Vesak - Feast of the Three Jewels: Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and passing away

Vesak - this holiday, one of the main holidays for Buddhists, is dedicated to three fundamental events in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha: birth (Jayanti), attainment of enlightenment (Bodhi) and departure to Nirvana (Parinirvana).

Vesak (from the Tibetan "Saga Dawa" and Mongolian "Donchod-hural", meaning "Feast of a Thousand Offerings") is celebrated on the day of the full moon of the first summer month of the lunar calendar, which falls between late May and early June of the Gregorian calendar.

Tradition associates with this day the three greatest events: the birth of Buddha, his enlightenment at the age of 35 and his departure to Nirvana at the age of 80.

In the countries of South Asian Buddhism all three events are celebrated on the 14th day of the month of Vesak.  In 2024, this date is 23 May.

Donchod-hural is not just a holiday, but a profound spiritual event filled with an atmosphere of renewal, enlightenment and celebration. The faithful gather in temples, make offerings, participate in prayers and meditations, and listen to the monks' instructions.

The festival also serves as a reminder of the value of the Buddha's teachings and a call for spiritual improvement.

Donchod-hural is a time of generosity, compassion and unity, when people give each other gifts, prepare meals and strive to do good deeds.

In northern Tibeto-Mongolian Buddhism, the Buddha's Birthday, Enlightenment and Parinirvana are celebrated on different dates: on the ninth day of the fourth month of the Tibetan calendar and on the night of the 15th day of the same month. This festival is known as Saga Dawa in Tibet and Donchod-hural in the Mongolian tradition of Buddhism.

The UN General Assembly recognised the importance of Buddhism as one of the oldest religions in the world and its contribution to the spiritual development of mankind by declaring Buddha's Birthday as a holiday to be celebrated annually according to a resolution dated 8 February 2000.

Festive rituals of Donchod-hural

Vesak is considered the most significant of all Buddhist holidays and lasts for a week. On the eve of this holiday, believers send greeting cards depicting key moments from the life of the Buddha to their friends and relatives.

On the full moon of the fourth lunar month, Buddhists pay special attention to spiritual practice, as it is believed that merit increases millions of times on this day.

On the day of Donchod-hural, solemn prayers, processions and marches are held in all monasteries. Temples are decorated with garlands of flowers and paper lanterns symbolising the enlightenment that came to the world with the Buddha's teachings. Oil lamps are placed around sacred trees and stupas. Monks recite prayers and tell the faithful stories from the life of Buddha and his disciples throughout the night.

The festival lasts for three days, from the 14th to the 16th day of the third month of the lunar calendar, and is associated with the beginning of the Buddha's preaching of the Kalachakra Tantra, which is the basis of Vajrayana philosophy. The main celebrations take place during the 15th lunar day, which is also known as Donchod-hural.

On these days, laypeople also engage in meditation at temples and listen to monks' instructions throughout the night, emphasising their devotion to the Buddha's teachings (Dharma). During the festival, a ban on agricultural work and other activities that may harm living beings is strictly observed.

During the hural, lamas recite sacred texts from the Ganjur, the holy book of Buddhism, including "Worship and Offerings to the Buddha" and "The Coming of the Buddha from the Heaven of Tushita Paradise". Donchod-hural Day is also celebrated as World Peace and Meditation Day in all Buddhist countries.

After completing the prayers, lay people treat members of the monastic community and give them gifts (dana), demonstrating their devotion to the Buddha's teachings and respect for monasticism (Sangha) as one of the Three Jewels.

A characteristic ritual of this festival is the washing of Buddha statues with sweet water or tea and sprinkling them with flowers.

On Donchod-hural Day it is customary to perform horoo - a clockwise circumambulation around a sacred place (datsan or stupa). It is considered one of the best practices of purification. The number of goroo can be 3, 7, 21, 108 or correspond to the age of a person.

During this holy Buddhist month, there is also a tradition to abstain from eating meat and alcohol. If vegetarianism cannot be observed throughout the month, Buddhists generally give up meat in the first 15 days of the month.

Many also take a vow to remain silent for seven days, which symbolises the importance of abstinence in Buddhist practice and serves as a commemoration of the Buddha.

In East and Southeast Asian countries, the tradition of offering lamps in paper lanterns on this holiday is widespread. In Mongolia, such a ritual has become popular since 2008, when a prayer service of lamp offering was held for the first time at the largest stadium in Ulaanbaatar, which gathered more than ten thousand believers.

In Buryatia, a similar prayer service was held for the first time in 2009.

In Kalmykia on this day believers take a vow of sobriety "for the sake of life affirmation", as noted by the Supreme Lama of Kalmykia and representative of the Dalai Lama in Mongolia and CIS countries, Telo Tulku Rinpoche.

On Donchod-hural Day, three important events from the life of the Buddha are remembered. This day falls in the middle of the holy Buddhist month, when people especially try to "accumulate merit" by doing good deeds.

Questions and Answers

Q: What is Donchod-hural and when is it celebrated?
A: Donchod-hural, also known as Vesak or Saga Dawa, is one of the major holidays for Buddhists. It commemorates three fundamental events in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha: birth (Jayanti), attainment of enlightenment (Bodhi) and departure to Nirvana (Parinirvana). The date of the holiday is determined by the lunar calendar and usually falls at the end of May - beginning of June of the Gregorian calendar.

Q: How does Donchod-hural differ in different Buddhist traditions?
A: In South Asian Buddhism, all three events related to the Buddha are celebrated on one day - the 14th day of the month of Vesak. In Northern Tibeto-Mongolian Buddhism these events are celebrated on different dates: the Buddha's Birthday - on the ninth day of the fourth month of the Tibetan calendar, Enlightenment - on the night of the 15th day of the same month, and departure to Nirvana - on the 15th day of the fourth month.

Q: How does the Donchod-hural festival take place?
A: On this day believers gather in temples where solemn prayers, processions and processions are held. Temples are decorated with garlands of flowers and paper lanterns. Monks recite sacred texts and tell stories from the life of Buddha. The laity also meditate, listen to the monks' instructions and make offerings.

Q: What are the traditions and rituals associated with Donchod Khural?
A:

• Washing of Buddha statues: Buddha statues are washed with sweet water or tea and then showered with flowers.
• Goroo: clockwise circumambulation around a sacred place (datsan or stupa).
• Lamp offering: lamps are lit in paper lanterns and offered to the Buddha.
• Vegetarianism and abstinence from alcohol: many Buddhists try to adhere to these restrictions throughout the month of Vesak, and some try to adhere to them only for the first 15 days.
• Silence: some people take a vow of silence for 7 days.
• Good deeds: believers try to do good deeds to "accumulate merit".

Q: What is the significance of Donchod-hural for Buddhists?
A: Donchod-hural is not just a holiday, but an opportunity to remember the life and teachings of the Buddha, to renew one's spiritual practice, and to express gratitude for all the gifts of life.