Spreading the message of solidarity and love during Buddha's birthday season

The Buddha's Birthday is an occasion to convey Buddhist humanistic moral values so that Buddhists can show their respect for the Buddha, spread the message of solidarity, love, compassion and multiply the good things in life.

People and Buddhists perform the Buddha bathing ceremony.

Buddha's Birthday is a major holiday held on the full moon day of the fourth lunar month every year to commemorate the birth of Buddha. According to Buddhist history, Buddha was Prince Siddhartha when he was young, born in Lumbini Garden on the full moon day of Vesak (a spiritual month according to ancient Indian beliefs) in 624 BC.

In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution recognizing Vesak as an international cultural and religious festival for world peace . On this day, Buddhists often honor the Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma, Sangha (through offerings, flowers, and listening to sermons), practice vegetarianism, observe the five precepts, the four immeasurables (loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity), do charity work, and help the disadvantaged in society. Vesak is a day for dignitaries, monks, and Buddhists to review the tradition of restoring the nation and pacifying the people that has been crystallized over more than 2,500 years of Vietnamese Buddhism. This is also an opportunity for Buddhist churches to strengthen solidarity and harmony, consolidate and solemnize the church according to the motto of national dharma, and actively contribute to building the great national unity bloc.

In the message of the 2023 Buddha's Birthday, Buddhist calendar 2567, Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), sent to the Most Venerable Monks, Most Venerable Nuns, Most Venerable Nuns, Venerable Monks and Nuns, and Vietnamese Buddhists at home and abroad, it is stated: "The Buddha's Birthday, Buddhist calendar 2567, has returned, and Buddhists across the five continents are once again joyfully celebrating the day the Master appeared in the world for the happiness and peace of the majority, for the benefit of the gods and humans. This is an opportunity for all of us to review the history of the Buddha Shakyamuni, an opportunity for everyone to contemplate and live according to his true teachings, which have timeless value. Those teachings suggest solutions to build world peace, true happiness for people and sustainable development for society."

Celebrating Buddha's birthday this year, monks, nuns and Buddhists in the province continue to promote the spirit of religious solidarity, great national solidarity, promote ethical values, religious culture associated with the sense of civic responsibility; actively respond to patriotic emulation movements and make practical contributions to the cause of socio -economic development, national defense and security of the locality; join hands to build the homeland to become more and more beautiful, beautiful and civilized. Buddha's birthday is held at pagodas in a solemn and respectful atmosphere, promoting the spirit of community solidarity, sharing the joy of celebrating Buddha's birthday in all regions of the country. Since the beginning of the fourth lunar month, localities in the province have organized Buddha's birthday, Buddhist calendar 2567, solar calendar 2023 at pagodas. At the ceremony, delegates, monks, nuns and Buddhists participated in traditional Buddha's birthday rituals: chanting to celebrate Buddha's birthday, praying for national peace and prosperity, offering flowers, reading the Buddha's birthday message, Buddhist year 2567 of the Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Buddha's birthday speech, Buddhist year 2567 of the Most Venerable President of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Executive Council, performing the Moc Duc (bathing Buddha) ceremony - the most important ritual of the Buddha's birthday celebration. In the Buddha's bathing ceremony, clean, fragrant water, scented with flowers, is used to sprinkle on the statue of the newborn Buddha. In addition to the purpose of offering and commemorating the Buddha's birthday, the ritual also contains the meaning of eliminating worldly worries, guiding people to happiness, nurturing the body and mind, and cultivating merit. On this occasion, the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee is actively preparing content to summarize 5 years of the patriotic emulation movement to build "Exemplary Pagodas of 4 Landscapes" and commend and reward advanced examples in implementing the movement in the period 2017 - 2022.

Venerable Thich Tri Su, Deputy Head of the Executive Committee, Head of the Cultural Committee of the Provincial Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, said: During the Buddha's birthday, Buddhists should remember to keep their minds clear, always turn towards goodness and practice the right Buddhist teachings to increasingly improve themselves, live "a good life, a good religion", and at the same time, spread those good teachings to everyone around them to build solidarity and a happy life, which is what Buddhism aims for. On this occasion, Buddhists can go to the temple to practice rituals, listen to sermons about life, reflect on their own actions to purify their souls and participate in meritorious, charitable and humanitarian activities for the community.

Luong The Loc
Provincial Fatherland Front Committee

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