This ceremony celebrates the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and Parinirvana or death. Thus we celebrate His life and Teaching. Observed by Buddhists throughout the world, it is the most joyous festival of the calendar and marks the beginning of the Buddhist New Year. The main altar is arranged so that water or sweet tea may be ladled by those present over the Baby Buddha during the circumambulation, representing our sincere wish to experience the Water of the Spirit that flows in meditation. “Wesak” is the lunar month in the calendar of southern Asia during which Shakyamuni is held to have been born, enlightened, and died.
(Note: Festival descriptions are based on those compiled in Buddhist Festival Ceremonies, copyrighted 2002, Eugene Buddhist Priory.)
