The Significance of Vesak
by Venerable Mahinda

The significance of Vesak lies with the Buddha and his universal peace message to the world.

The birth of the Buddha as Siddhartha Gautama in the 6th Century BC was the culmination of many virtues which had been perfected from life to life. Whilst remembering the birth of the Buddha we must also recall how he perfected the virtues of generosity, morality, renunciation, wisdom, effort, patience, truthfulness, resolution, compassion-love and equanimity.

As a result of these perfections, Siddhartha Gautama was born in an era of great spiritual awakening when Pythagoras and Heraclites were teaching in Greece, Isaiah in the Middle East, Confucius and Lao Tze in China and Lord Mahavira and other great Upanishadic thinkers and wandering philosophers in India. He was born into a ruling class and had everything that the material world could offer, including wine, women and song. But he was endowed with the wisdom to realise the nature of the fleeting pleasures of the senses. And he had the strength to give up the comforts and luxuries of the world to seek the Truth – the knowledge to overcome old age, sickness and death.

As we reflect on the Buddha and his enlightenment, we are also reminded of the unique and most profound knowledge and insight which arose in him on the night of his enlightenment. He saw his past lives and also the lives of other beings – how they die and are reborn in various realms on existence depending on their karma.

Seeing his own past lives and those of other beings he saw clearly how existence in fraught with suffering. And turning his attention to its origin, he saw how things arose dependent of cause and conditions. This led him to perceive the arising and cessation of suffering and all forms of unsatisfactoriness, paving the way for the eradication of all taints of craving. With the complete cessation of craving, his mind was completely liberated. He attained to full enlightenment. This realisation dawned upon him together with various spiritual powers with which he was able to teach and enlighten others during his successful ministry of forty-five years.

This wisdom and light that flashed and radiated under the historic Bodhi Tree at Bodhi Gaya in the district of Bihar in Northern India, more than 2,500 years ago, is of great significance to human destiny. It illuminated the way by which we could cross, from a world of superstition, hatred and fear, to a new world of light, of pure love and happiness.

This wisdom which remains as a universal message to the world is contained in the teachings of the Four Noble Truths, namely the Noble Truth of DUKKHA, its cause, its cessation and the path which leads to the cessation of DUKKHA.

The First Noble Truth is the Truth of DUKKHA which has been generally translated as “suffering”. But the term DUKKHA, which represents the Buddha’s view of life and the world, has a deeper philosophical meaning. Birth, old age, sickness and death are universal. All beings are subject to this unsatisfactoriness. Separation from loved ones and pleasant conditions, associated with unpleasant persons and conditions, and not getting what one desires – these are also sources of suffering and unsatisfactoriness.

The Buddha summaries DUKKHA in what is known as the Five Grasping Aggregates, namely the Aggregate of Form (or the physical process), feelings, perception, mental formations and consciousness. These are usually classified as mental and physical processes which are constantly in a state of flux or change. Herein lies the deeper philosophical meaning of DUKKHA, for it encompasses the whole state of being or existence.

The Second Noble Truth explains the origins or cause of suffering, Tanha or craving, which leads to attachment and aversion, which in turn, is the cause of suffering. The Third Noble Truth points to the cessation of suffering and the Fourth Noble Truth explains the path which leads to the cessation of suffering. It is called the Noble Eightfold Path.

Avoiding extremes of self-indulgence on the one hand and self-torture on the other, the Noble Eightfold Path consists of Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. These eight factors may be summarised into three stages of training, involving good conduct, mental culture and wisdom.

The teachings of the Buddha are open to all to see and judge for themselves. Their universality has led to one of the world’s greatest scientists, Albert Einstein, to declare that “if there is any religion that could cope with modern scientific needs, it would be Buddhism”.

The teachings of the Buddha became a great civilising force wherever they went. They appeal to reason and freedom of thought, recognising the dignity and potentiality of the human mind. They call for equality, fraternity and understanding exhorting followers to avoid evil, to do good and to purify their minds.

Now, perhaps more than ever before, there is a great need to re-live and revive the age old values and timeless truths. Today’s strong materialistic culture should be tempered with moral and spiritual values, to ensure a balanced way of life and an integrated human development, conducive to greater peace and prosperity.

The celebration of Vesak provides an opportunity for Buddhists and all peace-loving people throughout the world, to draw fresh inspiration and to reaffirm their commitment to the Triple Gem, comprising the Buddha (the fully enlightened teacher), the Dhamma (the sublime teachings of the Buddha) and the Sangha (the holy order and noble disciples of the Buddha).

Buddhists of today should work together for the spiritual upliftment of the society the nation and the world.

On this holy occasion of Vesak, may we extend our greetings and goodwill to all. Let us aspire to lead a pure and noble way of life and work for the welfare and benefits of the many. May all peace-loving people join us in radiating our thoughts of compassionate-love so that there may be peace and prosperity in the country and the world in which we live.

May all beings be well and happy!