RUPANDEHI, May 26: Today is Baisakh Shukla Purnima, as per the Lunar Calendar or 2565th Buddha Jayanti – the day of the birth of Lord Buddha. The special full moon day is being celebrated by offering homage to Siddhartha Gautam who is believed to be the ninth incarnation of Lord Bishnu. 

Buddhists from Nepal and other parts of the world pay homage and devotion to Buddha who got his birth, enlightenment and death on the same day today of the Lunar Calendar. 

Due to the pandemic, no formal programmes have been organized to mark Buddha Jayanti. With the enforcement of prohibitory orders, Buddhist monks, preachers and meditators living in the shrines and monasteries are observing the day by offering peace prayers and worship. 

The monks, Lama preachers and followers are scheduled to worship and burn butter lamps at the Mayadevi Temple in the evening today, shared vice-chairperson of Lumbini Development Trust monk Metteya. 

The offerings would be made following health safety protocol by maintaining physical and social distance to prevent and control the spread of coronavirus, the Trust sources said. 

The Trust’s member-secretary Sanuraja Shakya said the 2565th lamp illumination would be offered in Pushkarani Pond on the Mayadevi Temple premises wishing for nirvana of those who died due to coronavirus infection. 

He preached peace, non-violence, fraternity and compassion through his eight-fold path. Buddha was said to have delivered his spiritual speeches for 84,000 times in his 80-year life span which are documented in the books ‘Binaya’, ‘Sutta’, ‘Abhidamma’ and ‘Tripitak’. 

Born as a prince to King Shuddhodan and Queen Mayadevi in Lumbini of Rupandehi, Buddha got enlightenment at the age of 35.

(RSS)

 
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