Dr Jeff Wilson, 1/05/2019 The term ‘Vesak’ comes from the name of the second month of the Hindu calendar; vesākho in Pali and vaisākha in Sanskrit. Small festivals were probably held on the full-moon day of this month in ancient times when one’s sins could be cleansed by bathing in the Ganges and one celebrated... Continue Reading →
Life of the Buddha
Source: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/buda/hd_buda.htm According to tradition, the historical Buddha lived from 563 to 483 B.C., although scholars postulate that he may have lived as much as a century later. He was born to the rulers of the Shakya clan, hence his appellation Shakyamuni, which means “sage of the Shakya clan.” The legends that grew up around... Continue Reading →
Buddhists celebrate birth of Gautama Buddha – 8 April
Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/buddhists-celebrate-birth-of-gautama-buddha On this day, Buddhists celebrate the commemoration of the birth of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, thought to have lived in India from 563 B.C. to 483 B.C. Actually, the Buddhist tradition that celebrates his birthday on April 8 originally placed his birth in the 11th century B.C., and it was not... Continue Reading →
UN VESAK DAY 2016 – MEDIA RELEASE
MEDIA RELEASE Friday 13 May, 2016 ALL BUDDHIST TRADITIONS TO UNITE FOR PRAYER FOR PEACE International Day of Vesak is a global annual event to commemorate Lord Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and passing. In Australia, this year’s celebration will be held on Sunday 15 May at Sydney Town Hall with Buddhists from Theravada, Mahayana... Continue Reading →
COMMON BUDDHIST CHANTING
COMMON BUDDHIST CHANTING IN ENGLISH Common Buddhist Chanting (Buddha Puja) is originally a project of the Unity and solidarity plan initiated by the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) Standing Committee on Unity and Solidarity, and endorsed by the 22nd WFB General Conference at Shah Alam, Malaysia in 2002. The Common Buddhist Chanting text herewith enclosed... Continue Reading →
Support Messages on the United Nations Vesak Day 2016
Message from The Honourable Ban Kin-moon, United Nations Secretary-General U N I T E D N A T I O N S N A T I O N S U N I E S THE SECRETARY-GENERAL -- MESSAGE ON THE DAY OF VESAK 20 May 2016 At this time of mass population movements,... Continue Reading →