on the        
 

HISTORYCAL BACKGROUND

    (Vesak) means the worship of the Buddha on the full moon day of the sixth lunar month. It usually falls in May . In the case of a year with (A year with an extra eighth lunar period) the falls on the moon day of the seventh lunar month..
 

   Birth

   The Buddha was a king by birth. His clan name was Gotama.He was born in the Sakya Kingdom,eighty year before the Buddhist Era, at Lumbini Park (now called Rummindei,in Nepal) in the Middle Country ZMadhyama Pradesa,locate between Kapilavastu,capital of the Sakya Kingfom, and devadaha, capital of the Koliya Kingdom, on Friday, the Vesak full moon in the year of the dog.
 
   Prince Siddhattha (the Buddha's peronal name) was the son of King Suddhodana and Queen Sirimahamaya. On his birthday, Quenn Sirimahamaya who was pregnant,wanted to pay a visit to Devadaha which was her native country.
 
   In the morning of the Vesak full moon, the Queen left Kapilavastu on a visit to Devadaha,Approaching a lovely park of Sal trees called Lumbini, locate between the two capital but nearer to Devadaha ,the Queen wanted to visit the park and when she arrived at a Sal tree she started contractions and grave birth to a son there. When the Kings of Kapilavastu and Devadaha learned of this,they were very happy and arranged a procession back to Kapulavastu.
 
    Prince Siddhattha was brought up in the midst of luxury, led the happy life of a privileged youth and married at the age of 16 to Princess Yasodhara or Bimba who bore him a son , Rahula.
    
  He discontented and took on the life of a wandering ascetic at the bank of the Aroma River, He was then 29.
    
   He studied the mystic practices of the foremost Brahmin ascetics and realized that such practices were no the way to enlightenment. He went on his own way applying the reflective thought of conscious meditation to a rational simple life of moderation.
    
      at the age of 35, he attained Enlightenment at Uruvelasenanigama subdistrict , Magadha State (nowadays,located in the area of Buddha Gaya,Bihar State,India) on Wednesday, the Vesak full moon of May, the year of the cock,forty five years before the Buddhist Era
    
   The Dharma discovered by the Buddha was Ariyasacca or the Four Noble Truths, namely:

1. The Noble Truth of Suffering

2. The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering

3. The Noble Truth of the Extinction of Suffering

4. The Noble Truth of the Path leading to the Extinction of Suffering

There four are called the Noble Truths.
    
   After having attained Enlightenment, the Buddha wandered from place to place teaching his discoveries to people who are accessible to instruction, helping large numbers of therm achieve various levels of spiritual attainment. He sent his followers to spread Buddhism in capitals,cities,and upcountry,until Buddhism was firmly established and widely spread.
    
Parinibbanna(Death)

  The Buddha passed away on Tuesday, on Vesak full moon in the year of the small snake under the two Sal tree in the Sala Grove of the Mallas in Kusinara, capital of the Malla state (nowsdays located in Kusinagara of Uttarapradesa, India) at the age of eighty.
    
  The performmance of the rituals on had been continuously observed in Jambudipa or India, the motherland of Buddhism, for a long time before Buddhism spread to Thailand and Sri Lanka. There, the Visakha worship has been continually observed to the present day.
    
  In Thailand observance began during the Sukhothai period because of the close religious relaltions between Thailand and Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan monks came to propagate Buddhism in Thailand and were highly respected.Thai monks also went to study in Sri Lanka.It is believed that in Thailand the observances started during the Sukhothai periond and it had benn introduced by monks.
    
  In the book of the Royal Twelve-Month Rituals, written by King Rama V, the observance was said to have been revived in Ratanakosin period in the year of the ox, B.E. 2360 , in the reign of King Rama II. Under the abvice of Somdejphrasangharaja Mee (the Supreme Patriarch) the King revived the Visakha celebration.
         
 
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Resorce from ; BUDDHIST CHANTING by Associate Prof. Dr. Suchitra Ronruen ; Visakhapuja Day by Department of Religious Affairs ;
Complied by ; Bhuthaphum@hotmail.com