— Norbu Samphell
SAGA-DAWA is the fourth month to Tibetans as April is to Christians. For Tibetan Buddhists, it is the holiest month. People would refrain from doing any thing that is considered creating negative Karma. Many would practice vegetarian for the whole month and would spare as many lives as one could of animals, who would normally be butchered for meat. Even otherwise many people would protect one or two animal for live from being killed. This practice is called Tsi-thar Tang. Many would do this with fish.
Saga-Dawa is the month for creating positive karma. For ominous reasons new spiritual initiatives and decisions are made in this month with prayers for their success, like becoming monk and nun. Many would receive teachings, initiations and higher ordinations in spirituality.
The 15th day of Saga-Dawa is specially holy and important. Three important events of Lord Buddha’s twelve events took place on this day. Those three events are Lord Buddha’s Birth, Enlightenment and his passing into Parinirvana.
Lord Buddha was born on 15th day of Saga-Dawa at Lumbini Park in Nepal. In those early days we did not have national boundaries like we have today. Lumbini Park was part of Arya-Bhumi, referred to India by Tibetans. His parents were King, Shud-Dana and Queen Maha-Maya of Shak-ya Kingdom. People might think, why was he born in the Park and not in his Palace Or in a Hospital like we do these days?
It was the tradition in those days in India that woman should go to her parents to give birth to her baby. Queen Maha-Maya was traveling to her parents to give birth to her baby with her retinue and courtiers. On the way, while at break for rest under a shady tree in Lumbini Park, Queen Maha-Maha held a branch of a tree and stretched her arms and body. While doing so the baby was born miraculously from under her right side arm, and toddled seven steps to each cardinal directions and said,
"I am the supreme one in the world."
From each step, there sprang a lotus flower. Gods and good spirits welcomed him and blessed him with showers of flowers, scarves and scented water. His parents were overjoyed.
Soon after, they went to the court astrologer to find the young baby’s horoscope.
The astrologer declared,
"Most wonderful! He shall be the most powerful Chakra-verti King if he lives in the court, or shall he realize enlightenment and shall be the light of the world should he forsake the court life."
He was named Prince Sidhartha. That is how he was born.
Since his birth he lived a luxurious life in the Palace of the most powerful kingdom for 29 years. But he was not happy with the luxurious palace life, when he found that, it is not the solution to problems of human life. He wanted to find answers to Human problems and one night he set out for the forest and became a renunciant. On the Bank of river Ganges (Ne-ranja-na) he practiced severe austerity in meditation for six years. However, in order to avoid falling into extreme side of poverty he had little milk, offered by the Bramin girl, Lekey-ma, which restored his health. He then went to BuddhGaya.
There he spread the soft Kusa grass, given by Tashi, the grass cutter, under a Budhi tree and sat for meditation with the firm conviction,
"From this seat, even if my body may decay,
And skin dry, bones may disintegrate,
Until enlightenment, which is hard to realize for aeons,
Is realized , I shall not rise."
Just as he sat there under the tree for meditation at dusk, he was able to conquer the demonic forces of attachment, hatred, ignorance, arrogance and jealousy. And within a stroke of concentration at midnight, he realized enlightenment at dawn of the day. The realization was the most amazingly undescribable one. It was an experience beyond any descriptions in words.
"The nectar like Dharma, that I found,
Is the most profound, and unelaborate-blissful clear light.
In words, people would not understand it.
So, I would remain silent in the woods."
This is how he achieved enlightenment within a stroke of determination, concentration in meditation. It happened at the dawn of the 15th day of Saga-Dawa as his birth.
However, after 49 days of solitary silence he was requested to teach the way that he found to enlightenment. Powerful kings of god like Indra, Brahma and other celestial beings offered him a right turning white conch-shell, a thousand spoke gold Dharma wheel and requested him to turn the wheel of Dharma for all beings. Many others offered him white-silk scarves, incense, and scented water and flowers.
Though he wanted to remained in silent meditation for a while, however he could not turndown their request as it was the right time and so, he declared;
"I go to Varanasi. When once I am there, I will lit the light to dispel the darkness of the world. I go to Varanasi. When once I am there, I will ring the nectar like Dharma gong for the deaf world."
Thus his first turning of the Dharma wheel was at Varanasi, where he taught the four noble truths. Since then he was teaching and number of followers increased. His second and third turning of Dharma wheel were held at different places. By then he had a huge following.
At the age of 81, in Tsachok-Drong, one day he called some of his immediate disciples and said, "Now is the last time for you to view the body of an enlightened being, so watch it carefully."
Then he lay on his right side, with his right palm under his right cheek (lion’s position) and his left hand lying the length of his left side and passed into Parinirvana. This was his final event of life. With it, he left us the impression of impermanence as part of the nature.
We commemorate these events every year with special religious fervor all the Buddhist world.
Can reach the author at norsamT@aol.com
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