Visakha Puja Day is an important day in Buddhism. We will celebrate Visakhha Puja Day at Bodhikaram Temple, the Mondul Ottawa Khmer Buddhist Monastery, on Saturday, May 14, 2011 start from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Visakhha Puja Day marks the Buddhism Trinity or three important incidents occurred in the life of Lord Buddha on the same day. They happened on the same day on full moon of the sixth lunar month.
The three significant separate events are:
- The Buddha was born on this day. Buddha was born into a royal family in what is now Nepal.
- The Buddha achieved "The Enlightenment" (NIRVANA) on the same day
- He passed away at age 80 in India.
In his early years he lived a life of luxury and was shielded from the life of misery that most of the kingdom’s people lived in. At the age of 29 he left this life of luxury and studied the practices of Brahmin ascetics who denied themselves all but the most vital essentials of life. Eventually he rejected this practice and practice the "middle way" – a simple rational life of moderation. At the age of 39 he attained enlightenment. His discovery is referred to as the four noble truths:
- The Noble Truth of Suffering
- The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering
- The Noble Truth of Extinction of Suffering
- The Noble Truth of the Path leading to the Extinction of Suffering
He spent the remainder of his life wandering from place to place teaching his discoveries.
Typical activities would include: Going to temple for special observances and listening to Dhamma teaching, giving food to the Monks, and Keeping the Five or Eight precepts.
May peace and happiness be upon to Cambodian and all beings in the universe!
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