Page 122 - รวมเล่มศาสนาในประเทศไทย ภาคภาษาอังกฤษ

Vesak or Visakah Puja Day

The Visakah Puja Day or the “Vesākha Purnima Puja” translates to “The worship
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on the full moon of Vesak month,” which means the 15 day of the waxing moon in the 6 th
month. If it is a leap year that has the eighth month twice, the ceremony will be postponed
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to the 15 day of the 7 month instead. Vesak Day is one of the most important days of
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Buddhism, when three great historic events happened on the same day (of different years).
It is the day that the Lord Buddha was born, attained enlightenment and departed from this
world. Buddhist people around the world, therefore, praise it as a miraculous day. Henceforth,
it became the important religious day for every school of Buddhism around the world.
In many countries, it is a national holiday. Later in 1999, United Nations adopted the
resolution for the international recognition of the Day of Vesak.
In Thailand, history shows that the celebration of Vesak Day existed since the
Sukhothai period and that the ceremony was revived by King Rama II of Rattanakosin period. All
Buddhist devotees in every community, including the royal family, monks and the general public,
will celebrate the events by offering alms, listening to the sermon, and walking to perform the
triple circumambulation, etc. This is to worship and commemorate the Threefold Refuge and the
three auspicious events of Buddha’s life -- the “birth” of Prince Siddharta, who later become the
“Enlightened” Lord Buddha with 3 virtues including “purity,” “wisdom,” and “compassion”in
discoursing the dharmic truth (eternal truth) to the world, and until “attained Nirvana” at the
last moment of life. These three important events are origins of Buddhism establishment until
the present day.

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