How Does the World Celebrate Vesak

Nepal

In Nepal, Buddha's birthday is celebrated on the full moon day of May. The festival is associated with a few different names Buddha Jayanti, Buddha Purnima, Vaishakh Purnima and Vesak. No matter what it is referred to as the day marks the birth of Shakyamuni Gautam Buddhaand his enlightenment.

The appropriate dress is pure white and non-vegetarian food is normally avoided. Kheer, a sweet rice porridge is served to recall the story of Sujata, a maiden who, in Gautama Buddha's life, offered the Buddha a bowl of milk porridge after he had given up the path of asceticism following six years of extreme austerity. This event signifies one of the major links in his enlightenment.

During the celebration many tell the story of Buddha who followed the way of asceticism to attain enlightenment sooner. It is said that he sat for a prolonged time with inadequate food and water, which caused his body to shrivel so as to be indistinguishable from the bark of the tree that he was sitting under. When a girl named Sujata saw the weak Siddhartha Gautama, she placed a bowl of milk in front of him as an offering. Realizing that without food one can do nothing, the Buddha refrained from harming his own body.

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