Table of Contents
Buddha’s Birth and his family background
Lord Buddha was born in 563 BC. His childhood name was Siddhartha. His mother’s name was Mahamaya and his father’s name was Shuddhodana. He belonged to the Kshatriya dynasty of the Shakya dynasty. It was customary to go to the maternal home for childbirth at that time. Maya, the buddha’s mother, was going to her maternal home for her delivery. But while on the way, her pain increased immensely, the time of buddha’s birth came and she had to give birth to him on the way in the Lumbini forest in Nepal. After seven days after Siddharth’s birth, his mother Maya died and his upbringing was done by his mother’s younger sister names as Mahapajapati Gotami.
What did Mahamaya see in a dream before Buddha was born?
Maya saw in a strange dream that a white elephant with 6 trunks came, gave a lotus flower to the queen, and entered her womb from the right side. On the next day, the queen told king Shuddhodana about her dream. Then the king asked the learned Brahmins and astrologers of his kingdom the meaning of this dream. the astrologers interpreted the dream and said either your son would become a great king or a great Monarch. So king Shuddhodana kept the prince Siddharth isolated from the outside world and gave him a luxurious royal life and kept sorrow and worry away from his life So that his son’s mind would not go towards renunciation
Marriage of Buddha.
Siddhartha was married to Princess Yashodhara at the age of 16. They had a son named Rahul. At the age of 29, he rode on his horse Kanthak and set out in search of truth with his charioteer Channa.
Why did Gautam buddha leave his palace?
One day Siddharth went for a walk out of his palace and he was astonished to see an old man whose body has become so weak, waist bent, with white hair, wrinkles all over his face, and loose body skin. He has never seen any old man in his life.
After moving further, he saw a sick man, who was at the last stage of his life struggling between life and death. then he walked furthermore and saw four-man carrying a dead body and people around them were mourning. All these three incidents made Siddharth worried and he thought one day I too become old and sick and die then what’s the truth of this dreadful life. On the way, he met a sanyasi (hermit) who was free from all attachments and in a blissful state. Siddharth understood the whole thing and came back to the palace. Despite having all the luxury in his life, Siddharth felt an emptiness in his life and we want to know the reason for all the suffering and misery of life. So he left his home and went to the forest to find the ultimate truth of existence.
Life of Buddha after leaving the Palace
He wandered as a beggar for six years in search of truth. After this, he attained enlightenment at the age of 35 under a peepal tree in Gaya (Bihar) on the full moon day of Vaishakh month. Hence every year Vaishakh Purnima is celebrated as Buddha Purnima by Buddhist followers. Here he attained the realization of truth i.e. Nirvana and became Buddha from Siddhartha. After attaining Nirvana he gave his first discourse to his five companions at Sarnath (near Varanasi). This event in history is known as Dharmachakra Parivartan.
Lord Buddha attained Mahanirvana at the age of 80 in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh. He is said to have spent most of his life a contemporary of King Bimbisara and the last year of Ajatashatru of the Haryana dynasty. In many Buddhist texts, Buddha is known as Tathagata and Shakyamuni.
Buddha Purnima significance
The festival of Vaishakh Purnima is celebrated on the last day of Vaishakh month. Vaishakh Purnima is also called as Buddha Purnima. According to the belief, Mahatma Buddha was born on the day of Vaishakh Purnima, so it is called as Buddha Purnima.
The festival of Vaishakh Purnima is celebrated on the last day of Vaishakh month. Vaishakh Purnima is also called as Buddha Purnima. According to the belief, Mahatma Buddha was born on the day of Vaishakh Purnima, hence it is called Buddha Purnima. On this day there is a law to worship Lord Buddha, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Chandra dev. Donation of water on this day is considered to be the biggest virtue. By doing this virtuous action one gets the grace of Tridev. Donate an earthen pot filled with water to the temple on this day.
On the day of Vaishakh Purnima, the works of charity and charity have special significance. This day is also known as Satya Vinayak Purnima. Donating food, clothes, and money on the day of Vaishakh Purnima is considered auspicious and it is considered a practice to donate food. It is believed that by fasting on the full moon day and worshiping Lord Shri Hari Vishnu and Chandradev, the troubles from life are removed. Happiness and peace are attained. On the day of Vaishakh Purnima, one should take a bath in a holy river, or reservoir before sunrise in the morning.
Donating sesame seeds with sugar to the needy on this day washes away sins. Light a lamp of sesame oil on this day. Take one meal during this fast. The fear of premature death ends with the effect of this fast.
When Sudama, the companion of Lord Shri Krishna, had reached Dwarka, Lord Shri Krishna told him the law of Purnima fasting. The impact of fasting was that the poverty of Sudama was removed. Bathing in the Ganges on this day is especially fruitful. Satyanarayan Katha should be recited on this day. By donating sugar and sesame seeds on the day of Vaishakh Purnima, the sins committed inadvertently are also destroyed.