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Culture
Wesak Festival
Blessings for Transforming Consciousness
by Lisa Armano
As the history of mankind progresses, humanity now faces its greatest struggle: to regain a balance of life in order to secure a future for the planet. The Buddha’s First Noble Truth, “all is suffering,” is becoming a greater and greater reality. A collective awareness is generating, centered on the knowledge that societal change can only come about through inner transformation.
Usually in the month of May, when the full moon is in the constellation Scorpio and the sun is in Taurus, Wesak, or Visakha Puja, the most sacred of Buddhist holy days takes place. In the east, this date marks the celebration of Gautama the Buddha’s birth, his attainment of enlightenment or samma-sambodhi, and the time of release from his physical body, or parinirvana. In the west, it also represents a time of inner restructuring and change. This year the full moon is May 8, 9:01 p.m. PDT.
Also known as the Festival of Taurus, Wesak (Visak) was named after the Hindu calendar month of Vaisakha, which is the ancient name for Taurus. The metaphysical aspects and legend of the eastern festival were initially brought to the west in the earlier part of the 20th century through the writings of Alice A. Bailey. Since that time, the experiences from the festival have given Wesak a broader perspective, and it has come to represent an opening in which one can leap into a new mental evolution. Participation and observance allows for growth of a great spiritual magnitude.
The significance of Wesak lies within the life of the Lord Buddha and his devotional service to mankind. The Buddha’s purpose to remain on earth after attaining enlightenment was to help all reincarnating spirits make their final pilgrimage off the wheel of samsara, or the cycle of death and rebirth, and to help alleviate the suffering of all sentient beings.
The Buddha was born Siddhartha Gautama to a king and queen of the Sakya kingdom. When he became aware of the misery and sorrows of the world, and the knowledge that men are not awakened to the Truth, a deep compassion seized his heart. He walked away from all of his worldly possessions and took up the life of one who has renounced the world.
On the night of the full moon in May, Siddhartha sat on the grass under the Bodhi tree at Buddhagaya. He began expounding the Dharma. He recognized that ignorance was the root of all evil and this resulted in the realization of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path that leads to the cessation of suffering. Finally, he beheld the fullness of that Truth, which completely transfigured him. He obtained perfect enlightenment and gained the attainment of Buddha (The Awakened One). He was thereafter known as Gautama Buddha.
“The reason the Buddha made this display of leaving all the faculties of a household and becoming a monk, going into retreat, meditating, and so forth, was in order to indicate to us, his followers, what we should do,” explains His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. “If the Buddha had to work very hard to achieve realization, it’s pretty much impossible that we could achieve the same realization by taking it easy.”
Wesak, according to the legend provided by Alice A. Bailey, takes place in Vaisakha Valley in the Himalayan-Tibetan foothills. It is at this time every year that the Lord Buddha returns to bless this world. The Christed Master Jesus, the Manu (Lord of Living Form), and the Mahachohan (the Lord of Civilization), officiate this celebration in the spiritual dimensions and gather together in front of the large rock at the valley’s opening. As the moment of the full moon approaches, the form of the Buddha materializes out of the northeast, seated in full lotus position, his hand extended in a mudra of blessing. This one moment of unity and blessing is said to have a lasting effect, increasing the spiritual vibration of the seeker for the following months.
In some parts of Asia, the Wesak Festival is regarded as a public holiday. Buddhist devotees believe that during the time of Wesak, the virtues of kindness and generosity to all living things are the most important practices. In Sri Lanka, Buddhists dress in white and carry baskets of flowers to local monasteries.
In Buddhist temples, the celebration begins at dawn, when devotees gather to meditate on the Eight Precepts. Common traditions include giving donations and food to the needy, as well as offerings of incense and prayers in homes and temples. Acts of generosity known as “dana” are observed. Monks in saffron robes chant the Sutras in unison. The celebration is highlighted by a candlelight procession. Buddhists all over the world decorate monasteries with Buddhist flags, lanterns, and flowers. Some Buddhist temples conduct an animal liberation ceremony where animals that have been scheduled to be put to death are rescued and taken to a sanctuary or released back into the wild.
At the monastery in Long Beach, CA, the Ascended Master Donato gave a teaching: “You must develop yourself and raise your vibration in order to have contact with the Masters. As you go up, they will come down to meet you. Then they take you the rest of the way up. When you start to go up, then you know that you are developing. When you can see the Masters, you will know where you are spiritually. You will know whose hand you are shaking. The Masters will meet you halfway. If they came down all the way, you would get lazy.” The monastery observes Wesak as a time of inner reflection, prayer, meditation, and sacred music.
During Wesak, all people are encouraged to put forth extra effort to lift themselves to meet the minds of the Ascended Masters. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “I believe that if one man gains spiritually, the whole worlds gains with him and, if one man falls, the whole world falls to that extent.” Wesak is a celestial event when all peoples are mystically enabled to concentrate manifestations of light, love, and peace in the minds and hearts of the world. By progressing on the spiritual path, each individual silently encourages all, as the Buddha within blossoms like the lotus.
Lisa Armano is a student of spiritual studies and a devotee of the Ascended Master Donato. Contact her at lisaarmano@earthlink.net.