Visak Bochea Day 2023

Imagine yourself among hundreds of Buddhist monks, carrying bowls of lotus flowers in a holy procession around the city. This is how Buddha’s Birthday is celebrated in Cambodia

Visak Bochea festival commemorates the anniversary of the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death. You can fully experience the celebration attending the ceremony near Preah Reach Mount (also known as Oudong), around 40 km away from Phnom Penh, where the relics of Buddha. People of all ages walk with candles, incense sticks and lotus flowers in hand. Thousands of lights create mystical atmosphere and unforgettable experience for everyone.

"Visak Bochea Day" is a day to commemorate the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death. It is a day to dedicate to his Dharma principles and adopt them into your everyday lives.This Cambodian public holiday is celebrated on the full moon of the sixth month of the Buddhist lunar calendar, which is usually in May on the Gregorian calendar.

Visak Bochea

Although Buddha's death is recalled on Vesak Bochea day, it is not a day to be sorrowful or mourn. Gautama Buddha counseled his Sangha (community of students) not to cry after his death but instead dedicate themselves to his instructions.

He stated that the greatest method for his disciples to pay respect was to embrace his Dharma teachings to improve their brains, lead virtuous lives, and eventually preserve peace for humankind.

Buddha Day is traditionally observed in eastern Asia; yet, it has spread to several western nations with sizable Asian populations.

When is Vesak Day?

The Asian lunisolar calendars determine Visak Day's date. Hence the holiday may be honored on distinctive days in different nations. Around the Gregorian calendar, Buddha Day festivities vary year to year, although it generally falls in April or May. During leap years, it may be commemorated in June.

The Origins of Visak Bochea Day

Vesak Day commemorates the Gautama Buddha's three significant life events.

Birth

Gautama Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha, the descendant of the Sakya ruler. The Sakya kingdom was situated between Nepal and India. The priests predicted at his birth that the prince was destined to become a powerful king or a great spiritual teacher.

Enlightenment

Gautama Buddha was born into nobility, but after several years of meditation practices, he entirely rejected the sophisticated world at the age of thirty.

Prince Siddhartha had realized that the only way to achieve enlightenment was through committed spiritual practice and sacrifice of all sensual pleasures.

Buddha pondered beneath a Ficus religiosa, known as Bodhi tree, Pippala tree, Peepal tree, or Sacred fig, in the northern Indian town of Bodh Gaya till he attained the advanced enlightenment. The tree, known as the Bodhi Tree, is now a well-known and sacred Buddhist shrine.

After attaining enlightenment, the Gautama Buddha began his discourses, presenting the fundamental principles of Buddhism.

In Buddhism, there are Four Noble Truths:

1. Existence is suffering

2. This suffering is caused by human craving

3. There is a cessation of suffering called Nirvana

4. Nirvana can be achieved through the Eightfold Path

Death

When Gautama Buddha passed away at the age of 80, he left instructions to his Sangha and other monks to continue to work for spiritual freedom by obeying his lessons.

Each of these events occurred on a full moon during the lunar month of Vesak. Buddhists honor Visak Bochea by learning and obeying Buddha's teachings, regarded as a life guide.

How do Cambodians Celebrate Visak Bochea Day?

Cambodian Buddhists attend local temples and shrines to celebrate Visak Bochea day. They will spend most of the day contemplating Buddha's lessons. Many people also bring food, flowers, and candles to holy places to offer to the monks as offerings. Occasionally, people free the birds as ceremonial liberations.

Monks recite Buddha's scriptures, educate about Buddha's teachings, and lead people in meditations. Moreover, Cambodian Buddhists will gather at pagodas before daybreak to chant hymns and solemnly raise the Buddhist flag. Many Buddhists will be dressed in white and spend most of the day at their pagodas listening to monks offer remarks.

Monks will recite poetry and lessons at Visak Bochea to promote joy and tranquility for humankind. Buddhists are mindful of Buddha's legacy teaching to live together peacefully with people of various beliefs and religions.

On top of that, Visak Bochea Day celebrations include:

∙ Bathing for Buddha statues.

∙ Cleaning households and main roads.

∙ Adorning private and corporate spaces with flowers.

∙ Orbiting Buddha statues at night surrounded by candles.

It is noteworthy that religious rites are held similar to other Cambodian festivals like Meak Bochea Day, Pchum Ben, and even the Khmer New Year.

Several Buddhist festivities will take place in major cities. During Vesak Day, individuals are alerted that they must make particular endeavors to provide bliss to the less privileged. The aged, the sick, the hungry, and the disabled will all benefit from generous offerings.

Kingdom Rituals for Visak Bochea Day

The National Committee for Organizing National and International Festivals has advised all organizations to send leaders, civil servants, and residents to participate in Visak Bochea Day to celebrate the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death.

It also urged them to display national and religious flags and slogan-emblazoned banners at their organizations and in notable public locations.

The authorities encourage residents to commemorate the event, including monks, civil workers, students, and citizens. According to a letter from the committee to that effect, Phnom Preah Reach Troap or Phnom Oudong in Kandal province's Ponhea Leu district will be the site of the traditional holiday celebrations.

Typically, residents create floral arrangements, put lights, and fly the national and Buddhist flags to acknowledge the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and Nirvana.

During the celebration, healthcare precautions will be implemented cautiously, with all attendees having their temperatures taken and hand sanitizer being widely used. Besides, authorities will send security personnel to ensure public safety and traffic management before, during, and after Visak Bochea.

On April 26, Siem Reap province governors expressed relief that Visak Bochea festivities have resumed following a brief halt due to Covid-19.

As instructed by the organizers, banners containing Buddhist messages will be placed during this year's festival. The Visak Bochea celebration honors the Buddha, who guided society toward peace.

Visak Bochea festivities were always carried on Cambodian National Television (TVK) and national radio stations. According to the Head of the Government of Information's General Department of Information and Broadcasting, the ministry has instructed news agencies to telecast Visak Bochea and all national occasions such as Meak Bochea and the King's birthday.

As a result, if you happen to be in or around Cambodia in May, a Cambodian pagoda visit will provide insight into a very important holiday: Visak Bochea Day.

This celebration is known as Buddha Day, celebrated by Buddhists worldwide. The event honors the birth, enlightenment, and Nirvana of Siddharta Gautama Shakyamuni Buddha.

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Visak Bochea Phnom Penh Cambodia

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Cambodia Celebrates Meak Bochea Day

PHNOM PENH: February 16, 2022 marks Meak Bochea Day, otherwise known as 'Magha Puja' or 'Sangha Day' in other parts of the world. This is an important Buddhist festival celebrated in Cambodia and by Buddhists all over the world on the full moon of the third month of the traditional Khmer calendar, to commemorate the day when the Buddha declared the founding of Buddhism in India in 588 BC, just nine months after his enlightenment.

The formation of Buddhism as a religious organization took place among 1,250 monks, all members of a convention that had brought together people from all walks of life. According to traditional Buddhist history, the monks had gathered on this full moon day because it coincided with the day of Shiva in Hinduism. The monks traveled from different locations to see Lord Buddha, with the story being that all 1,250 had arrived separately without a summoning.

Celebrating Meak Bochea Day means that Buddhists:

1. Correctly understood the importance of this day of worship.

2. Understand the principles and positions of Buddhism.

3. Cultivate pure generosity, become more civilized in the principles of Lord Buddha.

4. Perform the role of Buddhists on this day of Meak Bochea.

5. Help Buddhism to be stable for a long time.

Meak Bochea Day is seen to be a day that measure the quality of Buddhists, as well as a day that sees who is still actively practicing Buddhism today, like a mirror illuminating one’s face. It is believed that if you have the status of a Buddhist, this day should be for showing you are not neglecting your duties, and you are trying to encourage active practice of Buddhism and visiting pagodas to make prayers. For Buddhists, active practice of the religion can help to improve one’s quality of life and one's soul and spirit by following Buddhist principles, doing good deeds and cultivating a healthy mind.

Meak Bochea reminds of the very last sermon of Buddha in which he summarized the “heart of Buddhism” into these 3 principles in front of 1,250 monks:

    Stopping from all evil
    Doing only what is good
    Cleansing the mind
    The 3 Principles of Buddha

The fourfold assembly

1.250 monks who gathered to hear the sermon about 2,500 years ago on that day are also often referred to as the “Fourfold Assembly” because there were four facts:

    All 1250 listeners were “Enlightened Beings”
    Buddha ordained them all himself
    According to tradition, they came to the sermon without being summoned
    It was full moon in Khmer month Magha

Meaning of the name Meak Bochea

The name Meak Bochea (Khmer: មាឃបូជា) originates from the Thai “Magha Puja”.

    Magha = Meak: name of the third lunar month
    Puja = Bochea: to venerate

“Day of veneration of Buddha and his teachings on the full moon of the third lunar month.”
Buddha knew when he was going to die

According to legend, Buddha predicted his own death on that day, which was to take place exactly 3 months later. The day of his death was also his day of birth and his evidenced experience of enlightenment. Since then Cambodia celebrates the death and birthday of Buddha as Visak Bochea Day.
Importance of full moon at Meak Bochea Day

In Buddhism, the full moon is considered to be a holy day and the perfect time to repent of one’s sins and at the same time to earn merits. The added historical significance of the full moon on Meak Bocheay Day makes this a special day of penance, merit for good deeds and remembrance of Buddha’s teachings.

For this purpose the Khmer visit the local temples and pagodas to practice doing good deeds for merit. Nevertheless, they strive to purify their minds, avoid all future sins, and obey all Buddha’s commandments. These commandments include the avoidance of:

    alcohol consumption
    killing
    stealing
    lying

Since the Khmer like to drink a delicious beer, the rush to the Meak Bochea Day for penance in the temples is quite crowded. Also the non-lying can hardly be kept completely and contributes to the run on the temples.
Meak Bochea Day – and you are part of it

If you’re in Cambodia during Meeak Bochea Day, then check out the ceremonies! The scenes are truly impressive as the monks in their orange and white nuns in their white robes process along the temples and pagodas.

Visit a pagoda or temple to watch the Buddhist ceremonies. The believers perform processions in which candles, incense sticks and lotus blossoms are carried around the temple three times. Each of the 3 rounds has its own spiritual meaning: