Vesak: The Most Important Buddhist Holiday? 

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Vesak is the most colorful festival here in Sri Lanka. It is the day the Buddhist new year begins (2568 - 2024). This year, it will be celebrated on 23rd of May (Full moon poya day of Vesak). The day after Vesak is also a holiday. On this day, all the houses, streets and public places are decorated with lights and lanterns. Pandals are erected depicting stories from Buddha's past lives. Free food and beverage stalls are opened everywhere. Songs of the Buddha's virtues can be heard from all sides. It's like christmas in the west.

A 19th-century British Theosophist becoming Buddhist and having a major influence on Buddhism in SE Asia is just really bizzare and fascinating.

May All being be happy by the grace the of Lord Buddha 🙏🌸

Vesak was known as Kason in Burma during ancient times in Burma people pour water to the Bodhi tree and worship the Bodhi tree.Even today we still do this and worship the Bodhi tree.

Amazing timing! I'm going to a Vesak retreat at a Buddhist monastery this weekend. Very helpful info.

Happy and advanced vesak month wishes to all around here in R4B 🇱🇰💐☝💗🌝

In India/ South Asia , Other than "Buddha Jayanti", Vesak is also known as "Buddha Purnima" ( Purnima translates as Full moon).

The temple you used in the first footage is a cult in Thailand called Dhammakaya. I think it will be very interesting topic for you to cover a “new age” cult in buddhism.

I went to the Vesak celebration at Borobudur last year. Or at least, the public, afternoon portion leading up to the release of the lanterns. I would say that a small minority of attendees were actual Buddhists. One of the monks, who I believe was visiting from Thailand, led a very non-religious group meditation in English, which was translated into Indonesian. The whole thing was kind of strange. On the one hand, it felt very commercialized. On the other hand, it was really refreshing to see local people, most of whom are Muslim with a smaller percentage of Christians/Catholics, gather for what is ostensibly a Buddhist religious event.

I've long found it ironic that Olcott and his followers used colonial tactics against the colonialists themselves. Fight fire with fire, so to say. Meanwhile, around the same time all that was happening, there was a small group of Thai Theravadan monks who tended to renounce the institutional Buddhism that was beginning to flourish and began retreating to the forests to practice what they viewed as a real and strict Dhamma practice as the Buddha himself might have practiced, what is known today as the Thai Forest Tradition.

As a Mongolian monk who's studying Tibetan Buddhism in last 12 years if my life. Its very interesting to learn how other people ( mostly westerners ) sees and learns about Buddhism from your channel. Thank you very much for information youre sharing. Next time when i talk with my western friends. I have a gift to give them..

In my small town in rural Colorado, we are gathering and reading a recently translated sutra, in English.

Wake up babe!! New ReligionForBreakfast upload!!

Thank you for this video! I'm especially happy to see you point out the variety in celebrations and meanings between countries. I practice in a Korean lineage, and we don't even call it Vesak unless it's a celebration with other Buddhist schools. We just call it Buddha's Birthday and, as you mentioned, that is all we celebrate at the time. We gave a separate celebration for Buddha's Enlightenment in December. Well done as always!

I'm actually quite excited as a new Buddhist to celebrate Vesak for my first time. This video was very well done btw. As your videos always are. Namo Buddhaya ☸️

As Bangladeshi Buddhists we call this festival "Boishakh"...... Happy vesakh to all 🎉❤

Nice! I'm a recent Buddhist convert (as in, little over 6 months, took refuge only last November) and attend teachings both from Chinese Pure Land and Gelug monastics. Just yesterday was the Chinese version of the celebration, Fódàn (Buddha's birthday) and although work obligations and living in a pretty solidly Catholic majority country hindered my ability to fully use the day to contemplate I'm lucky to have enough vacation days lined up to take this upcoming week instead and really take the time to go intensive in my spiritual practice, just in time for the South Asian and Tibetan date. Big fan of your work!

Happy Vesak Day Everyone.☸️

Korea and Japan are mentioned, but Buddhist traditions in these countries were introduced through Chinese Buddhism. The celebration of Buddha's birthday has been a pretty huge deal in China ever since 300 CE. It is often referred to as 浴佛節 or Buddha Shower Day, where you pour water on a statue of baby Buddha just like what you featured in this video. This tradition is mentioned in the biography of Liu Yao (劉繇 157-198) in the Records of the Three Kingdoms as a strange thing that a general by the name of Ze Rong (笮融 ?-196) who Liu Yao defeated likes to host annually. The text says "Every Buddha Shower Day, Ze would prepare massive feasts and set seats along the road stretching for tens of li (415.8 m). The crowds that gathered to watch the ceremony and feast are in the 10s of thousands ( 每浴佛，多設酒飯，布席於路，經數十里，民人來觀及就食且萬人)."

Glad to to see the important role Sri Lanka has played in the history of Buddhism getting recognized.

I’m loving your Buddhism videos man! Keep up the amazing work!

Vesak is Vaisakha Poornima or the full moon in the Indian calendar month of Vaisakha. This is the day Buddha attained enlightenment.

I remember reading about some of this in Tom Holland's Dominion. Even though Christianity wasn't able to increase it's share of followers in India, the native religions were forced to organize and reform themselves, and formulate their apologia in a way that was similar to those of Christianity.

Vesak was celebrated in Korea throughout the Shilla and the Koryo Dynasties, since Koryo was a Buddhist nation. While the Joseon Dynasty oppressed Buddhism (tbf lots of temples were rich and corrupt at that point, and the Confucianist scholars who established Joseon were rightfully critical of Buddhism) and did not officially celebrate the holiday, the celebration never entirely went away among the temples and lay devotees. In fact, Vesak was one of the few nights when curfew was lifted to allow lantern processions in Joseon's capital. Aside from Hana Matsuri during the Japanese colonial period, the holiday as South Koreans know it in postcolonial Korea was officially established in 1975 as "Shakya's Birthday (석가탄신일)." While Buddhist denominations were glad to finally have a Buddhist holiday recognized by a local independent government after hundreds of years, the name "Shakya's Birthday" still troubled some. While Shakyamuni is sometimes unofficially shortened as Shakya, it's not an official title as Shakyamuni means "Sage of the Shakya Clan" and calling his birthday "Shakya's Birthday" would be the equivalent of calling Christmas "Nazareth's Birthday." For decades many Buddhist denominations have petitioned to change the name of the holiday to "Buddha's Birthday" and finally in 2017, its name was officially changed to "Buddha's Birthday" or more literally, "The Day Buddha Arrived (부처님 오신 날)."

Vaishakh Poornima or Buddha Poornima in India. Vaishakh is month, while Poornima means full moon day. Other than Buddhist scriptures, A Hindu scripture, Nilottma Purana does explain about reverence and worship of Buddha's images to this day. Even some Kashmiri Shaivas in Kashmir worshipped him on that day. Other than Buddha Poornima, it is also considered the day when Vishnu took his 2nd avatar as Koorma avatar.

As atheist we must propagate Buddha for he is the one that taught us to be skeptic and investigate. Let’s celebrate him 🎉Thankfully I’m traveling to Thailand !

Greetings from Colombia. I love your videos. I have learnt too much about religion. I would like you speak not too fast, so we as non native English speakers could enjoy and learn more from you amazing work. Thanks.

The “Panadura Controversy,” the name coined by the media in the 1870s, recalls the historic Panadura Debate, which ignited the Buddhist revival in colonial Ceylon. This debate attracted Colonel Olcott to Ceylon to take refuge in the Triple Gems and accept the five precepts. 🙏🏻

Proud Sinhalese buddhist here...We have done our role for the buddhism and our great teacher for two and half millenias...In this world the very last buddhist will be a Sinhalese...If sinhalese are not there buddhism would be long lost...

Thank you 🙏🏻 I have shared with my colleagues who teach high school students Studies of Religion in NSW Australia. In our curriculum Wesak is a Buddhist significant practice option. This video will provide lots of starting points for students to select and research diverse practices for their essays 🙏🏻

Im a neo manichaean and I celebrate vesak on the 24th in may.

Happy Vesak day 🎉🎉🎉🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🌷🌷🌷 Excellent analysis.

As a Nepali I'm proud that I was born in same country where Buddha was born 🇳🇵🇳🇵🙏

Loi Khratong during late November in Thailand was always my favorite time of year when people would light lanterns and send them to the sky, signifying to Buddhists the letting go of their past sins, but it always made the night skies very beautiful to look at (and streets lowkey dangerous the next morning as they fell back down). Great video!

Apologies if someone's mentioned this already. Some things that defines a Buddha is their rediscovery of the Buddhadharma and their ability to teach it. I.e. to have the skills to lead other beings to a state of enlightenment. So there is the logical possibility of rediscovering the path but not have the motivation, confidence or capacity to lead others to that realization (pratyekabuddhas) . Consequently the Buddha's first teaching at Sarnath, where he led his old friends to enlightenment, is also a fundamentally important date in the Buddhist calender. To me personally, it's a more important date than his birthday, as due to circumstance, he may not have gained enlightenment in that particular lifetime. (Or maybe I'm using that as an excuse beacause I didn't have a visa to visit Lumbini to complete my pilgrimage!) If the Buddha hadn't been able to convey the core of his experience we wouldn't have a living tradition coming down to us today. We'd just have a scholarly, though perhaps well intentioned, superficial philosophy called Buddhism.

Had no idea about theosophists’ involvement, and I’ve been a Theravada Buddhist for years… Great vid!

I have visited a few different Buddhist temple in the USA on Vesak. They have all done the ritual of pouring water on the head of a small statue of baby Buddha. Each person in the congregation would go up to the altar, take the ladle, dip it into the water and pour it over the statue. In one case, a non-Buddhist visitor (a friend I took with me), carelessly let the ladle touch the statue's head. The Buddhist directing the ritual said "oh, don't touch Buddha's head". In another Buddhist temple (Ekoji/Buddhist Churches of America) the children put on a little nativity play, retelling the story of the birth of Buddha. This just emphasized to me how much like Protestant Christianity this particular branch of Buddhism has adapted to American religious life.

Holidays are a way to validate and reaffirm religiosity and I think it's too bad that some (maybe even most) buddhist convert communities don't take part. Some cities have a pan-buddhist celebration with all the centers and temples in the city coming together even though traditionally they celebrate on different days. My previous zen center didn't do anything for Vesak or the Japanese day for it (april 8th).

In sri lanka we celebrate wesak since 3rd BC

Namo Buddhaya.

Thanks for making this

Never knew Buddhist monks debated the Christians who trespassed the land there. So happy the Buddhists stood strong and got help from the Theosophist man.

I Was invited to partake in the preah vesak this wednesday here in Siem Reap but was curious to know what it is all about since I don't speak much Khmer. Thank you for this explanation!

For your information, Vesak is Waisak in Bahasa Indonesia. Selamat Memperingati Hari Tri Suci Waisak. 🙏😊

New ReligionForBreakfast video = Good day Also, the lady at 4:42 bathing the Buddha cracked me up.

I was privileged to attend my first formal Vesak celebration earlier this month at the Chan monastery where I attend classes and services; they held a very beautiful Buddha bathing ceremony.

thanks for this video. it has inspired me to practice this holy day with more sincerity and pride

Great content and information

That was interesting and well presented. Thank you. : )

Good documentary 💯

Buddhism is such a fascinating tradition. And those temples! They’re amazing, like they were taken out of a dream or fantasy book.

Wow had no idea Vesak existed, now i do what a wonderful channel :)

Thank you for sharing

Nice to know about what is Vesak 🙂

After a long day at a Christian school where theology is mixed with every subject and not much is secular or objective (all ‘secular music’ is banned, if that illustrates my point at all.) it’s refreshing to hear about religions in an scholarly and intellectual way. In chapel one day they told us how to ‘talk with god’ and how when asking a question and praying, that the first thought that popped into their mind might be god talking to them. The next week they said the same thing, gave a sermon about careers, and that it was not important what you wanted to do, but what god wanted you to do, and gave the same speech about how to ‘talk to god.’ Needless to say telling a room full of 5-10 year olds and a few teenagers that the first impulse in their brain might be god speaking to them, telling them that what god wanted them to do is all that mattered, and that obeying god was important, you’ve pretty much told a load of little kids to obey their first impulses… which has… shall we say.. FORESEEABLE CONSEQUENCES!

I sincerely appreciate your neutral, yet in depth, analysis and explanation. I never feel like you are proselytizing or judging any of the topics you cover.

Very informative 👏👌

Incredible video

Very good

😃 Very nice video! 😃

Thank you.

Hanamatsuri, which appears on this video as a springtime festival in Japan, itself originates from Vesak. Usually held in April but some sects set different dates

Very informative

can you talk about that big mandala temple? and other stuff related to mandala?

w video fr, namu shakamuni buddha

Om mani padme hung.

I would love to see your commentary on the Thai Dharakama group.

Theravada and Mahayana traditions celebrate vesak in different way

love to all

Vaisak is also very special for Hindus as well. We celebrate it through out India. It's generally mid of April

I love these eastern videos

We just started our Holy Month! Our Vesak falls in the 23rd

Oooh fresh

Your videos are so easy to digest, it's like I'm having religion...for...break...hey wait a minute

You should do a video on Dalit Buddhism

The lighted floats and the street food remind me of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Our street food isn't free, though.

Nice video, I wonder if this is related to Vaisakhi at all but ill need to watch the video to find out lol

Great info. What s missing is written records from China that are dated back to 501 to 565AD to Wei, Jin and North-South Dynasties: During the Wei, Jin and North-South Dynasties, there began to be clear records of the Buddha's Birthday Festival on the 8th of April, for example, the ‘Jing Chu Years and Seasons’ records 荆楚岁时记: ‘On the 8th of April, all the temples set up fasts to bathe the Buddha in five-coloured perfume, and together they made the Dragon Flower Meeting. 魏晋南北朝时期，开始有明确的四月八日佛诞节的记载，比如《荆楚岁时记》记载： “四月八日，诸寺设斋以五色香水浴佛，共作龙华会 To completely ignore all the written records in Chinese on Buddhist birthday from more than a thousand years ago would not do justice to this topic.

6:56 today I learned that religious debates didn't start on RU-vid in the 2000s

I'm curious if Vesak was introduced to America at the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago during the Columbian Exposition of 1893?

It would be great if you can cover some more native folk religions in Asia, especially Southeast Asia. Vietnam's Đạo Mẫu is especially interesting.

Is Dhammakaya still considered as Theravada?

as some rando i think im a Buddhist but really doesnt matter if i am or not just here to enjoy life, there nothing to earn your not grinding in WoW

🤗 yes yes

Is the anti-colonial nature of modern Vesak the reason why Diem banned Vesak flags in South Vietnam leading to the Buddhist protests including Thich Quang Duc's famous 1963 self-immolation?

Baisakh purnima

🙏🙏🙏

Interesting; although not all South East Asian countries were colonized such as Siam/Thailand. Is there Vesak festival (called Visakha Bucha) also recent or does it go back further I wonder.

☸️

In Tibetan Buddhism during Saga Dawa we do hold to similar ideals but the laity are a bit more involved. Retreats are encouraged especially during that time period.

I can't believe Wesak celebration is one of those things the British inadvertently helped to create.

Monks ( or are they priests ?) sprinkle lay people them with waters?! I've definitely seen similar ritual to this somewhere; living in the country with eastern orthodox and roman catholics predominatly people.

Some things minor Wesak in the Pali language is pronounced as Vesaakha Vesaakha is the lunar month of April/May (full moon) BCE dates for the Buddha My research, full moon days -563/05/21 birth (calndr starts -487/05/21 death (76 years)

In Nepal it is Buddha Jayanti or Vaisak Purnima. Itis national holiday. Greetings from Nepal..

in Nepal we call this festival Buddha jayanti

Today is the Buddha Jayanti.. From Birthplace of Lord Buddha, Nepal

Not sure if you will get to this (only watched through 2 minutes so far), but it should be noted that other Indian based religions also observe Vaisakhi. It was on this holiday that the 10th Sikh guru Gobind Singh initiated the start of the Sikh Khalsa. They were gathered to celebrate the Indian festival but, from then on, for Sikhs, this holiday has celebrated the founding of the Khalsa. Buddhist cultures adopted the Indian festival date and name (Vaisakhi --> Vesak or Wesak). Off hand, I don't recall what Vaisakhi stands for for Hindus.

waisak is a national holiday in Indonesia.

the sacred and the propane