Buddha Purnima is being celebrated today. It not only marks the day when Gautam Buddha was born but also the day when he attained Nirvana under the Mahabodhi tree at Bodh Gaya.
Lord Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha Gautama on the full moon day in 563 BC at Lumbini in Nepal. His birth anniversary is also known as Vaisakhi Buddha Purnima or Vesak.
The full moon day of May is the most important for Buddhists. Prince Siddhartha was born at Lumbini Grove on the full moon day, he attained enlightenment under the shade of the Bodhi tree and became Gotama Buddha at Bodh Gaya and after 45 years of teaching the Truth, when he was eighty, he passed away at Kusinara on the full moon day of May.
This day is commemorated by Buddhists and Hindus all over the world and is a major festival in countries like India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, Thailand, Tibet, China, Korea, Laos, Vietnam, and Mongolia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has greeted the people on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. In his message, Mr Naidu said that one of the most illustrious spiritual leaders of the world, Lord Buddha preached the most profound truths. His teachings were aimed at finding the root cause of our sorrows and liberating the sentient beings from suffering. Mr Naidu said, undoubtedly, that Bhagwan Buddha and his ‘Dhamma’ are an eternal source of light, guiding us on the path of morality, contentment, and happiness.
On this occasion, Mr Naidu said that we should commit ourselves to follow the principles of universal love, compassion, and equality as shown by Lord Buddha – ‘The Enlightened One’.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said that on Buddha Purnima we recall the principles of Lord Buddha and reiterate our commitment to fulfill them. In a tweet, Mr. Modi said that the thoughts of Lord Buddha can make our planet more peaceful, harmonious, and sustainable.