The belief and the practice of Buddhism dates back to the time
of Prince Siddharth Gautam, who was born in the southern Terai
region of Nepal in about 543 BC. Till he was 29, the young prince
led a very sheltered life in the royal palace of his father. He
was completely unaware of the tragedies of everyday life. One
day, he convinced his charioteer to take him outside the walls
of his palace and he was shocked to see the sight of an old man,
a cripple, and a corpse.
The realization that there was more to life than the lavish and
luxurious life he was leading, made him abandon all the worldly
pleasures and search for enlightenment and the true meaning of
life. After much wandering and searching, Gautama finally attained
enlightenment while meditating under a pipal tree. Henceforth,
known as the "Buddha" or "the enlightened one"
he began to preach "The Four Noble Truths" to all who
would listen. According to this doctrine, people suffer because
of their desires and the root cause of all misery is desire. These
desires and consequently all problems can be totally eliminated
by following the "eightfold path"- right views, right
intent, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort,
right mindfulness and right meditation.
Buddha journeyed from place to place, teaching and converting
hundreds of followers. He died at the age of eighty. However,
his disciples continued to spread his teachings. Because of his
wise teachings Lord Buddha is revered by many Nepalese and Buddha
Jayanti is celebrated with much enthusiasm throughout. This day
falls on the full moon of the month of Baisakh and is celebrated
to commemorate the birth, attainment of knowledge and the death
of Lord Buddha. Thus, it is a thrice blessed day.
Prayers are sung and the Buddhists offer worship in all the major
Buddhist shrines such as Tamang Buddhist Monastery, Dali Monastery,
Aloobari Monastery etc. The next morning a giant figure of Lord
Buddha is displayed to all the followers and hundreds of small
shrines are visited and worshipped. Large groups of people parade
through the streets praising the Lord and his teachings. Special
flags, usually red, blue; yellow and white can be seen flying
high above all the Buddhist households.
Article by Vani Shah
