Buddha Purnima 2023 will be celebrated on the 5th of May this year. The day holds special significance for Buddhists ( people who follow Buddhism) as it is believed to be the day Lord Buddha was born.
Buddha Purnima is also known as Vesak Day or Buddha Jayanti.
While most of us know about Lord Buddha, nevertheless, here is a small introduction to the life of the great teacher and reformer.
THE LIFE OF BUDDHA
According to Buddhist texts, the Buddha was born as a Kshatriya, or warrior, into the powerful Shakya clan. He was born in Lumbini, which is now part of Nepal.
Being a prince, Siddhartha lived a life of life of luxury and comfort. His Father shielded him from any exposure to the miseries of the world, such as old age, illness, and death. Thus living happily, he wed Princess Yashodhara at the age of 16, and they had a son.
However, the young prince had a life-changing experience at the age of 29, when he went for a ride through the city. For the first time , he came across a diseased man, and also saw what old age and death looked like. He witnessed human suffering.
Further ahead he saw an ascetic who had renounced the world and yet seemed happy. Thus Prince Siddartha made the decision to give up his wealth and family and lead an ascetic lifestyle. He turned to extreme self deprivation but later realized that did not free him from pain and suffering.
Consecutively ,Gautama gave up his life of extreme austerity and, while meditating under a tree, attained enlightenment. From then onwards, Siddhartha became “Gautama Buddha “or the ” Enlightened one “. The name Buddha comes from the Pali word “buddhi” or the ability to discern the Truth from Falsehood.
TEACHINGS OF BUDDHA
Buddha Purnima is all the more reason to remember the teachings of Lord Buddha. These are based on the 4 principles , also called the Four Noble Truths
Dukkha – Our existence comes with sadness or misery, it is part of living.
Samudaya – Dukkha or Misery arises from having desires
Nirodhu – One can eliminate desire
Magga – One can attain happiness by following a path or Magga of rightfulness.
What is the Rightful PATH ?
The Eightfold Path provides the tools to achieve this goal, that includes
The right beliefs,
The right desires,
The right speech,
The right behaviour,
The right livelihood,
The right effort,
The right mindfulness,
and right meditational accomplishment.
How is BUDDHA Purnima relevant today ?
Coincidentally, while we celebrate Buddha Purnima in May this year ,May is also the Mental Health Awareness month. After the COVID pandemic the world is focusing on improving mental health , mindfulness is a term we often come across and that is what Buddha also teaches.
MINDFULNESS
To live in the moment , to be mindful in your speech , thought , work and desires. This is the gist of his teachings if I oversimplify it.
When you are mindful , you live in the present.
When you focus on what is best today, you already take care of the future, this helps in reducing suffering and making you feel happier.
MINIMALISM
Buddha also talks about limiting your desires to escape misery. Actually this translates into living a minimalistic life, something we all need to do to take care of when we are faced with population explosion, social media pressures and the climate crisis.
Today , more than ever , we need to follow the teachings of Buddha , to make peace within and without.
Happy Buddha Purnima to all !
(This post is my contribution to BlogChatter’s Initiative #CauseAChatter where we talk about #MentalHealth )
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Zariya Healings.
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30 responses to “Buddha Purnima 2023 – Quotes and Relevance”
Gautam Buddha’s teachings have a positive aura. His meditating picture itself has a calming effect. You are right, we need to reflect upon his teachings in today’s world.
Yes I love this one. Happiness is the path and not the result or goal. We should be happy within and every single day. Not aim at being happy one day.
I am all for mindfulness. Mindfulness helps to cultivate greater awareness and compassion for ourselves and others and also about living in the moment without judgement… all this is so very much needed in the times that we are living in.
yes, agree that Budda’s teaching is so relevant in today’s stressful world. personally, I try to follow mindfulness in my day to day life and I also prefer to keep a minimalistic approach to live a simple yet meaningful life.
Gautam Buddha’s teachings is absolutely relevant and much required in today’s time. Knowing how to be mindful, content and control desires is a key
Lord Buddha’s teachings are a great inspiration to lead simple and mindful life. His teachings are blessings today and generations to come. One should practise these life virtues to stay focussed in life.
On Buddha purnima, we were discussing the same things at home as my son had many questions around Lord Budha’s teachings. We even saw a short movie on Budha’s life. I agree with you, we need to follow the teachings of Budha as all of that just makes so much sense in today’s time.
Buddha has been an inspiration for many and yes his teachings are very much relevant in today’s time too, they are so simple yet extremely effective.
I have always believed that Buddhism is not a religion. It is a way living for peace and happiness. I swear by the benefits of minimalism and mindfulness
Thank you for this blog, Preeti. I was thinking of starting chanting to heal myself and you posted this. It resonates so perfectly with my present mental health.
I loved all the quotes you have posted in this blog Preeti. Also, it was nice to recollect the 8 fold path. When I think of the Buddha, my mind automatically thinks bliss n calm. His teachings are so profound and so relevant.
The post itself has so much calmness in it. The teaching of Buddha made a lot of progress in many lives and it still does. Mindfulness is very important people think about the future because of which they forget to enjoy their present. Loved the post.
You have simplified the core principles of Buddha’s teachings so well. It’s really easy to imbibe them in our lives, if we just remain mindful of our path. Buddhist practices are based on liivng a peaceful, harmonious life.
You have simplified the core principles of Buddha’s teachings so well. It’s really easy to imbibe them in our lives, if we just remain mindful of our path. Buddhist practices are based on living a peaceful, harmonious life.
Loved the way you structured the post, Preeti. We are all overwhelmed and Buddha’s teachings guide us to be more mindful and content. The quote you shared on anger is on point.
I revisited the teachings of Lord Buddha through this post and I am thankful for that. I have a strong inclination towards Lord Buddha and I get a feeling of calmness in me when I look at the meditating Lord Buddha images or statues. The post is penned beautifully and I am experiencing absolute peace and harmony in my surrounding. Gloss bless you.
Gautam Buddha’s teachings exude positive energy, and even a glimpse of his serene, meditating image can instantly soothe the soul. His wisdom undeniably holds great significance in our modern-day, fast-paced world. I wholeheartedly concur that we should take the time to contemplate and apply Buddha’s teachings in our lives.
I strive to incorporate mindfulness into my daily existence, finding solace and clarity in the present moment. Moreover, I embrace a minimalistic approach, cherishing simplicity as a pathway to a purposeful and fulfilling life.
By adopting these principles, I aim to navigate the world’s complexities with a sense of tranquility and meaning.
I remember reading all the things you have shared in your blog during my school days. We used to get some books about Buddha that included these all
The teachings of Buddha truly encapsulate profound wisdom and compassion. They emphasise the Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path, and the practise of mindfulness and meditation.Buddha taught that suffering can be transcended by understanding impermanence and cultivating compassion. As I read your post it made me realise how pertinent his teachings are in today’s time of unrest and despair. We all need to adopt them for both – internal and world peace and happiness.
Buddha is the earliest mindfulness coach in the world. The teachings are timeless and help us.
We all have read quotes about Buddha however I loved the way you have structured and written this post.
Mindfulness is such an underrated practice. And in recent times, although we talk a lot about it, we don’t know or are taught how to practice it. Sometimes, I also feel our parents’ and grandparents’ generation handled it better.
I am a staunch follower of Buddha quotes. These uplift me when I am at my lowest. My favourite is “You become what you think” and this prevents me from nihilistic attitude.
Though it is Buddhist teaching, the message is universal. Many people are turning to it today to find peace and happiness in the midst of surrounding chaos in the world.
Gautam Buddha’s life story is such an inspiration for all of us. Life offers different experiences and we must accept them all. Especially now we must remember the right paths and follow them.
Very few find that inner peace that is so so elusive. I had read some of the teachings of Buddha …..apt post for the time.
I may be a Roman Catholic but I’d like to live my life with open-mindedness. Learning different culture, and religions gives me an insight of what others way of belief is and gives me more ways to give respect to them. Appreciate you sharing more information about Buddha.
I slowly am learning the art of mindfulness. It is difficult for me because I am chaotic, I have a hundred things running in my head every single time. I should try deep meditation one step at a time. I loved the quotes you shared.
What a beautiful post bringing out the best teachings of Gautam Buddha. Every religion and great leader throughout history propagates the message of peace and harmony as is rightfully brought out by your post.
You have penned down the details of Buddha, Buddha Poornima and How well it is relevant in today’s life. I so agree with you with the minimalism and Mindfulness can help us attain any great thing in this world.