Visākhā / Kason / Vesak 2012

[Ben]

In some traditions Visākhā is observed this Saturday 5th May. In other traditions it will be one month later on 5th June.
Interestingly, this Visākhā (5th May) coincides with a "supermoon" when the full moon coincides with the moon at perigee.
This Visākhā is also the 27th anniversary of dhamma practice for me, which also occurred on my birthday. Visākhā also occurred on the day of my birth. For me, Visākhā is always a special day and I hope it is equally an auspicious day for you too.

Wishing you all a beneficial Visākhā!
May you all share in my merits.
with metta,

Ben

[David N. Snyder]

Happy Vesàkha!

The most important date in the Theravada Buddhist calendar and the one with so many different spelling variations!

Also known as Wesak.

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

Hmmm... I think I'll have to opt for a June 5th observance, as I already have plans.
These plans do however include looking (probably through rain clouds ) for this "super moon", which will be particularly impressive if it's low in the sky, as for whatever reason, the moon tends to look bigger the lower it is in the sky.

To anyone observing Vesak this weekend, may your observance be a fruitful and beneficial one.

Ben ~ enjoy your Dhammajati day. Mine is synchronised with my real birthday too, but it's still a good 6 months away.

Metta,
Retro.

[Ben]

Thanks!
That reminds me, I should pack the telescope!
kind regards,

Ben

[plwk]

Here the Tathagata was born!
This, Ananda, is a place that a pious person should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence.


Here the Tathagata became Fully Enlightened in Unsurpassed, Supreme Enlightenment!
This, Ananda, is a place that a pious person should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence.


Here the Tathagata passed away into the state of Nibbana in which no element of clinging remains!
This, Ananda, is a place that a pious person should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence.

Indeed, the Blessed One is worthy & rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge & conduct, well-gone, an expert with regard to the world, unexcelled as a trainer for those people fit to be tamed, the Teacher of divine & human beings, awakened, blessed.

The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One, to be seen here & now, timeless, inviting verification, pertinent, to be realized by the wise for themselves.

The Sangha of the Blessed One's Disciples who have practiced well ... who have practiced straight-forwardly... who have practiced methodically... who have practiced masterfully — in other words, the four types of noble disciples when taken as pairs, the eight when taken as individual types — they are the Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples: worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respect, the unexcelled field of merit for the world.

China/HK/TW were the earliest I think to have celebrated Vesak Day last Saturday, 28th April alongside the Chinese Mahayana liturgical celebration of the Buddha's Nativity.

May the thrice auspicious day of Vesak be a blessing and hope to all sentient beings, remembering especially those who are sick, poor, suffering and afflicted

[perkele]

Thank you for that reminder. I was just thinking what an auspicious day tomorrow (today) will be for some reason. And then I see this. I will try my best to observe the Visākhā for the first time, in whatever way I'll see fit.

[manas]

Happy Vesak, and 27th anniversary of Dhamma practice, Ben. I read somewhere that we kind of have two births, one physical, and another into the Dhamma; it's remarkable that these coincide for you, and what's more, on Vesak!

_/I\_

[Kim O'Hara]

Happy Vesak, and 27th anniversary of Dhamma practice, Ben. I read somewhere that we kind of have two births, one physical, and another into the Dhamma; it's remarkable that these coincide for you, and what's more, on Vesak!

_/I\_

+1


Kim

[Modus.Ponens]

Happy Vesak everyone!

Happy Birthday and Dhamma Birthday, Ben!

[SamKR]

Happy Vaiśākha Purnima to all.
Happy birthday, Ben.

[perkele]

Okay, actually I did not really do anything good on this day. It was actually quite a shitty day on my part. Anyway, forgot to say, happy birthday Ben! May the force be with you.

[Ben]

Hi Perkele,

Okay, actually I did not really do anything good on this day. It was actually quite a shitty day on my part. Anyway, forgot to say, happy birthday Ben! May the force be with you.

For clarification, my birthday, according to the western Gregorian calendar, falls later this week. Sometimes it coincides with Visakha.
Thanks for your kind wishes and I am sorry your day wasn't a pleasant one.
with metta

Ben

[santa100]

Happy Vesak! May all be well and happy!...

[Ron-The-Elder]

The significance of Vesak:



http://what-buddha-said.net/library/Wheels/wh178.pdf

[danieLion]

Super moon's now visible in the southeast sky of Portland, Oregon (USA).
Happy Visākhā.

[David N. Snyder]

The Philosophy of Vesak, by Bhante Dr. M. Punnaji, e-book available at:

http://www.protobuddhism.com/

Here is an excerpt:
(referring to the Buddha's enlightenment)

This apparently mystical change is not mystical at all,
because it is perfectly logical. This psychological change has
occurred through a paradigm shift. This difference of paradigm
is a difference in the way one perceives the world and oneself.
This paradigm shift occurs when passing through a series of
observations of experience in logical sequence. This logical
sequence of thought, in awakening from the dream of existence,
is as follows.
• Everything depends on conditions
• What is dependent on conditions is unstable (anicca)
• What is unstable is painful (dukkha), because we desire
stability (nicca).
• What is painful is not under my power to change
(vasavatti)
• What is not under my power is not “mine” (netam mama)
• What is not mine cannot be “me” or “I” (neso hamasmi)
• What is not “me” or “I” cannot be my “self” (neso me
attati)
• What is not “mine” or my “self” is impersonal (anatta),
and cannot be personalized (upadana).

All evil behavior such as crime, war and suicide, and
all unhappiness experienced within, is a result of the futile
effort to personalize what cannot be personalized. When this is
fully comprehended as a fact rationally, a paradigm shift from
selfishness to selflessness can occur.

Yet it can be achieved only in the absence of emotional
obstacles. This means the individual has to purify and
tranquilize the mind before the paradigm shift can occur. This
makes it necessary to practice two kinds of meditation: to make
the mind tranquil – samatha meditation, and to achieve the
paradigm shift – vipassana meditation.