Making Bodhi Day Meaningful

“The greatest gift is to give people your enlightenment, to share it. It has to be the greatest.” ~ Buddha

For Buddhists there are a few holidays which represent significant times in the Buddha’s life.  On December 8th, we celebrate the day Buddha achieved enlightenment on his 35th birthday nearly 2,500 years ago (‘Bodhi’ means enlightenment, so ‘Buddha’ means enlightened one).

What Exactly Are We Celebrating?

The historical Buddha (Prince Siddhartha Gautama), from whom we have the majority of our teachings, had a long struggle to achieve enlightenment or ‘Nirvana’.  He was determined to sit under a pipal tree (now known as a ‘Bodhi Tree’) and meditate until he discovered the source of pain and suffering in the world.  He silently vowed ”Even if my flesh and blood were to dry up, leaving only skin and bones, I will not leave this place until I find a way to end all sorrow.“¹

The Buddha was able through this meditation to discover the cause of all suffering (the Four Noble Truths) and how to cure it (the Eightfold Path), which became the foundation of  Buddhism.  If you wish to learn more about the life of the Buddha, and his path towards Enlightenment, check out “Life of the Buddha” on Buddhanet.net.

How Can I Celebrate?

In many Mahayana Buddhist countries, they decorate their homes or ficus tree with multi-colored lights to signify the many pathways to enlightenment².  Some even decorate their trees with shiny objects or leaves that look like that of the pipal (Bodhi) tree³ which can be a fun activity for children and the whole family.

For some Buddhists, we take the day to focus our commitment to the path by practicing longer meditation, performing acts of loving kindness for others, reading the Dhammapada, or chanting sutras.

You can even partake in a meal of milk-rice that the maiden Sujata offered to the future Buddha when he was weak from not eating, which was the turning point in helping him learn of the middle way.

How Will You Celebrate Bodhi Day?

Let me know in the comments how you will be celebrating the Buddha’s enlightenment.  Will you practice loving kindness by helping people or animals?  Decorate?  I’d love to hear!

References

¹ http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhism/pbs2_unit03.htm 12/7/2011
² http://www.doityourself.com/stry/bodhi-day 12/7/2011
³ http://www.annarbor.com/passions-pursuits/is-christmas-any-less-christian-when-you-put-up-a-bodhi-day-tree/ 12/7/2011

December 8, 2011