It's a National Holiday here where I am today ... a "Hari Merah" (meaning 'red day'... referring to the red numbers on a calendar).
"Vesak, also known as Buddha Purnima and Buddha Day, is a holiday traditionally observed by Buddhists and some Hindus on different days in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Tibet, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia and the Philippines and in China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam as "Buddha's Birthday" as well as in other parts of the world.
The festival commemorates the birth, enlightenment (Buddhahood), and death (ParinirvÄna) of Gautama Buddha in the Theravada or southern tradition. [wiki]
In Indonesia:
"This significant and traditional holy day is observed throughout Indonesia, where it is known as Waisak Day. At Borobudur, thousands of Buddhist monks will join together to repeat mantras and meditate as they circuit the temple in a ritual called "Pradaksina". This is a form of tribute to the temple. Monks celebrate the special day by bottling holy water (which symbolises humility) and transporting flames (which symbolize light and enlightenment) from location to location. The monks also took part in the "Pindapata" ritual, where they received charity from the people of Indonesia. Waisak Day in Indonesia has been celebrated as a national public holiday every year since 1983." [wiki]
Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-dukeTerima kasih. I am spending part of Buddha Dau being somewhat zen with my kids doing a 1,000 piece jigsaw of the London tube map, a system that carries thousands of Buddhists to where they are under the illusion they want to go every day.
Happy "Hari Merah" everyone.
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Originally posted by @fmfFor the love of God sir, count all the pieces before you start.
Terima kasih. I am spending part of Buddha Dau being somewhat zen with my kids doing a 1,000 piece jigsaw of the London tube map, a system that carries thousands of Buddhists to where they are under the illusion they want to go every day.
Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-dukeSounds a bit empirical. I will simply meditate on the issue of thousandness.
For the love of God sir, count all the pieces before you start.