Birth of Buddha
Hanamatsuri – Flower Festival
Today we celebrate the birth of the Buddha. In different cultures and locations it is celebrated at different times. There are numerous stories that have been told regarding the birth of the Buddha, almost certainly apocryphal. We don’t know for certain the exact day. We are reasonably certain though that the mother of Buddha died at childbirth and the Buddha was raised by his aunt. We are also certain that the Buddha was raised in relative comfort, though not to the exaggerated extent often told in certain stories.
Occasionally I am asked about these kinds of details, and I suppose to some people they are important to consider. However I think the most important thing to consider is why there even was a Buddha. What is the function of Buddha? Not what does a Buddha do, or what did he do; But why do or be at all?
“After his extinction there appeared a Buddha also called Sun-Moon-Light. After his extinction there appeared another Buddha also called Sun-Moon-Light. In the same manner, twenty thousand Buddhas appeared in succession, all of them being called Sun-Moon-Light with the surname Bharadvaja.” (Lotus Sutra, Chapter I)
In our world we have only the historical Buddha, born as Siddhartha Gautama, a very rare thing by the accounts we read of other worlds where numerous Buddhas appear.
“The Buddhas appear in the evil worlds in which there are the five defilement’s. The worlds are defiled by the decay of the kalpa, by illusions, by the deterioration of the living beings, by wrong views, and by the shortening of lives.” (Lotus Sutra, Chapter II)
Ok, you know where this is going so there is little point in my trying to be literary and trying to employ some skillful writing to simply tell you what is in the sutra.
“Sariputra! What is the one great purpose for which the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, appear in the worlds? The Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, appear in the worlds in order to cause all living beings to open the gate to the insight of the Buddha, and to cause them to purify themselves. They appear in the worlds in order to show the insight of the Buddha to all living beings. They appear in the worlds in order to cause all living beings to obtain the insight of the Buddha. They appear in the worlds in order to cause all living beings to enter the Way to the insight of the Buddha. Sariputra! This is the one great purpose for which the Buddhas appear in the worlds.” (Lotus Sutra, Chapter II)
So that is why the Buddha’s appear, now as we celebrate the occasion of the birth of the Buddha, perhaps we could ask ourselves what is our purpose to practice Buddhism?
