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| Sunday, 13 July 2003 |
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Esala : Merrymaking ends, 'Vas' begins by Sumana Saparamadu Esala full-moon day has a three-fold significance to Buddhists. As told in the life story of the Buddha that has come down the centuries, it was on an Esala full-moon night that Queen Maya, consort of King Suddhodana, had a strange dream, which soothsayers interpreted as a sign that she had conceived a child destined to be a 'maha-purusha' a great man a heroic figure. The legend is that she dreamt a white cub elephant entering her womb. Is the elephant a phallic symbol, I wonder. Another Esala full-moon day, 29 years later, marked the turning point in the life of Prince Siddhartha. It was the night of the Great Renunciation the Mahabhinikkama, when the Prince left his wife and new born son, and all the luxuries of the palace, for the life of an ascetic. Dhamma Chakka Pavattana Sutta Six years were to pass before the ascetic Siddhartha found the answers to the questions that had been tormenting him since that day he first saw a decrepit old man. That great Awakening came on the day of the Waishaka (Wesak) full-moon. Two moons later, in the Deer Park at Isipathana in Benares, under the Esala full-moon he explained to the five ascetics headed by Kondanna, in whose company he had spent sometime, earlier, searching as they did for the root cause of the many ills that affected man, but had lost contact with since, the fundamentals of his new philosophy. And this sermon in the Deer Park has been named the 'Dhamma Chakka Pavattana Sutta' by the same latter day commentator for, with this discourse the Buddha set the wheel of the Dhamma rolling. What is of special significance about these three events is that they all took place at the height of the Esala festival - so the scribes say. Esala or Ashalha was from all accounts a fun-filled festival in kingdoms on the Gangetic plain in the 6th century BC. It was a day of out door sports and water sports, Uyan keli and diya keli of merrymaking and feasting with women, wine, and song taking centre-stage. It was a seven day festival, according to some accounts. On the final day Queen Maya had, herself, taken part in the water sports, and retired early to bed. It was then that she had dreamt of the white elephant portending that she had conceived. Royal family Prince Siddhartha was out in the park enjoying himself in the royal pool, when the message came that his consort Princess Yasodhara, had given birth to a baby boy. Then as now, princess of the royal family did not stand by, while their spouses were in travail. It is well-known that Prince Charles was playing polo while Princess Diana was in the throes of giving birth to their second son. That night the palace was lighted up with hundreds of lamps burning sweet scented oil, and there was feasting and dancing and singing, which was part and parcel of the Esala festival. The brooding prince was not moved by the music or the singing or the comely girls who performed only for him. Weighing on his mind was the thought that the birth of a son was now tying him down to this lay life of which he had had enough. The dancers, singers and musicians sensing that the prince was not interested in their performance, lay down wherever they could and soon fell asleep. The prince who was brooding far into the night, saw the girls sleeping in disgusting attitudes. Filled with loathing for this worldly life he decided then and there to go away and ordered his charioteer Channa to saddle his horse. All this is told in the 'Mahapadana Sutta.' Great houses When in the brilliant light of the Esala full-moon the Buddha was making his first exposition of root cause of human suffering and the way out, to the five ascetics in the Deer Park, there was as usual the dancing and singing, the dining and wining in the great houses in Baranasi (Benares). In one such house, a lady came out onto the balcony for some fresh air. Legends As she was enjoying the cool air and taking in the beauty of the moon-lit night, she heard distant voices. She listened intently. They were coming from high up in the air. Two devas were in conversation. One was telling the other what he had heard as he passed over the Deer-Park and paused to listen. The legends, elaborated to capture the minds of the illiterate common man to make the Buddhas teachings easier to grasp, are a pointer to a festival marking nature's cycle of seasons. The timing of this festival before the on-set of the monsoon is significant. Esala is defined as the last month of summer-gimhanam pacchimo maso and the approach of the rainy season vassa upanaayika. When the monsoon rains begin to lash, the rivers are in spate flooding the plain. Outdoor work is halted and travel is near impossible. So the Buddha admonished the monks to stay in one place for the three months of rain. Following custom Buddhist monks here and elsewhere observe the 'vas' or retreat beginning on the Esala full-moon day or the following full-moon day. The feasting and merrymaking culminating with the full-moon of Esala, that was customary in the Gangetic plain in the time of the Buddha, was the last fling before the rains, when people had perforce to give up their outdoor activities and remain indoors. It was in some ways like the Mardi Gras in France, Spain and in England until the 19th century. Mardi Gras celebrated on Shrove Tuesday was the final festivity before the commencement on Ash Wednesday of the Lenten Season, the austere 40 days before Good Friday. |
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