Buddha Purnima

Wesak or Vesak, also known as Buddha Purnima and Buddha Day. The decision to agree to celebrate Vesak as the Buddha’s birthday was formalized at the first conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists held in Sri Lanka in 1950, although festivals at this time in the Buddhist world are a centuries-old tradition.

On Wesak Day, Buddhists all over the world commemorate three great events: The Birth, Enlightenment and the Passing Away of Gautama Buddha.

The Four Noble Truths are the central doctrine of Buddhist tradition which should bear in mind on the Day of Vesak because it is the day upon which the Buddha realized the Truth.

The four noble truths are:

1. Dukkha (The truth of suffering)

2. Samudaya (The truth of the origin of dukkha)

3. Nirodha (The truth of the cessation of dukkha)

4. Magga (The truth of the path/Eightfold Path leading to the cessation of dukkha)

The Noble Eightfold Path is as follows:

Three Qualities Eightfold Path

Panna (Wisdom) Right View

Right Thought Sila (Morality) Right Speech

Right Action

Right Livelihood

Samadhi (meditation) Right Effort

Right Mindfulness

Right Contemplation

When we contemplate on the doctrine and the path actually, the teaching of Buddha is suitable not only for Buddhists but for all mankind. For me, the essence of the noble truth is about discernment between The Real and illusion, between The Absolute and relative. Eightfold path is a guidance how we should live in this world.