Buddha Purnima: A day for self-contemplation and unwavering kindness

Ruma Barua Chowdhury and her son are paying homage to the Buddha at Unainpura Lankaram, located in Patiya subdistrict, Chattogram, Bangladesh. Photo: Sanjoy Barua Chowdhury.

Buddha Purnima, also known as "Vesak Buddha Day",  is an auspicious day that honors and recalls Siddhartha Gautama's (563-483 BCE) three important occurrences: birth, awakening, and demise. 

Buddhist communities worldwide observe this day to reflect on Siddhartha Gautama's legendary biography and profound teachings on how to release oneself and others from suffering through self-contemplation and extending unconditional kindness and compassion. 

According to the Pali and Sanskrit scriptures, the biography of Siddhartha Gautama reveals that he was born in Lumbini Grove (present-day Nepal) in 563 BCE, and was raised in a royal family named the "Sakya clan." 

His father was King Suddhadona, and his mother was Queen Mahamaya. He grew up with royal extravagance, aristocracy, and abundance. He married Princess Yasodara in 547 BCE. 

Rahula, the only son of Siddhartha and Yasodara,  was born in 534 BCE. In the same year, Siddhartha decided to renounce his royal privilege by seeking self-liberation from worldly life. 

Pursuing his aim of discovering the truth of the cycle of life and the methodology for eradicating suffering, Siddhartha practiced austerity for six years. While he noticed the path of the "middle way," he rearranged his practice strategies and discovered the "four noble truths." 

Through applying the "four noble truths," Siddhartha pursued his goal to obtain "self-liberation"—also known as "awakening"—in the region of Uruvela (present-day Bodh Gaya, North India) in 528 BCE. 

Recalling Siddhartha's awakening and extraordinary knowledge of the "four noble truths,"  people acknowledge him as "the Buddha," which means "an enlightened and awakened one who knows the methodology of releasing oneself and others from suffering." 

Since his awakening, Siddhartha has spent 45 years imparting knowledge to the public, seekers, devotees, and disciples. He took his last breath in Kusinagar (present-day North India) in 483 BCE. 

In addition to Siddhartha Gautama's commemorative biography, it is interesting to note that three of his significant events—his birth, the day of his awakening, and his passing—were held on Baishakh's full moon day, which is known in Bengali as "Buddha Purnima." 

Apart from observing the auspicious Buddha Purnima as a celebration of Siddhartha Gautama's legacy, it is also a day to observe his unique and profound teachings on how to release oneself and others from suffering. 

Siddhartha's methodology of the "four noble truths"—the suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the end of suffering—are acknowledged as the strategies for how to extinguish suffering for oneself and others. 

It is worth noting that Siddhartha applied the "middle way" formula into his own practice, which gradually led him to obtain his ultimate goal of eradicating suffering. 

After Siddhartha's realisation of the "four noble truths," he started his teachings, which were prioritised into two things: suffering and the end of suffering. 

Based on the two aforesaid points, Siddhartha depicted a model of the cycle of life where the taproot of suffering and its eradicating formula was demonstrated. Siddhartha named the model—the cycle of life—the doctrine of "dependent origination." 

Scholars and Buddhist practitioners urge that the formula of "dependent origination" is a subtle and profound methodological strategy for realizing the essence of the "four noble truths." 

Recognising Siddhartha's realisation day, Buddha Purnima is an event to reflect on the essence of the "four noble truths" by highlighting the "middle way" method and clarifying the strategy of "dependent origination." 

Apart from recalling Siddhartha's doctrinal significance on the auspicious Buddha Purnima, it is also a day of self-reflection and extending compassion in order to obtain inner and outer peace. 

Through his teachings, Siddhartha emphasised self-reflection by avoiding evil actions, cultivating good deeds, and purifying the mind prior to mindfulness practice. A motto of  Siddhartha's teaching is "May all living beings be happy," which reveals the practice of kindness and compassion for oneself and others.  

Here, the term "all living beings" denotes "all sentient beings, including oneself and the rest of beings." Siddhartha's thoughts of universal compassion aim to establish inner peace. 

One of Siddhartha's messages was that while a person establishes inner peace, he gradually imparts love and compassion to his family members, neighbors, society, and community.  

Needless to say, Siddhartha's heartfelt and altruistic dedication to humankind was to establish global peace by confirming "inner peace," which could be possible through spreading love and compassion. 

Recollecting the importance of self-reflection in the inward journey, Buddha Purnima is also an occasion for reminding a person of their ethical duty of unwavering love and compassion for the good of all sentient beings. 

Honouring the legacy of Siddhartha Gautama and his profound messages for global peace, the Bengalis observe Buddha Purnima as a holy day. 

The Buddhist community in Bangladesh observes this auspicious day with their family members and friends by visiting the local monasteries, where they offer the monastic members, recite the chanting of peace, dedicate time for self-reflection through participating in mindfulness meditation sessions, practice generosity, and light candles for world peace. 

Last but not the least, Buddha Purnima is not only a holy day for Buddhists, but also an event for all communities, recalling the need for compassion and love for all living beings. 

Sanjoy Barua Chowdhury. Sketch: TBS

The author is a lecturer and Faculty Member in the College of Religious Studies at Mahidol University, Thailand.