Asalha Puja or Dhamma Day 2022 Date & Significance: Know Lord Buddha’s Four Noble Truths, History, Rituals of Asanha Bucha Falling on Ashadha Purnima
The Buddhist festival of Asalha Puja led to the ordination procedure that gave birth to spiritual monks who followed the teachings of the Lord Buddha. Asalha Puja was the day when Lord Buddha gave his first sermon to five disciples and told the five noble truths after his enlightenment.
Asalha Puja, also known as Asadha Puja, Dhamma Day or Asanha Bucha in Thailand, is a Buddhist festival observed on the full moon of the Hindu month of Ashadha. The holy occasion as per the Gregorian Calendar falls on the sixth lunar month, typically July, to mark the day when Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon after enlightenment at Benares in India. The annual observance is celebrated on the date decided by the waxing moon and the lunar months. Asalha Puja 2022 falls on Wednesday, 13 July, which will be a public holiday in Thailand. As we celebrate the religion's most important festival, let's understand about the what are the four noble truths and the entire background and present-day Asadha Puja celebration rituals. Who is Buddha? 19 Facts about the Founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama.
Asalha Puja History & Buddha's Four Noble Truths
Asalha Puja holds a special significance for the Theravada Buddhist, the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The occasion celebrates Gautam Buddha's first teaching, which acted as a turning wheel of the Dhamma. The five ascetics set out the doctrine that had come to Buddha following his enlightenment. Buddha's first sermon was at the Deer Park in Sarnath, near Benares. During the phase, among Buddha's five associates, Kondanna attained the first level of enlightenment.
He understood the Truths and asked Buddha to accept him as a disciple. The five noble truths of Lord Gautam Buddha are- Dukka, life is suffering; secondly, Tanha, which means the origin of suffering if attachment, cessation of suffering is attainable, and lastly, the way to cessation is via the 'eightfold path'. Here the noble eightfold path is the practices leading to liberation from the world, the painful cycle of rebirth in the form of nirvana.
Asalha Puja Celebration & Significance
Asadha Puja is the start of the Vassa; the Buddhist lent period that lasts three months. The significance of celebrating Dhamma Day is shown by the temples covered with carvings of deers and wheels, symbolising Budhha's Dharma. To commemorate the day, monks chant the Buddha's sermon, light up the entire temple grounds with large wax candles and walk around the pagoda three times in a clockwise direction. An essential tradition is to chant the scriptures telling of this event in the original Pali language.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 11, 2022 11:48 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).