Thinking about Buddha's birthday

In the hot April sun, the weather was stifling, the grass and trees were dry and withered, lacking vitality. Suddenly! A rain poured down across the sky, making the trees cool and fresh, the people's spirits were also joyful and excited. So! Another Buddha's birthday season has returned in the boundless joy of the children of Buddha, let's review the birth anniversary of the compassionate father Shakyamuni.

More than 26 centuries have passed, through many ups and downs, but for Buddhists, the full moon day of April has a very sacred and important meaning, marking a great turning point, a rare event in human history, the day Prince Siddhartha appeared in this world.

His manifestation is like the sun breaking through the darkness of the night, dispelling all human suffering, erasing the oppression and injustice in Indian society. He appeared in the world with the power of a Bodhisattva's vow to "save suffering and give joy". What is special is that he is also an ordinary person like many others, but with his efforts in practice, he has become an enlightened person in the world, as the great poet Tagore commented: "The history of Buddha Shakyamuni is the history of a person who, through his practice, has become a perfect person, a saint in the world - the greatest person born in this world". The noble personality of Buddha is expressed through the spirit of equal compassion, love for all living beings, he believes that "There is no class in the same red blood and salty tears, everyone is equal to each other in their nature". That is the message that he wants to send to all living beings in the sentient world .

What is the significance of the seven lotus steps when Buddha was born?

During the process of practicing and attaining enlightenment, the Buddha gave examples such as “a hundred rivers of water”, all flowing into the ocean and carrying a salty taste. His teachings are the same, regardless of who that person is? What class or ethnicity? If one truly practices monasticism, they will all be imbued with a flavor, that of liberation, according to the Buddha’s view of equality. Because, when evaluating a person’s virtue, one must look at that person’s wisdom and morality, not based on class or ethnicity.

With his own efforts to attain enlightenment and educate sentient beings with the spirit of Compassion - Equality, Buddha abolished the caste system of Indian society at that time. The reason he completely denied the caste system was because he took human personality as the center to build the view of equality between sentient beings and Buddha, as stated in the Avatamsaka Sutra: "Mind, Buddha, sentient beings, the three are not different from each other". Buddha put forward this view to awaken the spirit of self-awareness in each person, because everyone has the ability to be enlightened and become a Buddha like him, this spirit was applied in the harmonious life of the Sangha during Buddha's time. That teaching, although it has gone through thousands of years of history, is still valuable forever.

Today, Buddhists, respectfully remember Buddha's birthday to reflect on our hearts to transform our bodies and minds, strive to practice diligently, and bring benefits to ourselves and others. Let us join hands together on Buddha's birthday, praying for our homeland Vietnam and all over the world to overcome natural disasters and pandemics, and for people to live happily and peacefully in the miraculous light of the Buddha's compassionate Father.

According to Buddhist CTT

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/nghi-ve-ngay-duc-phat-dan-sinh-post547190.html