Buddhism

The main Buddhist festival of the year is Wesak(Vesak), it happens on the day of the full moon in May.It is the celebration of theBuddha's birth,enlightenmentand death; it is celebrated with great joy and vivid colors. Homes arecleaned and decorated in preparation. Celebrations begin before dawn, when devotees throng the temples early in the morning to meditate and take the Five Moral Precepts. Sutras are chanted by monks.

Five Precepts are refraining from:

• harming living things
• taking what is not given
• sexual misconduct
• lying or gossip
• taking intoxicating substances e.g. drugs or drink

There is no supreme God or deity in Buddhism. The Buddha is not considered a God by his followers; he became enlightened whilst meditating under a Bodhi tree.

The essence of Buddhism is the attainment of enlightenment. It points to a way of life that avoids self-indulgence and self-denial. Buddha means 'enlightened'. Meditation is crucial to understanding the cause of suffering, Buddhism teaches rebirth, a similar teaching to reincarnation, and the belief that everyone is influenced by past karma. Craving and desire keep people on the wheel that is the cycle of birth and rebirth, and it is possible to escape this cycle by following the Four Noble Truths.

Nirvana (result of meditation):

Four Noble :

The truth of suffering
The truth of the origin of suffering
The truth of the cessation of suffering
The truth of the path which leads to the cessation of suffering

The Eightfold Path:

• Right understanding
• Right thought
• Right speech
• Right action
• Right livelihood
• Right effort
• Right mindfulness
• Right concentration

The main symbols of Buddhism:

*The wheel of life

*Lotus flower - red lotus signifies the qualities of the heart while the purple lotus is the mystic lotus.

Celebration - In China, dancing dragons are incorporated into celebrations. In Indonesia, lanterns are displayed made from paper and wood. Another popular custom in some countries is the release of caged birds. Emphasis on giving to the needy, devotees may visit orphanages, welfare homes, homes for the aged or charitable institutions, distributing cash donations and gifts. Some youth organizations organize mass blood donation to hospitals. Donations are also made to monks and nuns. The most important things are to practice good virtues of kindness and generosity to all living things .On this day there are stands by the sides of some roads from which free food or drinks are given to people walking by.When entering a temple,Buddhists will take off their shoes, put their hands together and bow to the image of the Buddha. In their practice they may use prayer beads called malas.