Vesak 2022

“Santacittarama”. Poggio Nativo. Rieti, 15 May 2022

“Like with a bouquet of flowers
garlands can be woven
with this human existence of ours
we can make garlands
of noble actions”
(Dhammapada)

On Sunday 15 May, Vesak was celebrated in the Buddhist monastery of Santacittarama to which I always return very willingly.

On this splendid sunny day that suggests a torrid summer, a hundred faithful and lovers of Buddhism gathered: Thais, Indonesians, Sri Lankans, and many Italians.

The day began with the rite of Pindapata (begging) or the sharing of the meal. All the faithful lined up in a long line with rice on their plates and offered it to the Sangha members, placing a spoon inside their bowl.

After that, there was lunch in the vast park of the monastery.

Some Thai women offered gifts to Luong Por Lai, the monk who, after a month's stay in Europe, would return to Thailand the next day.

After lunch, we all gathered in the prayer room for the offering of candles and incense to the Buddha, and the religious part of the reconfirmation of the “Three Reforms and Five Precepts”, which define a person as a Buddhist practitioner.

The laity and monks joined in the prayer of request:

“Buddham saranam gacchami

(I take refuge in the Buddha)

Dhammam saranam gacchami

(I take refuge in the Dhamma)

Sangham saranam gacchami

(I take refuge in the Sangha)”

At the end the monk sanctions the purity of the moral conduct of the faithful according to the five precepts and the whole hall responds with “Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu” - it is good, it is good, it is good ". 

Then there were the songs of blessing (Paritta), meditation and the monks' speeches in Thai and Italian language.

With the flower pots, the monks left the hall and, followed by all the faithful, slowly made three turns around the statue of the Buddha, for the whole park of the monastery, to pay respect to the Buddha.

Eventually, the monks offered a tribute to Luong Por Lai as a reminder of his presence, planting a cherry tree all together.

These are some of the photographs of the long day.

From Wikipedia:

Vesak (Pali: Vesākha, Sanskrit: Vaiśākha, Sinhala: වෙසක්), also known as Buddha Jayanti, Buddha Purnima and Buddha Day, is a holiday traditionally observed by Buddhists in South Asia and Southeast Asia as well as Tibet and Mongolia. The festival commemorates the birth, enlightenment (Nibbāna), and death (Parinirvāna) of Gautama Buddha in Theravada, Tibetan Buddhism and Navayana.
The name Vesak is derived from the Pali term vesākha or Sanskrit vaiśākha for the lunar month of Vaisakha, which is considered the month of Buddha's birth. In Mahayana Buddhist traditions, the holiday is known by its Sanskrit name (Vaiśākha) and derived variants of it.
In the East Asian tradition, a celebration of Buddha's Birthday typically occurs around the traditional timing of Vesak, while the Buddha's awakening and passing away are celebrated as separate holidays that occur at other times in the calendar as Bodhi Day and Nibbāna Day. In the South Asian tradition, where Vesak is celebrated on the full moon day of the Vaisakha month, the Vesak day marks the birth, enlightenment, and the ultimate passing away of the Buddha.
On Vesak Day, Buddhists all over the world commemorate events of significance to Buddhists of all traditions: The birth, enlightenment and the passing away of Gautama Buddha. As Buddhism spread from India it was assimilated into many foreign cultures, and consequently Vesak is celebrated in many different ways all over the world. In India, Vaishakh Purnima day is also known as Buddha Jayanti day and has been traditionally accepted as Buddha's birth day.
The month of May usually has one full moon, but as there are 29.5 days between full moons, occasionally there are two. If there are two full moons during the month of May, some countries (including Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Malaysia) celebrate Vesak on the first full moon, while others (Thailand, Singapore) celebrate the holiday on the second full moon. The difference also manifests in the observance of other Buddhist holidays, which are traditionally observed at the local full moon.

On Vesak, devout Buddhists and followers alike assemble in their various temples before dawn for the ceremonial and honorable hoisting of the Buddhist flag and the singing of hymns in praise of the holy triple gem: The Buddha, The Dharma (his teachings), and The Sangha (his disciples). Devotees may bring simple offerings of flowers, candles and joss-sticks to lay at the feet of their teacher. These symbolic offerings are to remind followers that just as the beautiful flowers would wither away after a short while, and the candles and joss-sticks would soon burn out, so too is life subject to decay and destruction. Devotees are enjoined to make a special effort to refrain from killing of any kind. They are encouraged to partake only of vegetarian food for the day. In some countries, notably Sri Lanka, two days are set aside for the celebration of Vesak, and all liquor shops and slaughter houses are closed by government decree during the two days.

 Thanks for some info to Phra Chatchai Ice 

Santacittarama - Monastero Buddhista 

Italian version