Vesak Poya:

Signifies Buddha’s Birth, Enlightenment and demise

Sachitra Mahendra

Of all poyas, Vesak has the utmost significance, since it celebrates the three major events in the Buddha’s life: Birth, attaining the Buddhahood and Great Demise.

The Buddha’s journey starts with the young ascetic Sumedha’s determination to achieve the supremest spiritual status. Dipankara Buddha could well fathom the weight of the youth’s determination and solemnly prophesied that Sumedha would be his twenty-fourth successor in eons to come. And thus the Vesak was born.

As any Bodhisatva, a Buddha aspirant, Sumedha had also been re-born in many existences fulfilling 30 perfections. And before his final birth, the Bodhisatva, or Buddha aspirant, was born in Thusitha heaven.

The divine creature inquired about five affairs before expiring for the final birth: right time, right area, right continent, right caste and right mother.

Then, as any Buddhist knows, the fully mindful divine being entered the womb of Queen Mahamaya. A prince was born on a Vesak Poya day to the Queen and King Suddhodana and was named Siddhartha, one who has found meaning of existence. The Queen passed away seven days after the prince’s birth.

The whizkid stated the glorious verse, customary for all Buddhas, just after the birth: “I am the chief of the world. There is no equal to me. I am supreme. This is my last birth. No re-birth for me.” The teacher worshipped the teacher of the world, and the father worshipped the son!

Siddhartha Gotama’s life was spent amid royal luxuries until he realised life’s true nature. Later Prince Siddharth renounced the princely life on a Vesak poya day. Ascetic life was not a simple thing for the prince.

The robed Gotama was trained in various mental skills under many teachers, only to get disillusioned that they do not have the truth he looked for. The right way to achieve the truth dawned on him one day. He directed the mind in the right meditation path. Moments later he reached Enlightenment and conquered the world of sorrows on a Vesak Poya day.

The Conqueror was heading to the city of Kusinara, when he met Pukkusa.

Pukkusa listened to the Dhamma and offered the Conqueror two golden robes: one worn by the Blessed One and the other by His assistant Ven. Ananda.

When the Conqueror was robed, his skin became clear dazzling in the robe. Ven. Ananda was amazed and the Conqueror declared that the skin of a Buddha will be remarkably bright on two occasions: the night He attains Enlightenment and the night He passes away.

80-year old Gotama Buddha then announced His passing away, Parinibbana, would take place on the third watch of the night at Sal grove of Malla royal family, and it happened to be a Vesak Poya day.

The Buddha visited Sri Lanka on three occasions: first to Mahiyangana in January, second to Nagadipa in April, and third to Kelaniya in May, Vesak.

On the second visit made to Nagadipa, King Maniakkikha invited the Blessed One for a third visit to Kelaniya. And the Blessed One visited Kelaniya three years after his second visit, with 550 Arahants.

However, Nishantha Gunawardena, a Sri Lankan historian living in US, mentions an interesting find in his ‘The Lost Dynasty’; Buddha was not invited by King Maniakkhika but by a king named Panitha and his daughter princess Abhi Upaliya. Nishantha cites rock inscriptions at Balaharukanda and Bambaragastalawa that corroborate his find.

“...the rock inscriptions are more accurate due to the difficulty in changing or forging them. It was the national King Panitha who invited Gautama Buddha the second time. The regional King Maniakkhika is mentioned in a few other records.

But it was not until December 2004 tsunami hit, the inscription reappeared itself. As the tsunami tore through the island it exposed several rock inscriptions.

Two of them bore the name King Maniagiya and his mother’s name. This is, in fact, King Maniakkhika.”

Mahavamsa interestingly relates how the Blessed One headed to Adam’s Peak or Sumanakuta from Kelaniya on the Vesak Poya day. The 7359-ft-tall conical mountain has a historic significance as Buddhists believe it has the Buddha’s footprint on it.

Some historians however see the Buddha’s visit to Dighavapi far from being likely. As the chronicles state, the Buddha had Himself visited the village and meditated consecrating the place.

A shrine was later erected on the place the Blessed One meditated. Many works including Samantha Pasadika and Dipavamsa contain allusions to Dighavapi.

What happened on Vesak Poya is a touchstone in the Buddhist history.

So to say it also deserves our attention to focus on more spiritual affairs in a world that is burning with defilements than ever.