Buddhism Sri Lanka

Buddhism runs deep in Sri Lanka peoples life. The island was one of the first places to convert to the religion, in 6th Cent. BC and has remained unswerving faithful in the more than 2500 years since. Likewise, Sri Lanka is often claimed to be the world’s oldest Buddhist country, and the religious trappings are apparent everywhere, most obviously in the island’s myriad temple and festivals, as wells in its large and highly visible population of monks.
In Sri Lanka is one of the best countries to get experience in many Buddhist festivals, ceremonies, rituals, and pageants during the whole year.
.

Every full moon day of each month Sri Lankan Buddhists celebrate special remark happens in Buddhist history. And Every Buddhist temple celebrates with devotees gathering in all Temples. Full Moon Day is a public holiday in Sri Lanka too.

• Vesak and Poson Festivals are two major Buddhist festivals in Sri Lanka.
• Somewhat similar to Christmas in Europe. Our country becomes very colorful in these days

The Vesak day is the full moon day month of May. And Its to commemorate three main incidents of Buddha’s life.

1) The birth of Prince Siddartha
Who born in 6th century BC. It is 2600 years ago in Nothern India region in Lumbini (currently belong to Nepal) as a royal prince.

2) The enlighten day of ascetic Siddartha.
The acetic Siddartha gouthama was born in Lumbini Nepal, he was a prince, he had luxury life initially, but he wanted to find out the meaning of life. Then he left all the luxury and went to the other side of life, and which is extreme suffering or self-mortification too. But he could not find. Then he sat under a Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya in India and decided not to rise up until he finds the path. The following day he got enlightened.

3) The passing away of Buddha-
He was passed away at the age of 80 in Kusinara in India

While the houses and the buildings adorned with Vesak lanterns. The families sit together along with their kids make these lanterns by themselves in different sizes and designs and hang, Colorful lights are fixed to the houses and gardens of Course. There are Vesak pandals on the roadsides. A huge structure adorned with colorful lights. It depicts the life stories of Buddha. Also, devotional songs played loudly.

There are free meal huts everywhere on the roadsides. Sum huts provide solid foods such as rice and curries, noodles while some provide beverages and ice creams. The people in every hut hailing to the vehicles when passing their hut. They invite to have the meal. No matter whether the person is rich or poor. Everybody goes and have a meal. The rich park their BMW or Benz, goes and sit along with others and have the meal very happily. Sometimes beverages bring up to the cars. If someone in a hurry.

The money for these arrangements is not provided by big companies. This is the people money. Everyone happily contributing according to their capacity. Even a layman provide according to his capacity.

Most of the youngsters in every village do the arrangements with the support of others. Especially after the sunset the crowd start to grow on the roads, people take their cars, vans, motorbikes, the bullock carts, tractors, the bicycles and goes to see the Vesak celebrations. Vesak is main celebration for Buddhism. People travel place to another. Having the meals in the meal huts.

For sure this is not the ideal days to maintain diet plans. The temples filled with devotees in white cloths, sermons conducted by the chief monks. For the whole week, everybody refrains from alcohol and having meat as respect toward their master Buddha.

Poson festival Is the full moon day of the month of June. Year 247 BC Introduce Buddhism to Sri Lanka. For 2019 – 2266 years ago The son of Emperor Asoka in India sent his son Arahat Mahinda to introduce Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Likewise, The meeting place between Arahat Mahinda and the king was Mihintale, a place 15 km from Anuradhapura Ancient city(north-central province).
This was the day and Sri Lankans way of life started to change, and before Buddhism people worshiped unforeseen forces, with the arrival of Buddhism the way of thinking has been changed. Without handing over the goal of life to somebody, taken over for ourselves. At the end the killers become saviors.
Vesak and Poson Full moon days Almost similar celebrating. But, Mihintale and Anuradhapura are very special. Because the devotees wanted to visit the pilgrimage sites in Polonnaruwa. However, Including the temples around the country have special sermons, offerings Rituals, and other related customs and practices too.