Celebration of
Shakyamuni Buddha's Birthday
 

 

Bathing the Buddha Day

A verse in praise says:

In the heavens above, in all that is on earth below,
There is no one like the Buddha.
Throughout the worlds of the ten directions he is matchless.
Of all I have seen in the world,
There is nothing at all that is like the Buddha.
Homage to the Guiding Master of the Three Realms of the Saha World,
Compassionate Father of the Four Kinds of Beings, Teacher of People and Gods,
Whose transformation bodies are of three kinds, our original teacher Shakyamuni Buddha.
Namo Fundamental Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha.

The Buddha's Birthday is also known as “Bathing the Buddha Day.” The Venerable Master Hsuan Hua explained,

“The Buddha is a greatly enlightened individual, someone who has truly understood. There’s no need for us to wash his body, which is clean and pure. Yet, why do we bathe the Buddha? To do so symbolizes the bathing of our mind and its return to purity. It is also a form of commemoration, in memory of our teacher who passed away long ago; it is one way to be filial to the Buddha. Buddhists have this tradition of bathing the baby Buddha because on the day the Buddha was born, nine dragons spouted water. This is how this ceremony came down through the ages.”

Introduction and photographs: Shakyamuni Buddha

Let Us Emulate the Buddha’s Indomitable Spirit

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